Robert Derman wrote:
Peter Rodwell wrote:
Quoting T. J. Brumfield:
However, in developing countries Android tablets may be the most
accessible
and affordable computing platform of the future. It shouldn't be
ignored.
Agreed -- it certainly shouldn't be ignored, I just think that giving it
priority over Windows is ridiculous, is all.
> Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Next should be platforms of the future.
Exactly!
Oops! I deleted the letter I was going to reply to which was on the
UI thread, but this thread is almost as on topic to what I intended to
say so I will stick it onto this one. First thing, the font
selector has been where it is for so long, that I think it would be a
serious mistake to mess with it. From the very first WISIWIG word
processors it has been at about that spot, and has worked about the
way it does now. My first Windows WP was not MS Word, or even Word
Perfect, it was a program that few people today even remember,
WordStar. People just expect some of the most basic things in a WP
program to be where they have always been, and it is unwise to change
them without a truly compelling reason.
I suspect that the actual typical user of OOo/LO is a home user, who
uses it because they could not afford MS Word, or at least could not
justify the cost of it for home use. Most of the documents created
with Writer are probably not screenplays, legal pleadings, or
technical manuals, but rather have file names like, Xmas Newsletr 10,
or Letr to Aunt Joan, or Garagesalesign. The database is probably
used most for things like keeping track of record or DVD collections,
or membership lists for clubs or fraternal organizations. Little kids
use Draw for a coloring book. Elementary school kids use Writer for
their school papers, ones that have to be turned in as hard copy. If
I had to guess, it would be that the single most common use for the
spreadsheet is to do check registers for personal checking accounts.
I would also guess that many of the businesses that use OOo/LO do so
because someone in management used the program at home and liked it.
Power user features and capabilities certainly lead to corporate and
government use of the suite, but basic ease of use for simple things
is what gets people to try it in the first place.
I could be wrong about this, but what I suspect, is that nothing else
could promote the popularity of LO more than having a good users
manual in the download package. Despite the truth of the old saying
"When all else fails, read the manual". A lot of users like to read a
good manual to find out what else they could do with a program that
they aren't doing now. Also I would recommend formatting the manual
for 8.5x11 rather than the usual 5x7 so that if the users want a hard
copy it won't result in the usual horrible amount of paper waste that
you get with 5x7 formats. For example being able to get the whole
thing onto 60 pages rather than needing 100. Or perhaps format both
ways, 5x7 for on screen, and 8.5x11 for printing. Help functions are
OK as far as it goes, but many times you need a hard copy so that you
can read how to do a thing while actually doing it.
Many times I see the question, how can we be better than Microsoft,
this is one place where this would be easy. In recent years MS has
declined badly in user support, especially in the area of user
manuals. They may do all right with the Fortune 500, but with small
business, to say nothing of home users, frankly they suck! They have
also gotten sloppy with little details about how their software works,
one thing I have noticed, Win 7 files incorrectly, files with numeral
titles, as an example, the following files 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5 end up
filed in the following order 6.5, 6, 7.5, 7 We all know that this is
idiotic and WRONG! My point is that it shouldn't be that hard to put
out a product that people perceive as better than such junk. Time for
me to get off of my soapbox now. Robert Derman
Either my email program, or something along the way really messed up the
formatting of this email, running all the paragraphs together. so I
added several more C.R. between each paragraph and I will send it again
and see if that fixes it.
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