Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 18:35:52 -0500 From: Technical Information <tech_info@threespace.com> To: FreeBSD Chat <chat@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: EzBSD aint for me! Was: A breath of fresh air.. Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20011212181551.015734a8@threespace.com> In-Reply-To: <15382.34479.632853.153669@guru.mired.org> References: <20011211140107.A67653@FreeBSD.org> <0112071641320B.01380@stinky.akitanet.co.uk> <01121010202100.00345@stinky.akitanet.co.uk> <20011211144049.A14693@acidpit.org> <20011211214943.A4489@tisys.org> <15382.29599.349155.309028@guru.mired.org> <20011211230257.A5157@tisys.org> <20011211140107.A67653@FreeBSD.org>
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At 05:20 PM 12/11/2001, Mike Meyer wrote: >You are both right. However, whenever I try to claim that Windows >isn't as user-friendly as FreeBSD because it won't do what I, as a >user, want it to do (see the ratpoison port for an example of what I >want it to do) people tell me I'm crazy. Well, I won't say you're crazy, but I disagree slightly with your point. :-) I think that what you're referring to as "user friendly" is what I refer to as "flexible"--being adaptable to a variety of tasks and conditions. Many times the cost of flexible software is that it's a little harder to learn, i.e., a little *less* user-friendly. But most of us on this list are atypical computer users. We'd gladly trade a limiting cookie-cutter design for a more powerful, flexible design any day. But this ignores that we are in the computing minority. And having a rather de-facto standard design elements certainly helps the masses even if it is constricting to the individual. There's nothing like sitting down at another UNIX user's personal computer and trying to get accustomed to his personalized mouse button mapping, follow-the-pointer window focusing, or even directory structure. There's a reason why no car company tries to alter the arrangement of the clutch, gas, and brake pedals, for instance. But my litmus test for ease-of-use tends to be this: How quickly could someone with relevant skills but zero training sit down and figure out how to accomplish a given task? I'm sure anyone on this list could plop down at any Windows box and quickly get a browser, e-mail, spreadsheet, you-name-it going and be doing practical work in a matter of minutes. How long would it take a Windows user to figure out how to do the same on a UNIX system? I shudder to think. Of course, one of the things that continues to confuse me about this ongoing thread is that typically when people cite their reason for loving one OS more than another, they bring up a pet application or feature that has nothing inherently to do with the operating system of choice. X Windows System-style focusing? Your favorite application XYZ? Multiple simultaneous users? Remote administration? Yeah, the other operating systems have got all that too *if* you're willing to learn to use it. I guess that, ultimately, what's user-friendly or easy-to-use depends on the user. --Chip Morton To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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