Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:14133 comp.sys.mac:14806
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!dartvax!eleazar!merchant
From: merchant@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Apple Challenges HP New Wave, MS-Windows, Potentially OS/2 PM
Message-ID: <8539@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 4 Apr 88 14:19:00 GMT
References: <5480@well.UUCP> <5492@well.UUCP> <535@nunki.usc.edu> <9584@ism780c.UUCP>
Organization: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY
Lines: 44

In article <9584@ism780c.UUCP>, T.W."Tim" Smith writes:
> A point you all seem to be missing is that Microsoft's Windows *IS*
> a Mac look-alike and that Sun's and Amiga's ( and MIT's, while we
> are at it ) don't look like Mac windows.  And the Mac interface
> doesn't feel like the Xerox one.
> 
> Looking at the various window systems in question here, I would
> guess that the part you can't protect is the idea of windows,
> icons, and mice.  But there are a lot of elaboration on the
> basic idea that the maker of a window system must make, e.g.,
> how do you grow windows, where do you put menus, how do you
> close windows, do they tile or overlap, are icons used to
> represent files only or do they also represent devices,
> do you have a cute little trash can to throw files in, how
> do you move windows, how do scroll bars work, etc.
> 
> Looking at Amiga windows, Sun windows, Mac windows, and
> Xerox windows, we see four different answers to most of
> these questions.  Looking at Microsoft windows, we see
> an answer that we already saw: Mac windows.

Hm.  I've been playing with Windows 2.03 and Microsoft has come up with
different ways to do things, usually involving the window control menu, which
is a pop-up menu located where the close box is on a Macintosh.  Thus, if I
want to move a window, I can go to the window control menu and select "Move"
and then the window outline will follow my mouse.  However, since that is too
much work, I can also just go to the title bar of the window and drag it
around, just like a Macintosh.  If I click on a menu, it comes down and I can
select the item that I want by clicking on it, or I can hold down the mouse
button and work it just like a Macintosh.  If nothing else, the worse that
would happen is that Microsoft remove some of these shortcuts...

I don't think Apple is trying to shoot all windowing systems and claim that
they are the only people allowed to do a windowing system.  I think their
aim, and it is legitimate in my eyes, is to keep people from pilfering the
Macintosh window system and it's look-and-feel.

Also, I was intrigued to read, in Infoworld, about IBM/Microsoft's specs for
"panel displays" using The Presentation Manager.  It reads just like a page
out of Apple's User Interface Guidelines, except that ther phrases are all
changed around, for example, dialog boxes are called panels.  This strikes a
bit close to home, I think.
---
"Your moves are so raw..."            Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP)