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From: romero@mind.UUCP (Antonio Romero)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.hp,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Apple Challenges HP New Wave, MS-Windows, Potentially OS/2 PM
Summary: Nice idea, but...
Message-ID: <2035@mind.UUCP>
Date: 28 Mar 88 03:22:35 GMT
References: <5480@well.UUCP> <5492@well.UUCP> <1457@ur-tut.UUCP> <25828@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University
Lines: 31

In article <25828@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>, jellinghaus-robert@CS.YALE.EDU (Rob Jellinghaus) writes:
>  I think it's
> possible that suits like this one will help/force companies to create the next
> generation of user interfaces.  You know, the ones that will be to the Mac
> interface what the Mac interface was to previous (non-window, non-graphic)
> interfaces....  I can't wait!

But what happens then when the person or company with the rights to the next
generation interface usesd Apple's precedent to justify their own lawsuit to
protect their interface technology...
(I can see the response: "Well, then another interface comes out, and so on...")

Maybe software in general still needs human factors help. But I don't think
having the legal question drive the growth of interface technology is
the way we want to see things happen.  For one thing, companies
desparate to get something to market will produce bastardized versions
of things that will change enough to be legal, probably at the expense
of usability.  For another, when a good system does come out, only the
patrons of one computer maker/software house will be able to get access
to it.  If you want the Mac desktop, you'll have to turn to Apple, if
you want the HP style interface, you must buy an HP, etc...  Just
imagine for a moment what it would be like if every car maker had to
have completely different control placement because Henry Ford (or
whoever came up with it) had copyright protection for the steering
wheel/gearshift/pedals approach used to set up most vehicles...  Oy.  
I really don't think this is going to help anyone.  If Apple wins this
case the legal precedent this sets could be a nightmare for software
companies among others for decades to come...


Antonio Romero     romero@suspicion.Princeton.EDU