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From: andrea@hp-sdd.HP.COM (Andrea K. Frankel)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc,comp.sys.next,comp.sys.mac,comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: replacing the desktop metaphor (Why any metaphor?)
Message-ID: <1805@hp-sdd.HP.COM>
Date: 30 Dec 88 18:56:05 GMT
References: <850@mtfmi.att.com> <673@cogsci.ucsd.EDU> <1489@umbc3.UMD.EDU> <22616@pbhya.PacBell.COM> <66401@ti-csl.CSNET> <4510@xenna.Encore.COM> <4455@Portia.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division
Lines: 46


In article <4455@Portia.Stanford.EDU> rdsesq@Jessica.stanford.edu (Rob Snevely) writes:
>The issue is not ease of use, the issue is how effectively a person can
>use a program as a tool to make his/her life or job better or easier.
>The mac does have 1 advantage over emacs or wordstar, it is easier for a 
>new user to get up and running. However, once that user is up and running,
>the interface can slow down there speed and productivity. 

I agree entirely.  This is why I DON'T like the Mac for heavy use,
although I appreciate it for certain graphics operations.

>So I propose both,
>why cant we have a word processor that has two interfaces. A "user-friendly"
>pull down menu -- dialog based interface for new users. and a command
>oriented interface for advanced users. This would allow those users who
>want or need a command oriented interface access to it while allowing
>new or intermediate users to have the point and click. Also since the
>menu interface would be around all the time, it would help to eliminate
>the problems of going from on to the other cause they are interchangable.

Check out Windows Write (bundled with Microsoft Windows).  It does
this exactly!

Windows is designed around both the mouse and the keyboard, and the
guidelines for software developers are that anything you can do with
the mouse, you'd better be able to do without one too.  The
"accelerators" as they're called (keystroke equivalents) are labelled
right in the pull-down menus, so that you can easily learn a new
shortcut for an operation you do frequently without having to rummage
through the manual.  But it's no problem if you forget one you haven't
used in a while, because the menus are still there.  You can decide on
a moment by moment basis whether you feel like typing <alt>-f-s or
pulling down File menu and clicking Save, for instance.

Of course, Windows Write is pretty brain-damaged, and I'd only
recommend it for short memos and writing short stories at home!
I'm looking forward to the near future when I expect to see some
REAL word processors "Windowized" to act in the same way.

Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
                "...I brought you a paddle for your favorite canoe."
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