From: bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: Macintosh advocacy (really!)
Date: 11 Nov 92 18:52:56 EDT
Followup-To: .203704.24853@rmece49.upr.clu.edu>

Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA

In article <1992Nov07.203704.24853@rmece49.upr.clu.edu>, raist@rmece02.upr.clu.edu (Ricardo Hernandez | 802-36-4453) writes:
> 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'm afraid not. Experienced users will also suffer from the which button
confusion.

And this gets into that discussion we were having about keyboard shortcuts
versus menu operations with the mouse -- having multiple mouse buttons 
increases the cognitive load. So, even if more mouse buttons is slower,
you don't realise it is because your brain is so busy. (Albeit not as
busy as when you use the keyboard)

> |> > 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.

Funny, I own a IIsi myself. And I don't seem to suffer the same problem.

> |> 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.

If your brain thinks like a computer. The testing showed that it wasn't
a nice feature. It was too confusing. 

> |> > 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.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. System 7 does absolutely
NOTHING to "correct" programs, no does it do anything to put "deadlines" into
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.

Could be. 

How much does Commodore make on selling Amigas?

-- 
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.

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy