kimbo (04/22/83)
In response to the glowing reviews of Lisa appearing recently:
I too have had hands on experience with this system. I found the
startup time for the applications *very* distressing. I did like
the user interface, although I felt that LisaWrite was often
hard to use because it could only use the mouse (you had to keep
reaching off of the keyboard).
Also, I found it interesting that after I used it for less than
10 min. I was able to crash it by opening the waste basket and
trying to get back the second object in it. And if you thought
Lias was slow in loading an application, you should see how long
it takes to reboot!
Needless to say, I am not completely unbiased: NBI does make
word processing equipment, after all. But I certainly would
recommend that you try one out for a while to see how you like
the delays.
Kimbo B. Peebles-Mundy, NBI Inc.
{allegra,ucbvax}!nbires!kimboDreifus.UPenn%UDel-Relay@sri-unix.UUCP (05/30/83)
From: Henry Dreifus <Dreifus.UPenn@UDel-Relay>
Ahh, LISA:
I've had her in my office now approximately 1 1/2 weeks. She's cute, but
I'd never be found in public with her. She makes a good 1 week stand.
1: She unpacks in about 15 minutes. That's from taking my hunting knife
to the package to turning on the Winchester ProFile disk to boot-strap
the LISA operating system. That's not bad. The only bad comment is
I found the "setup and unpackaging" instructions with the keyboard and
mouse. (Within a box, within a box again!) -- catch22
2: Mice'are'nice. Having used just about everything ever invented, I have
to admit the LISA mouse is good. I found it a bit confusing coming from
a three-button world to a 1 button world. The "Click-Click" does not
yet work for me.
3: Leave your LISA "on". She takes about 3.5 mins to come "on", another
2 to 4 to come down. (Depending on how much stuff you have "out" at
that time -- it all gets put back into the ProFile).
4: Icons are cool: They did that right. The individual icons could have
conveyed more information however -- oh well.
5. Don't try and do anything serious: I am in the process of composing
a very large paper (oddly enough an invited paper discussing the
Apollo workstation), and find the word processor a bit difficult
when your file gets large.
6: Inconsistent: She's a bit schiozoid. Sometimes you've got to press
the mouse twice or type a command -- I'm still not used to it.
7: Hope you aren't into Color. Lisa is strictly BW, like the olde movies.
Apple Computer has no plans for a colour Lisa. Too bad.
8: Aside from simple letter/document preparation, some simple graphics,
and some cumbersome Visi-Clone models, I've been disappointed with
her performance. Its a TOY. An EXPENSIVE Toy.
USES FOR LISA:
Marketing people. (They generate mostly useless stuff anyway)
Casual Word Processing people. (That "occasional" document can
be made very professionally. I can also get
from my IBM salesman an IBM selectric for 1/10
the cost...but money's no object.. right??)
It ain't no CAD/CAM machine. The draw software is too simple -- not
quite like an Apolloid or drafting computer..
but .. for simple stuff - it works ..ok..
Middle management. There's nothing I hate more than useless MM. This
machine dont work for the c.e.o. and its too expensive
for the grunts... leaving the paper pusher/makers with
yet another thing to-do. ..enjoy..
PROBLEMS;
Overpriced. Sage/Fortune/mumble do 90% at 50% the cost.
Undersoftwared. No-one is writing sw - and there is little push
to do so.
No developed nitches -- yet... If, however you were dumb enough
to buy lots of Xerox *'s, then this may be a face-saving machine;
after your fired.
FUTURE;
clouded. This machine has lots of "good ideas" inside. The major problem
is -- as with all things at some point -- its applicability. At 1/2 the
cost -- it becomes economically useful (at par with a PC/XT), but it aint
there yet.
GRiD is profitable -- I guess Lisa can be too.
I don't mean to sound too negative, but I personally cannot see a
justifiable use/need for this machine - at this time. The basic
pieces are there to make something nice. I am sure that there will
be a few winning software packages developed on this machine which
will make it successful. Apple-I's and II's made it on software
(cite: Personal Software's marketing of Software Arts VISICALC); it
transformed the toy into a machine. Lisa -- its your turn to take the
same road.
Comments welcomed.
Henry Dreifus