Forget it

Post #46,514 by pwhysall 7/23/02 12:45:39 PM Reply	Forget it The point Todd is making is that the PC quite simply is not where innovation happens in the user interaction arena. Even though I personally believe that Apple have lost their way somewhat with the UI of OSX, it's still more usable and pleasant than Windows 2000 or XP. I always thoroughly enjoy working with my mother's iMac when I go to visit (once I get over that HORRENDOUS mouse. I take my Intellimouse Explorer with me :-)) because quite simply the Apple engineers have been thorough in their design of the user interface in a way that really doesn't exist anywhere else. [I hope and pray that the lessons the GNOME project learned in their usability study are applied and applied hard. Even now, you can see in GNOME2 that things are just simpler, whereas KDE seems to be heading in the opposite direction - just take a look at the KDE3 control centre for an example of Too Much Interface.] The Windows 95 start menu and task bar were stolen from Acorn's RISCOS operating system, by the way. Shame they didn't steal the other good stuff, like being able to work with windows that are not on the top of the window pile, having a fast and simple filer with nothing to break, leak or spill, having fast proper antialiased outline fonts with subpixel hinting and scaffolding, having a simple command line available with the press of a key (hit f12, enter commands, hit enter twice to return to desktop)... Pointing at the PCJr doesn't really help either, because it was a wretched pile of shit that needed to die, and fast. Thankfully, it did. Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #46,522 by orion 7/23/02 1:27:15 PM Reply	More stuff they should have stole The Amiga Workbench, had the ability to drag the full screen down by it's title and view the screen under it. This could be done multiple times. I haven't seen this done on any other GUI since, at least not to the best of my knowledge. While the PC may not be the leaders of innovations with the UI, how does that matter to the average user? The best it could be for is bragging rights. Which of course don't pay back the corporate loans or create more marketshare. *I am free now, to choose my own destiny.*
Post #46,529 by altmann 7/23/02 1:51:42 PM Reply	The Enlightenment WM Had/Has It -- Chris Altmann
Post #46,581 by tuberculosis 7/23/02 5:25:25 PM Reply	I always hated that feature Never like multiple workspaces in WM's. Worked on HPUX with the COSE Motif 6 workspace interface and just never could get in the hang of switching from one to the other. I found it disorienting. I am out of the country for the duration of the Bush administration. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you when democracy returns.
Post #46,585 by orion 7/23/02 5:29:26 PM Reply	I loved it it was great being able to switch from one to the other so easily. Like having two desks for two different sets of projects. *I am free now, to choose my own destiny.*
Post #46,586 by admin 7/23/02 5:33:21 PM Reply	Yes/no Autoswitching by detecting the mouse on the edge of the screen must die. That IS disorienting. However, I have 8 workspaces right now... switchable only by hotkey. It's an extremely fast, efficient way to organize groups of windows, in my opinion. Programming emacs on 1, Web browsers on 3, VMware on 5, etc. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #46,551 by tuberculosis 7/23/02 4:25:16 PM Reply	Hey somebody gets it! Precisely. Some things change the way users think about computers and they way they use them. Most of those sea changes have to introduced and promoted by some brave company willing to draw a new line in the sand. Apple, I notice, is the company most often moving the line. Not always - just usually. I am out of the country for the duration of the Bush administration. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you when democracy returns.

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