GUIs 'forced' on people (was Re: Here's something to consider.)

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Wed Sep 16 14:29:36 1998

I wrote:

> Before Windows became popular, many people sneered about icons, and WIMP
> interfaces. Most of those same people are running GUIs now. And there's no
> evidence that the GUIs were forced on them.

Marvin <marvin_at_rain.org> replies:

> That would depend on your definition of "forced". There will always be
> people who go their own way, but for others needing to interact with how
> things are done today, "forced" is exactly what has happened.

There is a small minority that dislikes GUIs. I've seen no evidence
that any substantial number of people were forced into GUIs; most people seem
to like them. Since deployment of Windows started as a fairly gradual thing,
and gained momentum at an exponential rate, it is obvious that the majority
of users must have preferred it.

With any new development, there will always be some group that
don't like it, but get forced along.

The original posting claimed that if Apple hadn't been successful, we
wouldn't be running GUIs. This is absurd; Microsoft was aware of the Xerox
work before Apple developed the Lisa, and had in fact hired some ex-Xerox
people. Windows might have been released later, but it still would have
happened. And if Microsoft hadn't done it, someone else would have.
Received on Wed Sep 16 1998 - 14:29:36 BST