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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?)
Keywords: desktop metaphor, graphical interfaces, computing environments
Message-ID: <1804@hp-sdd.HP.COM>
Date: 30 Dec 88 18:37:46 GMT
References: <850@mtfmi.att.com> <673@cogsci.ucsd.EDU> <1489@umbc3.UMD.EDU> <10746@s.ms.uky.edu> <267@gloom.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division
Lines: 36

In article <267@gloom.UUCP> cory@gloom.UUCP (Cory Kempf) writes:
>Also, nobody that I have introduced to the mac has ever (willingly)
>gone back to the pc... (well, I do know ONE person who prefers the
>pc... but then, his dad has worked for Big Blue for ever, and he was
>pretty wierd too -- (Hi Shelly Blumstein!)).

I worked on a Mac and willingly went back to my PC.  Now that Microsoft
Windows is available, and packages like Micrografx Designer, on a PC
(well, actually an AT) I can have the best of both worlds.  When I'm
doing something that is better suited for a visual/mouse interface, I
do it under Windows.  When the visual/mouse interface is too slow and
unwieldy, I pop back to DOS and EMACS.  What I dislike about the MAc
is the inability to do that, to decide on a moment-by-moment basis
which kind of interface is best suited to the task at hand.

>Looking at Apple's ever increasing portion of the market v IBM, I'ld
>say that this was about the best research that your going to get.
>It's pretty conclusive... also, the people who are buying IBMs &
>clones have either not used a Mac or are constrained by price.

Price is never NOT a consideration!  Even companies with bucks to spend
want to know what the most bang per buck is.  If you have specific
software you want to run that is only available on the Mac, obviously
you're going to get a Mac.  But if you need a general purpose
cost-effective hardware platform to run a variety of software and
user interfaces, it's still hard to beat a PC-compatible machine.
Why, they even sell them at the Price Club!  (I kid you not.)


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