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Article #140Separate prog and file managers better (was: Re: Windows Future)
From: Iskandar Taib
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:17
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:17
62 lines
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3471 bytes
In article <1992Jul27.043832.15349@cc.uow.edu.au> u8515682@cc.uow.edu.au (Wayne Jefferson Doust) writes: >mikew@hpwarha.wal.hp.com (Michael Williams) writes: > >>Personally, I welcome the development of an integrated Program and File >>Manager, but I see no technical reason that Microsoft couldn't retain > >One of the big problems is that you have to store the icon info and >other info somewhere. You can't store them inside the dos programme >so you have to store them somewhere else. My guess is that MS is >consciously avoiding this problem to help the migration to windows >NT. To me thta would be a BIG drawcard - having only a system manager >or whatever that does the lot. Actually thats what PIF files are for. In an integrated manager one might still click on PIF files to launch DOS apps. Then you can stick all these PIF files in a common subdirectory so they're easy to get at. Which brings me to another point. I don't see why an inte- grated manager would be better than separate program and file managers. The last thing I'd want to do is wade through a bunch of subdirectories to find an app that I want to launch. I've used Macs for a while and this is really annoy- ing. I've noticed that the "power Mac users" always resort to some strategy or other to get around this: using some- thing like Launcher, or else putting dummy documents on the desktop or in one easily accessible folder. Voila! Instant Program Manager. The same argument says something about why a Program Manager shouldn't have folders-within-folders, eg. like Sloopman. Its supposed to be a quick way to launch apps, not some super pigeonhole organizer. Want an integrated file/program manager? Remember MS-DOS Executive? Remember how painful Windows (2.11) was to use back then? I thought the HdC program manager was such a hot thing back then - imagine! One could actually launch an app without hunting high and low for an Exe file! I'd say I really started using Windows all the time for pro- duction when this product showed up. If you want a really nice, object oriented file+program manager better than a Mac's, you already have it. Its called File Manager! Edit all the associations you want, and you can launch any app by double clicking on a data file. You can even set it up as your Shell in system.ini. I have a co-worker who actually works like this. Me? Until the hot new OO shells come along I'll use Progman. Its fast, its pretty and its fun. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@SILVER.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS !
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Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms,comp.os.ms-windows.misc,bit.listserv.win3-l Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!destroyer!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!silver.ucs.indiana.edu!ntaib From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib) Subject: Separate prog and file managers better (was: Re: Windows Future) Message-ID: <Bs401w.232@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> Sender: news@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu (USENET News System) Nntp-Posting-Host: silver.ucs.indiana.edu Organization: Indiana University References: <1992Jul10.175408.19142@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> <3422@hpwala.wal.hp.com> <1992Jul27.043832.15349@cc.uow.edu.au> Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:17:56 GMT Lines: 62