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From: holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander)
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: <66401@ti-csl.CSNET>
Date: 27 Dec 88 22:00:58 GMT
References: <850@mtfmi.att.com> <673@cogsci.ucsd.EDU> <1489@umbc3.UMD.EDU> <22616@pbhya.PacBell.COM>
Sender: news@ti-csl.CSNET
Reply-To: holland@m2.UUCP (Fred Hollander)
Organization: TI Computer Science Center, Dallas
Lines: 35

In article <22616@pbhya.PacBell.COM> whh@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) writes:
>In article <1489@umbc3.UMD.EDU>, cs374326@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Peter Johansson) writes:
>
>My son is in high school.  He also uses vi and nroff without difficulty,
>so please spare me the flames about difficult to learn and use.  He's been
>using vi since the 5th grade.
>
>I never found the Mac (or other graphical and mouse) interfaces particularly
>intuitive.  The command-line interface doesn't leave you guessing which button
>to push how many times once you learn to finish commands with a carriage return

Typical Mac Word Processor:

        Find:   word    Replace With:   new-word

vi:

        ^[:.,$s/word/new-word/g

Can you tell which one is more intuitive?  Now, don't get me wrong.  I've used
vi since college and never had any problem with it, but I would never had
gotten started without a manual or a reference.  Simple yes.  Powerful yes.
Intuitive %$#@ no! I agree that UNIX is easy to use, ONCE YOU KNOW HOW!  My
four year old can use my Mac without help.  Don't tell me you son just sat
down and figured out vi (and NROFF!??).

>
>       --Hal

Fred Hollander
Computer Science Center
Texas Instruments, Inc.
holland%ti-csl@csnet-rela

The above statements are my own and not representative of Texas Instruments.