Re: my open x11 issues
Re: my open x11 issues
- Subject: Re: my open x11 issues
- From: Max Waterman <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 17:53:41 -0700
Jim Elliott wrote:
On Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003, at 17:32 America/Chicago, Max Waterman wrote:
This works if your using a machine for the first time, but some of us
have been using other systems for decades, and quite happily at that.
Perhaps our muscle memories, or whatever, work very nicely, thank you,
using this other system.
This is an example of a situation where self-assessment really can't be
used to give reliable answers. It *feels* every bit just as efficient to
use a menu at the top of a window, but it empirically is *not*. It takes
more time to acquire a menu that's not at the top of the screen. Fitt's
law explains why, and laboratory experiments have validated it beyond
any dispute. Now, because your mind is actively *working* to acquire the
menu (and is actually working harder when it's in a movable window that
isn't bounded by the infinitely-tall screen edge), that time does not
perceptually exist. It is inaccessible to your consciousness--you're
busy, time flies. But you are measurably slower.
Well, speed isn't everything. I'm not just talking about the menu being
at the top of the screen. I can see the logic there, and don't argue with
that. The point is that it makes so many other things so less efficient.
Being forced to change just because they claim to know better, isn't
likely to make them any sales. Making it the default doesn't hurt anyone,
but not making it available hurts everyone (apart from those who use it
that way from the start).
It doesn't hurt people in terms of productivity, but it sure does annoy
people. (And note, I'm not trying to deny that your annoyance is valid!)
That's perhaps enough reason to be flexible about it, but I doubt Apple
will. It would break too much.
Can't argue with you there, though I don't know that it would necessarily
break anything.
If you put the menus in the windows, then everything else is suddenly
much easier to implement.
If any of the apps are ported to X, then I would be happy to dump the
Apple window manager (what *is* it called anyway?) all together.
I don't know why they didn't just build their GUI in X ... probably
some business reason.
I'm an idiot for assuming I would be able to make it work the way I do
when
I bought the thing. I should have found it out beforehand, then I
would have
more seriously considered buying a Linux box.
You could always install Linux! :)
Of course, but it doesn't have the apps. I use X, but only to run things
remotely.
Anyway, this is an argument that I've seen battled out many a time on
many mailing lists and usenet groups,
Yup, me too.
and it probably won't ever die.
It would die if Apple actually did something about it, and they'd get
more switchers if they did so.
One of the things that makes the Mac different from other platforms is
the way Apple establishes and enforces standards.
"Different". Right. That's one word for it.
They've gotten lax and
somewhat less effective at that lately, and perhaps they should either
get back to their human-interface roots, or give up entirely. But it's
the polar opposite of the X/Unix world, and I can understand finding it
hostile, confining, frustrating for people who are used to the tabula
rasa of that world.
Right.
I currently advise my coworkers to not bother getting an Apple, and go with
Windows, for this very reason (or at least advise them to see if it bothers
them first). I think most of them go with Apple anyway, because it's not
Microsoft.
Max.
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