At 11:43 �� 11/3/2002, you wrote: >Windows was successful not because of the desktop, but because it was >based on MS-DOS, the winner of the desktop OS wars. Back when the PC >first came out there where three reasons to by the IBM PC; I, B, and >M. IBM validated the PC for business use. By the time Windows came out, >the only competitor was Apple, and they were always priced higher. > >Popular does not always mean better. Betamax was technologically better >than VHS, but VHS won the marketing battle. > >I don't want to use an OS designed for the "average" person, who still has >problems getting the VCR to stop flashing "12:00". > >I have no interest in marketing SMSQ/E to the outside world. I find it >great for my own purposes and I leave it at that. If I had my own >company, I would probably use 100% Linux. I prefer SMSQ/E for my personal >computer and personal programming. > >It is my opinion that future of the QL should be aimed squarely at the >present users will very little consideration to expending to new >users. Yes, I would like to get some old QL users back into the fold, but >I don't think we'll be able to convert Win2K or Linux users.
In that case as we Greeks say, "lets close shop then and bury the dead before it rots". If it's geared towards current users then you need nothing more theoretically and you also will run out of users sometime...soon. So how are you proposing on developing if we are not willing to fund the current developer and not willing to let outside developers get i?. In that case honestly it would be best for toying around for my programming to get BBC Basic for the PC (just because it reminds me S*Basic) and never look back. Is that the way to go? What is the point of existence of ANYTHING if it is stagnant. (Notorious example Byzantium :-) Terminate development and push away new users and you are all done.... so let's shoot the horse in advance so it won't suffer... >Point-and-click is OK for some things, but I find I can get files copied >faster with a shell than by using two GUI file browsers and dragging and >dropping between them, esp. for mass copying. Luckily I learned touch >typing years back in High School and I use it every day. The only problem >I have is typing "copy file_txt" instead of "cp file_txt" when I'm at >work. I also find moving my right hand from the keyboard to the mouse, >and back again, can slow things down. I've seen a real good Win2K person >doing everything to administer a server without touching the mouse. I do it myself, however try to do CTRL-A then CTRL-C then CTRL-TAB to the new window and CTRL-V and you copied hundreds of files for fun :-) (Still through the Desktop though even without touching the mouse) (Oh and touch typing doesn't help at all with the underscore being where it is... not to mention the lack of really intelligent wildcards) >Remember, this is only my personal opinion. I feel that it is SMSQ/E that >I have the most to help control the future of and so I want to get as much >input as I can. There is no way I can influence the direction of Linux or >Unix in general. The problem is that you are referring to the past (no offense intended here... it's only mh and totally personal o :-)) and not the future. The past is gone, long live the future and again IMHO I do prefer a QL in my future than no QL in my future :-) >Tim Swenson > > > > > > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. �� ����������� ������ ����� >�������� ���. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.333 / Virus Database: 187 - Release Date: 8/3/2002
