🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3172@phri.UUCP> lonetto@phri.UUCP (Michael Lonetto) writes:
|I hope that all of the Unix types who are talking about how task
|switching can't possibly work right

Well - I don't think we said it wouldn't work right. I admit I have
difficulty imagining how the multifinder works. I would guess you
Mac-types have a difficult time imagining how something like SunView or
NeWS works.

We both learn something new!

|If you
|put menus in the windows, which windows do you put them in?  All of
|them?  Even for applcations that can have 7-8 windows open at once?
|Sounds pretty wasteful of the screen to me.  

That's why people use pop-up windows. They take up NO SPACE, unless
you need them. and then you don't have to move your mouse at all to
get the menus.

From your question I see that pop-up menus aren't understood.

Perhaps an simple overview of the SunView 3-button
arrangement would be interesting to the Mac-ites?

Primary rule: If you want to do something, but don't know what your
options are, you hold down the right mouse button.

A pop-up menu appears - showing you your choices. (Like the title bar).
Some choices have several options - indicated by an arrow pointing
right. By moving the mouse to the appropriate arrow, another menu
appears, with possibly more menus even further right (indicated by
more arrows).

You move the mouse to the action you want (it is in reverse video) and
let go.  The action is performed, the pop-ups go away.

You can see the parallel to the pull-down menus - I am sure.

The choices are context sensitive, with three main areas:

	desktop or root level
		used to open new applications, repaint, etc.
	application border
		window manager functions, like
			moving, resizing, open/closing, exposing/hiding
	application specific functions
		depends on the application

The nice thing about this is that if you stick with the right mouse
button, you can perform any basic operation. Because the user has to
select the action and let go, the system doesn't generally surprise
the user. (Yes I know I am glossing over some fine points).

Another benefit is that any part of the border can be used to
change the size or position of the window.

As the user grows more sophisticated, they learn that the other two
mouse buttons are accelerators, and can be used to perform the basic
open, close, resize, move, zoom operations without the cumbersome
pop-up menus. In all cases, the user can experiment with the buttons
because anything with drastic results must be confirmed.
Usually with the opposite button that caused the action.
Clicking too many times doesn't usually change anything.

I have taught beginners how to use SunView, and I don't agree that
three-button mice are hard to use. I frequently get asked about
faster ways of doing some common operations. But most people
find SunView very simple to use.

I should also mention that SunView has several options (e.g.):
(Point is - don't flame a window system until you understand it.)

	Menu styles (16 variables) like expanding initial selections
	Scrollbar styles (13 variables)
	Input (14 variables) like mouse motion scaling
	SunView (12) like icon gravity, click-to-type (split-focus)


Yes - SunView is very different than a Mac. But I don't know how
different myself. Which is why I have posted my questions.

I would like to compliment everyone on the quality of the postings so
far.  These conversations have been very interesting to me. Thank you.
-- 
	Bruce G. Barnett 	<barnett@ge-crd.ARPA> <barnett@steinmetz.UUCP>
				uunet!steinmetz!barnett