Re: Apple IIGS still rules!

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Gabriel Morales <togega@concentric.net> wrote in message news:<3BB2D661.B4A2752C@concentric.net>...

<snip>
> 	Don't be sad. The future looks bright for personal computing and the
> like. We've progressed enormously in processing power, if not enough
> with user interfaces (thanks in large part to a certain OS which starts
> with a capital "W"). But make no mistake, ideas and possibilities that
> are beyond any previous computing experience are on the horizon.

I think that the human interface has not progressed much for the same
reason that the automobile human interface hasn't progressed much--too
many people know how to use it!  It's the same reason that the slower
QWERTY keyboard has not been replaced by something better.

On top of that fundamental conservatism affecting any widely used
interface, there's the issue that no one seems to have any compelling
idea about what a better interface would be!

As a typical example, I note that talking to a computer sounds
pretty neat until you actually try it.  Then you find out how
rapidly you re-direct your input to different "entities":  word
processor text, word processor control, shell/GUI control, etc.
Pretty soon, the verbalization of all these destination changes that
are now handled by mousing gets to be pretty tedious.  And there's
still the 5% error rate...  Maybe 2GHz machines with an average of
512MB RAM will help, but I suspect there are still algorithm problems.

Microsoft would like nothing better than a "killer interface" that
would make 80% of the computer-using public go out and buy a new
OS, so I don't think they have the brakes on.

No I think it's just that we're still on the "plateau" awaiting
the next breakthrough in human creativity that might usher in a
new way of computing.  If you know what we all need, TELL us!

-michael