Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!stanford.edu!neon.Stanford.EDU!torrie
From: torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie)
Subject: Re: De-macification of the Amiga (Re: The Amiga's Future)
Message-ID: <1991Jun30.083209.22027@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: torrie@neon.Stanford.EDU (Evan James Torrie)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Ca , USA
References: <14318@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <1991Jun29.232917.28817@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <14332@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <1991Jun30.015828.5393@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1991 08:32:09 GMT
Lines: 43

rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes:

>In article <14332@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> navas@cory.Berkeley.EDU writes:

>>Perhaps our society has BETTER THINGS TO DO than RTFM?

>   Perhaps our society has better things to do than read? When 
>software is distributed I think users should read the instruction manual.

  Our society does have better things to do than read, especially if the
reason for reading is just because someone has decided to use some
kinky type of interface, which matches nothing else available.

>  Where do I ever said I own a PC or ever owned one? I think the Menu
>paradigm sucks, there must be something better, like pop-up toolboxes/gadgets
>or atleast pop-up menus are better than normal menus. I hate having to
>move the mouse to the top of the screen to select a function!

  Why don't you just assign command keys to the menu items you use a lot?
Then, while you're learning, you can scan the menus with your mouse, but
for heavy duty work, you just settle back to your command keys.

>>The idea with menus is rather simple -- they are out of the way when you don't
>>want them, and they are on screen when you do want them.  The same cannot
>>be said of gadgets (which are always there) or hotkeys (which are never
>>on screen).

>  But menus take mouse gymnastics to activate. 

  But gadgets take up screen space, while hotkeys take mental gymnastics to
be able to remember every one of them when you're an infrequent user.

>duty menu work can be nerve racking sometimes. The WIMP interface
>isn't the be-all of interfaces. I simply think something better, more
>adaptable to a mouse can be worked out.

  Well, how about a voice interface?  "Edit, Cut".

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good deal when I see one,
 Reggie."  "Yes, C.J."
