01659@AECLCR.BITNET (Greg Csullog) (11/14/89)
Time and time again, we see postings about cheap '386 boxes. Yeah, there are lots of cheap '286 boxes out there as well. However, for some reason people keep focussing on the hardware and its price when its the software that determines how good your computer is. Sure you can get DesqView and Windows for the PC and multitask; but multitask what? A whole mess of unrelated codes, developed without a common interface and with no ability to swap data unless some kind of file importing routine is run. Try turning a Window based environment loose on a secretary who has a grade 12 education and limited computing skills. How long would it take to train the secretary to use WordPerfect, dBASE and LOTUS and to port information back and forth? The company I work for standardized on Mass 11 as a word processor, 20/20 as a spreadsheet and ORACLE as the database. Ever hear of Mass 11 and 20/20? Unfortunately I have. Sure ORACLE is powerful but it takes LOTS of training to use it effectively. The same company also promoted PCs as the standard computer for years (before it became VAX crazed). We are stuck with a legacy of LOTUS, WordPerfect and dBASE training courses. The effort and $$$ that have gone into training for PCs and VAX systems is staggering! The company also has Ataris, Amigas and Macs on site. No training courses are offered AND NONE ARE NEEDED. These user friendly machines, each with its own standard interface for all the software written for it, do not require training support like the PCs do. Once again netters, YOU do not represent the majority of users in the world. Quite simply, until the PC world finally gets a user interface that truly dominates the market and for which there are lots of software packages that conform to the interface standard (which seems to be happening for Windows) you can take all your '286 and '386 machines and @#%@$#@$%#%$ with them because they just cannot measure up to machines that have standardized interfaces and integrated software that is easy to learn, easy to use and FUN to use. Go ahead and bash Atari that the TT is not on the streets yet. I would rather wait until hell freezes over than buy a '386 and use the myriad of EXPENSIVE and unrelated PC codes that are out there. Do not come back and accuse me of not knowing about PC stuff because I am the PC support person in my work group. I have had my fill of getting PC codes to talk to HP LaserJets, of teaching Word Perfect, and configuring software (What monitor do you have... followed by a list that no beginner has any knowledge of). Just yesterday I was asked to get Grapher to talk to a postscript configured HP LaserJet and because Grapher talks to the user in ITS own way, I had to sift through menus I had never seen before to set up the system. Damn, NO STANDARD INTERFACE AGAIN!!!!! I also have the pleasure of being a Mac and an Atari support person. Do you know what that involves? Answering questions about new software (have you seen it? is it good?). None of this installation, set up and teaching, teaching and re-teaching crap like PC support involves. Dear '286 and '386 people; stop pestering us about your FAST machines because in overall productivity your machines just do not cut it. You have already accepted a substandard system; Mac, Atari and Amiga users refuse to do the same. Disclamer: I have never OWNED a PC (but I have had the unfortunate job of using them for years) and considering the current software state in the PC world I cannot see owning one for a long, long time.