From: banksie@khantazi.welly.gen.nz (Philip R. Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.sys.acorn,comp.sys.mac.mis
Subject: Re: New MultiTOS PC (Atari Falcon)
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 18:41:20 +1200
Reply-To: banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: My Arc.

Gavin.Flower@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Gavin Flower) writes:

> In article <BJDBoB28w165w@mantis.co.uk> mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk> writes:
> >Gavin.Flower@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Gavin Flower) writes:
> >> In article <HVy2NB7w165w@mantis.co.uk> mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew) writes:
> >> >Gavin.Flower@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Gavin Flower) writes:
> [...]
> >Yeah, sorry.  It's actually a whopping >ten< letters, isn't it?  Oh, the
> >luxury.
> 
> As I said ALL O/S's have their weaknoesses!

   This is *not* an OS weakness. This is a *filing system* weakness. Get it
right. If you have a more advanced filing system then the OS will happily
use it.

> >
> >>                                 Besides which, that is filing system
> >> specific, and Risc-OS can support various filing systems.
> >
> >Yeah, but if I install a filing system with (say) 32-character filenames,
> >would all my software still work?
> 
> If it knew about this filing system, and was designed to handle the
> long names.

   Bzzzt. The answer is *yes* the software will use it. All desktop tasks
have the filing systems abstracted to an OS interface level requiring *no*
knowledge of how the FS works to use it. This has been standard in RO2 for
some years now.

> [...]
> >> Does it fully support a 3 button mouse as standard?  
> >
> >Believe it or not, some of us don't want a 3 button mouse.  Especially not
> >without standardization over which button does what.  My Mac's trackball has
> >one button, and that does me well enough.
> 
> There is fairly good standardisation of what mouse button does what,
> especially within Risc-OS.  There is heavy pressure put on S/W
> developers to be fully Risc-OS compliant.  Having used a variety of
> mice with different numbers of buttons on several different window
> systems, I find that Risc-OS with its 3 button mouse is the best.

   More than fairly good standardisation. In the desktop the buttons have
*very* standard definitions of what they do. Only PD stuff breaks the rules
occasionally or doesn't comply to them fully and they are invariably on
minor points like incorrect handling of adjust clicks.

> >
> >> Are menus context sensitive?  
> >
> >I hope not.  Context sensitive menus are bloody confusing.  (Go to
> >comp.human-factors if you want to discuss it.)

   I disagree. The menu system on the Arc is sufficiently standardised to be
not at all confusing and the context sensative nature of it is incredibly
useful (mostly because of the Acorn guidelines laid down in the PRMs). You
do not get presented with options you do not need for the action you are
trying to do, saving on screen clutter and confusion. Please note the
context sensitiveness is usually limited to the window level with objects
only affecting the selectable options for that window menu...

> >> Do menus stay on screen when you take your finger of the mouse?  
> >
> >Better than that, I can tear off menus and use them as tool palettes. 
> >(I've heard rumours System 7.1 will do that for all menus...)
> 
> Probably is useful in places, but could lead to a lot of clutter.  I
> would have to gain experience using them to comment further.
> (I'll avoid repeating the negative comments about system 7, that I've
> heard from Mac owners... and others.)

   The application write has the choice of rip off menu if they wish. The
standard method is selectable tool windows or panes though over 'rip' menus.
The use of Adjust selects obviates a major need for this kind of shortcut by
allowing you to keep menus open at the stage you want.

   Now can you two take it to email and stop crossposting to the entirety of
Usenet?

    Philip

--
Philip R. Banks  Syntax: mail < banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz >            @@@@@/|
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Radiation emissions from Quirium are perilously high, therefore repairs @@/---|
should not be attempted by pilots with vertigo. ---Arc Elite Manual     @/    |