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

From: Captain Napalm <spc_at_armigeron.com>
Date: Wed Sep 16 16:14:54 1998

It was thus said that the Great Eric Smith once stated:
>
> Sam Ismail <dastar_at_ncal.verio.com> wrote:
> > Or it could mean that good marketing led them in that direction. Just
> > because people take to one technology over another does not mean its
> > necessarily better. Take VHS vs. Beta for instance. Some technologies
> > are better for some things. GUI was not a cure all, but a major
>
> I *NEVER* said that GUI was better. I said that GUIs became popular because
> people liked them, not because (as someone else claimed) Apple forced it
> down their throats.

  For non-repetative interactive work, GUIs tend to be better, but once you
need to do something that's repetative, then the scripting or batch ability
of CLIs become better.

> And the reason that consumers preferred it was not that VHS had better
> marketing. If anything, Sony had better marketing. Many people continued
> to refer to VCRs in general as "Betamax" even into the mid-80s. It is
> widely believed (but of course unproven) that VHS was preferred due to the
> longer recording time per tape. JVC rarely even mentioned this feature
> in advertising.

  Nope. Porn. Sony would not allow the adult film industry the liceses
required to produce Betamax tapes. The adult film industry could, however,
get VHS licenses that that probably drove customer demand for VHS over
Betamax. At least that's the story I heard.

  -spc (Two things drive technology: Sex and war 8-)
Received on Wed Sep 16 1998 - 16:14:54 BST