From: chan@pyramid.unr.edu (Kaho Chan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: GEM.. what needs to be fixed, and soon!
Date: 4 Sep 92 00:35:13 GMT
Reply-To: chan@pyramid.unr.edu (Kaho Chan)
Organization: University of Nevada, Reno

In article <1992Aug27.100551.4716@bas-a.bcc.ac.uk> ucacmsu@ucl.ac.uk (Mr Stephen R Usher) writes:
>
>From what I've heard, the new version of GEM for the FALCON seems a great
>improvement. I hope that at least some of the following gripes I have with
>GEM are fixed, and the rest to be fixed ASAP if the Atari machines are to
>get anywhere:-
>
>(1) Response time for mouse button presses.
>
>	Has anyone noticed that it takes about a second for a mouse press to
>be acted upon under GEM? This delay is the same on the TT as on the ST. This
>has put off a large number of people when I've tried to promote the ST/TT
>for general use. It can be a right pain when you click on one item, move the
>mouse and the system highlights the one your mouse just passed over.

	It's true if you run your ST under 8mhz... but if you soup your
	machine up (I have a MSTE) to 16mhz, have a blitter, and one or 
	more (PD or commercial) software that enhances your text (etc...),
	you won't have that problem... (could be other reasons too!).

	It's not just the ST that has this problem... I've worked with a
	friend's 386SX running at 16mhz and the mouse response is sometimes
	slow.  

	I know that the problem may also lie in the mouse buttons or maybe
	the connection...

>
>(2) Printer drivers have to be assigned at INSTALL time or by editing a
>		file.
>
>	This is a MAJOR failing. Call the system user friendly? Even the
>first version of MS Windows had the capability to select the type of printer
>driver from a menu at any time.

	Why is this a major flaw?  Printer drivers are software.... the
	people who wrote those don't have every printer in mind... Just
	because it's Epson (or other) compatible, doesn't mean that it's
	100% workable on your XYZ (non-EPSON) type printer...

	I think that you are referring to being able to change the 
	printer driver through Windows... Well, as far as I know (I hope),
	GEM permits (through the Control Panel) the user to choose options
	fitting his printer, BUT, it is not the printer driver (type) you
	are reffering to...
	Software-wise, you choose the printer driver through the program...
	I may be wrong on this...


>Please note that I'm not saying MS windows or MacOS is the way to go... or
>my machine in better than your machine. I'm just trying to say what I
>believe needs to be done to make the Atari version of GEM a modern and
>attractive (in the view of developers) GUI.

	Agreed.  AND I hope that ATARI does something quick!  I've
	stayed with them for awhile (1: 1040ST 2: MegaSTE4 3:???)

	They better support their machines they are spitting out.
	It seems that the MegaSTe's (and soon TT's) are fading away...

	(noticed how the MegaSTE's dropped in price (pissed me off)...
	...because I bought it when it first came out)

>
>Steve
>
>Please don't flame me, I'm just trying to help! :-)
>
>PS. Not having done too much programming using GEM I may well be wrong about
>the API, but I still think, whatever, that point 4 has at least some
>validity.
>--
>Addresses:-
>JANET:-		ucacmsu@uk.ac.ucl or	steve@uk.ac.ox.earth (preferable)
>Internet:-	ucacmsu@ucl.ac.uk or	steve@earth.ox.ac.uk (preferable)


     __________                   _______ 
    / ________()  Kaho Chan(man) /      /
   / /\______    University of  /*     /
  / /_/_____()  Nevada, Reno    \     /
 /_________    Internet:         \   /
 L________()  chan@cs.unr.edu     \/^

Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st