[Coco] Why DECB is important to OS-9 folk.

[Robert Emery]

--- "John R. Hogerhuis" <jhoger at pobox.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 2005-09-11 at 14:28 -1000, Alex Evans wrote:
> > Maybe it is because I think in a different way from others, but I  
> > never have found basic use of OS-9 to be difficult in any way.  Sure  
> > there are complexities in taking full advantage of your particular  
> > configuration, or to customize your system.  Assuming that OS-9 is  
> > more complex to use than DECB (something that I am not convinced  
> > of). 
> 
> A BASIC system comes up ready to use, and with a easy to read,
> illustrated manual that starts from the absolute basics.
> 

Ahh... the crux of the biscuit!
I also did/do not find OS-9 difficult to use. It's getting it customized to
your own system that's a royal PITA, even with the manual guiding you
step-by-step. There are tricks that are not spelled out, and BLOBs and drive
descriptors that may or may not work as hoped, some of which is glossed over in
the manual. The stuff that is in there is generally spread out across several
sections that keep you flipping back and forth while trying to follow along.

OS-9 needs smarter software. I don't want it to look or act like Windows per
se, but programs should come with installers that put things where they need to
go and set the proper attributes and include the proper support files. Home
computers in general never took off until Windows came out, and that is really
all it offered... automation to standard DOS crap that nobody wants to spend an
extra hour or three messing with just to install one package. These are
computers after all, and they are supposed to make things easier for us, not
harder.

I read list messages about how to get some piece of software working and the
procedure sounds equivalent to manually restoring a corrupted disk's
filesystem. Not something I want to go through every time I add a program to my
hard drive. It seems to be a fragile and precarious environment from my point
of view. I'm still waiting for some semblance of stability, which DECB has in
spades.

Please don't take this as whining or complaining. I'm just trying to help you
OS-9 gurus understand why so many of us are reluctant to go the OS-9 route. We
see some benefits, but there is a virtual minefield between here and there. And
this side of the minefield isn't so bad after all, IMHO.

peace,
Bob



		
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