Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (4393 mails)

[Timothy R.Butler <tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> This is a really interesting discussion.  Personally, I can't stand
> Publisher - it has the most awful interface I've ever seen, especially if
> you're trying to edit someone else's document.  And I have even come across
> misguided individuals doing webpages with it!  It either produces a page

  Ack! Never do webpages in Publisher. :-)

> The only reason it is popular (IMHO) is that it was bundled with so many
> PCs, people started using it, they got used to the interface, and then they
> find other interfaces "difficult" (as one does).  A far better app for the

  Not for me at least. I *picked* Publisher when I was still in Windows, 
because it simply did what I needed. I can pop out designs that make people 
say "wow" (not trying to brag here) in just minutes on Publisher. 
  My purchased a different low end DTP for her home computer a while back and 
nearly gave up on it. However, I talked her into getting Publisher, and now 
she loves working on DTP again.
 
> I also think the points about the Office interface are related to the same
> phenomenon.  You get an app, tussle around with the interface for a while,
> finally figure out how it works, and then everything else seems to have a
> "weird" interface.  I came to Word via WordStar (sadly no longer in
> existence) and various wps on other platforms, and believe me, Word's
> "intuitive" interface is anything but.  (Aside:  I've never yet come across

  I might argue here again. Please show me a modern word processor that you 
can set someone in front of (who has never used it) and can learn it as fast 
as Word. Honestly, I started out with WordPerfect, and HATED it. But I 
started using Word, and things seemed much better. :-)

  Remember, I'm saying this all as a person who grubles constantly when I'm 
stuck in Windows for more than a few moments. I am no fan of Microsoft, yet 
they do do somethings right.


> So I think that even if Office competitors implement a sizeable subset of
> the features, many Office users will continue to use Office.  The reason is
> that human beings take the line of least resistance, and here that means
> "keep using the apps I'm used to unless something else (stability of
> platform, cost of licenses, lack of interoperability, etc) forces me to
> relearn some of what I already know."  This will be rationalised as Office
> has better features, a more intuitive interface, etc than other office
> suites, but that isn't the real reason.


  You may have a point, but first show me a decent word processor with a more 
intuitive interface, that can do the kinda of things Word can do. Mail Merge? 
Grammer Checking? Light Publishing? A dozen different ways to format 
typefaces?

> well use that one".  They've used the same approach with Winsock (remember
> Trumpet, anyone?),

  Well that one only makes sense. If Microsoft *didn't* integrate winsock, I 
can just hear all of us sneering right now at how Microsoft's OS doesn't even 
have built in internet connectivity! Seriously, every modern OS has an IP 
stack built in.

> the browser,

  Uhhhh, are you saying KDE shouldn't have Konqueror?

> connection sharing, etc, and they're now
> doing the same with sound software and CD-burning software.  

   I agree with these, especially the latter two.

> added a couple of missing components .... well, Geoff might think that the
> inital package was pretty good, but he would be starting to have his doubts
> about the phrase "long-term value for money".

  I'm with you fully here.

> My apologies for departing from the initial "Publisher" point, and I have
> no hassle with anyone using that or other MS sw (I've been there myself for
> the four years prior to this one), but I would say that whether or not
> Office gets replaced on people's desktops will have very little to do with

  Trust me, if StarOffice or any other Linux wp or DTP program was 85% as 
good as Microsoft Word and Publisher, I wouldn't complain. Granted the WPS's 
are approaching that realm, but DTP is still a vacuum in Linux.  


  -Tim

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