(I'm resending this since I think there was some miss-configuration at my
end that made the mail never reach the list. If it di I'm sorry to post
twice.)
Or wrote:
>It IS bad, but thats how it is today. Went you go to a tech to fix
>a computer, they usually prefer to take out the damaged part, trow
>it away, and replace it with a newer one. To most technitions the
>term "fixing" is same to "upgrading". But I cant really see how
>this is connected to easy-to-use computing interface.
Not directly, I for ex. feel that DOS is easy to use and Windows isn't. How
many commands to you NEED to learn in DOS? A list:
1. dir
2. cd
3. how to start a program
4. Change drive.
(and maybe copy, md, del and rd)
More advance things like format, type etc. can be left to learn later on.
To do the same things in Windows 95/98/NT you would have to learn:
1. To operate the mouse (often hard for beginers, espacially older people)
2. Press the Start Button to actually do anything at all (I'm beeing very
general here)
3. Choose "programs" and then what program should be runed from a list, and
if many programs are installed scroll up/down
4. When finsihed inside program and wanting to save a strange box pops up
with all kind of diffrent things in them. The user (hopefully) finds where
to put the name and clicks OK.
5. Then, many users have NO IDEA where the document (or whatever) they
where working on actually are. They open up and hope that the recent file
list still holds the file they were working on last time. If not the file
is counted as lost forever and a printed copy is typed in again!
6. To create a directory you can "opposite"-click inside a save box to
create one (this is very unlogical).
7. To copy one would have to start yet another program (or choose open,
save as...) And inside there (explorer.exe) get the stupid program to copy
not move and not creating a shortcut.
Is that easy? I don't think so.
Not to mention that they need to Start to Quit ;)
More to complain about (while I'm at it).
The user will have a very hard time addopting to a new interface and can't
understand that something might look diffrent then the way they are used to
and (litteraly?) run away from this other system.
>One is a good typewriter, capable of doing all type of fonts, colors,
>tables, and all you need to do to use it is to learn a very simple
>interface for about 15 minutes. Some people dont even need to learn
>the book. Its so comfortable that they can start using it right
>away and learn while using.
You forget that it takes more time to startup, and people would (atleast in
theory) want something that starts in less than 1 minute.
I've only read 1 book for DOS users (and that was just to check it out for
an old school). But it was a very good book (around 150 pages). I borrowed
it to a friend that around one year later exclaimed: "When I left you I was
but the learner - now I am the master!" Of course my response could only be
one since he just had started making viruses. I'll assume you all remember
the next quote ;)
>Infact, when you turn it on, you dont get a friendly menu with
>a nice design that lead you to the work directly. All you get is
>a cryptic word that looks like a "C:\>". Apon looking at the guide
>book, you realise that you will have to learn something that resemble
>an entirely new "language" to communicate with this machine. You
>understand that in the end it will worth the effort, but still.
As explained earlier, this "language" is a very very short one and takes
very little time to learn (if someone is ready to teach it).
BTW: Is there any good info on DOS out there? I've seen two bad ones in
swedish, perhaps there is someone good in english? (mpdostip.txt doesn't
count since it's still in german).
>Now the only thing left for a bystander
>to do is to ponder on the big 12 trillion dollars question: "WHY?"
>
>If you think I can answer that question, then nope, I cant.
That's an easy one: "Since everyone else is!" These people are the ones
that would jump of a cliff if enough PR was put into it (or vote for Hitler).
>But you CAN go and try to ask the general simple-task user why
>they choose #1. After all, most of them really do get fascinated
>from the capabilities of #2.
>But you can be certain that its not only "being lazy" and hating
>to learn. There are many other reasons. Just go and dig (litraly).
Lack of information in most cases, hey my father that has seen me use
Arachne for quite some time now even asked if I had installed Linux when he
saw it the other day (knowing quite well that I'll struggle with it ASAP
(when the summerholliday begins))
>By the way, when I say GUI I do not refer to an interface that will
>attempt to hide the computer from the user. The starting default
>will appear like #1, however an advanced user can select to
>"take out the protective layer" and do things the real way. So dont
>misunderstand me on this point.
I feel a small menu would be sufficient for most users.
BTW: That was your 500:th mail :)
We other are way behind (I'm close to 200 and only 4 others have "broken"
that "barrier")<G>
//Bernie
To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message.
Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies.
