Re: GUI necessary?

Denis Robitaille
Cascades inc.
Tel: 819-363-5187
DRobitaille@cascades.com

>>> "Roger Pence" <rp@rogerpence.com> 12/02 11:04 am >>>

>Wow! That's a pretty strong statement. Are you saying that a multi-tasking,
>Windowed interface does not add to your productivity? Prior to windowed
>desktops (note, the reference to teh generic concept not Gate's cash cow)
>the only way you could do more than one thing with the AS/400 was with
>multiple terminals or kludgy old group jobs.

I think you are confusing multi tasking and GUI. The idea expressed (at as i 
understand it) is for a "single" application, a lot of application do not 
really beneft from a GUI. I appen to agree with that.

>The value of GUI is more than simply offering your users checkboxes and
>pulldown menus. GUI offers your users an easily switchable context of
>applications, launched at their need. Beyond the sexy appeal of GUI, it's
>fundamental importance is in letting users control their desktop context. Go
>poll the bean counters today using a 5250 emulator and Excel concurrently.
>Ask them if they'd like to go back to the days of a PC on desk and a 5250
>dumb terminal on the other. Hardly. It doesn't matter that one of the apps
>they're using (perhaps the one they're using most) is a green-screen
>wannabe. They are in control and can launch the apps of their choice, and
>download data to these apps, as needed.

Again, musltitasking does not equal GUI and vice versa. You could have 2 green 
screen session open and 3 DOS base program opened all at once. You then have 
multitasking (5 jobs) but i would not call that GUI

>As for GUIs not making good heads down data entry devices, that's a
>green-screen myth of the highest order. Have you ever used Quicken? It is
>hands down the best data entry I've ever used!

I do not know Quicken so i cannot comment on this product. But i am a beleaver 
in the "green-screen myth". The general idea is that data entry is faster when 
you keep your fingers on the keyboard instead of going to the mouse every time 
to select from a pull down list.

I think this tread may develop in something interesting.

PS could you imagine an ATM machine using a GUI!
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