Re: [ql-users] failure messages

[Roy wood]

In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, John Sadler 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
Misunderstanding here.
I thought you meant the extra programs or facilities are coded into the
operating system rather than programs you install or seperately.
So perhaps we are not that far apart.
Yes I think we are. There is no reason why the basic operating system 
should not contain file managers, media players and a whole lot more. I 
am increasingly sure that this is the way it should be. I feel that the 
end user should have all of this at his disposal immediately with having 
to load extra code to do it so long as the O/S allows the use of other 
programs in their stead if the user does not like what he has. All of 
that is possible with any operating system now because the CPU power is 
so great and the cost of RAM is so low. Why make hard work for yourself 
- it does not make sense.

If I had to spec an O/S for the QL  (that is not to say I could write 
one or even get close) it would have a sound playback facility, QPAC 2 
built in (SMSQ/E should have had that long ago), a basic word processing 
and Spreadsheet package (this is, in effect what Sinclair gave us when 
he included the PSION package but there was no way to actually have that 
in the ROM or pre-loaded at the time) and graphic viewing capability. It 
is actually what we all do in our BOOT files anyway. For most users with 
a hard drive they load all the things they need in the boot file and 
start odd programs if they need them. If we were given a fraction of the 
power of today's PCs  we could load all the programs we need every time 
in one go and that would make the system more efficient. OK we would 
need more hardware but that is what we should be aiming for  The ideal 
computer system was that on the PSION Series 3 which had everything 
pre-loaded. Instant access to Spreadsheets, word processing and 
everything. You can choose to have a couple f other programs to do the 
same tasks if you wanted but what was there was pretty good and very 
usable. Why live in the dark ages when you can see the light?
--
Roy Wood
Q Branch. 20 Locks Hill, Portslade, Sussex.
Tel: +44 (0) 1273 386030    fax: +44 (0) 1273 430501
web : www.qbranch.demon.co.uk

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