From: raist@rmece02.upr.clu.edu (Ricardo Hernandez | 802-36-4453)
Subject: Re: Macintosh advocacy (really!)
Organization: UPR-Mayaguez--ASEL Lab
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 1992 20:37:04 GMT

In article <6281.2af56fde@hayes.com>, bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) writes:
|> In article <1992Oct29.051139.11315@cs.uow.edu.au>, u9147063@cs.uow.edu.au (Richard Barry Ling) writes:
|> > 
|> > The Mac only has one button, which cripples. 
|> 
|> Wrong. It enables. Having only one button is a FEATURE. It makes the mouse
|> much easier to use because it completely eliminates the confusion over which
|> button to press.
|> 
|> The Mac is MORE POWERFUL because it has only one button. Less IS more.

    I guess that this is the typical case of a new user.  He might find oune
button less confusing.  But once you start using the machine, having only
one button might actually cripple you.  I consider a good example the Amiga,
which has a two button mouse enables you to make multiple menu selections
by pulling the menu only once.

  Consider the case where you have a font in plain, and you want to change it
quickly to 24 Point size, Bold, Italics.  If I keep the second button pressed
(on the Amiga), the menu would till be open and I will be able to make a multiple
selection.  Please correct me if there is an equivalent way on the Mac to do
this, maybe with the command key or option, but as far as I know, there is none.

|> > It would be so easy to introduce another mouse button; it could just remain 
|> > unused as software is written for it. 
|> 
|> Like on the NeXT or Windows, where extra buttons are simply undefined -- it
|> is up to the applications to use them as they see fit. Hence, applications
|> either a) don't use them or b) use them in inconsistant ways hence, c) users
|> don't use them.
|>
   Check the case on the above example.  In my example at least, the meaning
on the second button is consistent.
 
|> > The mac seems incapable of working in real time. I often get frustrated
|> > holding down the button on the menu bar waiting for a Mac to produce a menu,
|> > often waiting for many seconds if it is busy with screen update or some
|> > processor-intensive work. 
|> 
|> Sounds like there is something functionally wrong with your Mac. Perhaps
|> you ought to take it in for servicing.

   Nope, the Mac most likely is working ok.  I encountered the same problem
during last weekend.  I was using Mac's IIsi and this happens when the mac 
is doing some updates on the screen, appletalk communication and printing/saving.

[stuff deleted]

|> 
|> > 8. The Amiga's autosizing scroll bars are much nicer and more intuitive to
|> >    use than the Mac's thumbnail scroll bars. I can never tell how much of
|> >    the document I am viewing or exactly where in the document I'm at with
|> >    the Mac scroll bars.
|> 
|> Apple studied the use of proportional scroll bars. They found that they
|> were NOT intuitive. They confused users. They did this through expensive
|> user testing, not some survey of technogeeks.

   They were NOT intuititve, or just NOT VERY intuitive.  I find that once you
know the maning of the scrollbars, it is quite a nice feature.

|> 
|> > 5. SW doesn't break every time the OS gets upgraded. 
|> 
|> Same on the Mac. My software didn't break when the OS got upgraded. Indeed,
|> the SECOND version of Smartcom II that ever shipped (summer of '85) works
|> under System 7.

   I guess this depends.  I remember that when System 7 came out, it will try to
"correct" the other programs to make them workable, and put a "deadline date"
on when they will no longer function.  I guess this doesn't happen with all
programs.

|> 
|> >    Commodore puts more
|> >    effort into making their OS upgrades compatible with existing SW than any
|> >    company I know of. 
|> 
|> Apple does MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of testing. I suspect Apple spends more on
|> testing then Commodore makes yearly.
 
   I guess this is simply subjective.

- Raist

|> 
|> -- 
|> Bill Coleman, AA4LR                ! CIS: 76067,2327    AppleLink: D1958
|> Principal Software Engineer        ! Packet Radio: AA4LR @ W4QO
|> Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. ! UUCP: uunet!hayes!bcoleman
|> POB 105203 Atlanta, GA 30348 USA   ! Internet: bcoleman%hayes@uunet.uu.net
|> Disclaimer: "My employer doesn't pay me to have opinions."
|> Quote: "The same light shines on vineyards that makes deserts." -Steve Hackett.
|> 

-- 
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 - Raist