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Article #140

Separate prog and file managers better (was: Re: Windows Future)

#140
From: Iskandar Taib
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:17
62 lines
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.







-- 
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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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From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib)
Subject: Separate prog and file managers better (was: Re: Windows Future)
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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
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