A plague on all operating systems

[ejc]

I'm a Mac user. This is a Mac site. Now I'm going to commit heresy.
I'm fed up with all dicussions about Windows vs. Mac OSs.
None of them gives me what I want.
1. I want a B/W screen with pin-sharp resolution (like I had on my old Atari workstation with 19" B/W screen).
2. I want color (sometimes, not often).
3. I want a system that starts immediately.
4. I want a touch-sensitive screen.
5. I want a startup screen that offers text options such as:
What do you want to do?
- Work with words? Touch here.
- Work with numbers? Touch here.
- Work with graphics? Touch here.
- Work with an information store? Touch here.
- Work on the Internet? Touch here.
7. I want an escape from the tyranny of the keyboard (I am British, never learned to use a keyboard at school).

What I do not need:
- A desk-top.
- A knowledge of an operating system.

IMHO, current PC systems are at a state of development analogous to automobiles in the 1920s.
Wake up PC suppliers!

By the way, I am an engineer, so not entirely devoid of technical competence.

ejc

[Bruce_F]

I remember, once upon a time, there was some fairly serious talk going around about designing a system just like you describe.

I wonder what ever became of it?

Maybe nobody wants to make the ParaDyme shift?

[kelly]

Looks like you need to start your own company.  

The Leader did it.  

 

http://www.landsnail.com/apple/local/garage/apple.html

[bil207]

A critique of the modern operating systems can be found  here.

[Xairbusdriver]

ejc wrote:
1. I want a B/W screen with pin-sharp resolution (like I had on my old Atari workstation with 19" B/W screen).
2. I want color (sometimes, not often).
3. I want a system that starts immediately.
4. I want a touch-sensitive screen.
5. I want a startup screen that offers text options such as:
What do you want to do?
- Work with words? Touch here.
- Work with numbers? Touch here.
- Work with graphics? Touch here.
- Work with an information store? Touch here.
- Work on the Internet? Touch here.
7. I want an escape from the tyranny of the keyboard (I ... never learned to use a keyboard at school).
What I do not need:
- A desk-top.
- A knowledge of an operating system.
______________________________

I'ma little confused. What of the above do you not have?

1. OK, I can't set my iMac to B/W. But I certainly don't miss that. I did use a grey scale full-page monitor for a very long time and I still miss not being able to see the whole page without scrolling. But that is simply a matter of adding a larger monitor. Most people don't seem to mind srolling to see the full 11 inch page, I guess.

2. OK, you've already got that, in several amounts and resolutions (even on an iMac). Of course, the LCD monitors aren't very good at this trick, so I can see that may still be problem.

3. One startup a day too much? Don't use the sleep mode, either.

4. How about 2 touches? That's why I have aliases along the bottom of my screen. Actually, they only require one touch, since I use a 2 button mouse and have one programmed to be a double-click. And I don't get finger smudges on the screen by touching the mouse.

5 I only see a 'startup screen' onece a day. What about the ca, r times you want to do those things? Again, that's what the aliases do for me (not to mention the almost unlimited choices available in the Apple Menu or the third-party equivalents).

6. Can't help with that one!    

7. I do well to use more than 2 fingers at a time myself!

As for what you don't need:
The desk-top is just a metaphor, don't use it if you don't want to.
This may be the only thing I agree with you on. But I think Apple has done a great job at hiding the OS from us. Just as a very minor example; when a file is taken from a CD on a PC and placed on the machines hard drive (C: drive? Now there's an intuitive metaphor!) it retains its 'read only' status! Duh, it's only read-only while its on the CD, stupid!     I just put it on a read/write media, can't the OS figure that out?!    Like on a Mac?     Oh well...    

Now X may be require completely different answers...    

Jim C.

[JohnKentucky]

Sounds like you want a Speak and Spell?

[taliesin]

It may yet happen, ejc -- whether or not you invent it yourself.

While Spring does not meet your requirements, it's such a new approach to desktop-ing that I tried it for a while.
Didn't suit me, but many people seem to like it.

I've no idea which of the cyberpunk novels and SciFi films I lap up has been most convincing at hauling the computer out of that "automobile age". Fortunately, most of them haul the automobile out of the petroleum age.  
But Jim does answer some of the in-between points.

[Mrious_be]

Ok... i gotta be honest, i didn't wanted to say when i checked this topic (nobody had replied than).
But... i have no clue what's with the things ejc is mentioning  
Maybe it would be nice to know if there's a reason for doing so?  
 

quote:Originally posted by ejc:
1. I want a B/W screen with pin-sharp resolution.
Answer by Airbusdriver:
1. OK, I can't set my iMac to B/W. But I certainly don't miss that. I did use a grey scale full-page monitor for a very long time and I still miss not being able to see the whole page without scrolling.

Even this is possible (on OsX that is)
Open "System Preferences", choose "Universal Access" and click on "Switch to White on Black".
Admitted, it's "white on black", meaning it's an inverted display you will have (like a negative) but most of the times, it's easier to read white letters on a black/grey background than the other way arround.

Hey, i also remember the Letter-sized displays on those very first macs, great huh  
Than again, they are working on portable tablets monitors) and all, and i think i read once they are going to have some with such a size again, and rotational by 90 degrees (so you can put it horizontal or vertical).

Ok, this is my answer to this topic, can i have the thought behind the topic now?

[Gary S]

My biggest gripe with the way in which computer technology is headed is still 'digital bloat". everything gets bigger and more complex instead of the other way around.

I know, it's the only way for the computer industry to make alot of money.

Unfortunately, it seems to be out of my control.

[tacit]

If you've never used a black and white monitor, you can't know what it's like.

A black and white monitor does not divide each pixel up into three colored dots; the image displayed on a black and white monitor is so sharp, so crisp, that it looks like a picture postcard. Setting a color monitor to black and white does not accomplish the same thing. Black and white monitors are so razor-sharp that devices designed to output ultra-high-resolution images to photographic film use special B&W monitors with color filters in front of them to project the image onto the film.

As for the rest, though: An OS-less, simple-to-use computer has been tried before Many times. Every one has been a failure, because at the end of the day, they don't accomplish what people want. People say "Oh, I just want to work with trext, work with pictures, surf the Web, and do email"...and then they buy the computer, and take it home, and realize that they <i>also</i> want to play games. And listen to CDs. Oh, and make CDs. And their kids just bought them a new digital camera for Christmas, so they'd like to hook that up to...and geez, it seems a little slow, too bad there's no way to expand its capacity. Oh yeah, and there's this recipie program I saw at the bookstore...and I'd like to do my taxes on it...

[Xairbusdriver]

quote:it's easier to read white letters on a black/grey background than the other way arround

So all these book things have had it backwards for several centuries?!            OK, just kidding, using the ink just for the text saves ink, I guess.
But there has been a lot of studies about this question and although I much prefer dark (black) text on white/very light grey) background, there are many on the oposite side. Oh well...

I agree with tacit about the B & W thing, even that greyscale monitor was very sharp. I guess what is happeing is that there is no need to aim the 3 color guns slightly differently which allows the one gun to hit the phophors more closely than any single color gun can. BTW, tacit, ever use a Black and Orange monitor?! Had a small one for my Apple II that I used to carry with me on weekend layovers! Bet that would have created some weird color shots! But it sure was easy to read!    
(The II had to fit into a very large suitcase, padded by the few clothes I could cram in!    )

[ejc]

Hello friends,
Many thanks for giving your time in responding to my rant,
Please forgive me if I do not always name you individually when trying to cover your comments and tips.

What motivated me to post it? Well, IMHO, in circumstances involving people, effects mostly have multiple causes. This rant was a case in point. Here is a bit of background.
- I have worked with an earlier PC system that, for my needs, was faster, less complex and easier on the eyes. But it and compatible printers are now no longer produced.
- I mainly work with words, numbers (less often) and the Internet. Rather rarely I dabble with graphics..
- A lot of my work goes over the Internet to people with Windows systems.
- With age, my eyesight is deteriorating (short sight was first diagnosed at age 5 years). Next month I will have a cataract removed which should improve things.
- Most of my stuff is in black and white.
- My typing skills are poor.

Digital bloat – do we really just have to accept it? And all these **** updates. Why don’t PC makers look at other appliances? Do we have to update our washing machines, microwaves, TVs, lawnmowers, automobiles nearly every month?? This is my point -  that the PC industry is still at a primitive state of development.
Tacit understands my wish for a B/W screen. Perhaps, one day, Apple will offer this as an option? Ha, Ha.
I recognise that simple, cheap systems have failed in the market. But perhaps, if cheap enough, people would buy one as a supplementary basic device – especially if files could be easily transferred to a Mac or Windows system? OK, another demand on desk space.
I visited the Spring site. Interesting, but only for OSX if my understanding is correct.

I suppose my main problem is my eyesight. If I just refuse to bother with OSX (OS 9 works OK for me) and stick with my installed apps. (Office 98 and CorelDraw) I can tolerate (but not enjoy) my PC working experience.
Being a bit of an optimist, I still hold on to a hope that PC makers will realise that, for many of us,

(Since my original post I have discovered Jef Raskin’s site and enjoy his contrarian approach).
Thanks again for everyone’s contributions.

ejc

[ejc]

Sorry, unfinished sentence.
Should read
Being a bit of an optimist, I still hold on to a hope that PC makers will realise that, for many of us, their offerings are over the top.

[kelly]

Just came across this from Raskin.  

"Forget operating systems as a significant part of the                 story, they are just a detail. Users would be better off if they never had to deal with one, and someday operating systems will disappear from view, just as the details of the processor (thankfully) have."

               
               
"The future lies with getting rid of the cumbersome and complex systems we have now and moving to simpler, more direct methods of harnessing the power of the processor. See my article in Wired (cited above) for a bit more on the reasons for this."

http://www.mackido.com/Interface/ui_raskin.html

http://www.mackido.com/Interface/

[kelly]

Jaguar > Preferences > Universal Access > Seeing

"Switch to White on Black"

Amusing.