Re: Some fodder for marketing, perhaps -- MIDRANGE-L

Larry,

just to wind you up.

In the UK, our post codes go down to street level, so on some sites I only
have to enter house number and post code and im done.
But of course, most sites dont use this facility!


On 04/01/06, Larry Bolhuis <lbolhuis@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Jon
>
> Jon Paris wrote:
> > I'm not a fan of GUI for GUI's sake.  I think there is still a role for
> a
> > character based interface but end-users disagree.
> >
> The end user PURCHASER disagrees, the end users themselves do NOT always
> disagree. My wife currently has the choice of entering data via the web
> or the 5250 interface.  She uses the 5250 interface exclusively. In
> heads down entry you simply cannot predict with certainty where your
> cursor will go on the web and you must switch from your entry form to
> the screen over and over. In addition you must often switch from the
> keyboard to the rodent and back. Neither of these are effective for best
> performance.  On the 5250 if they need to look something up they hit F4,
> locate the correct value and hit enter. On the web it's a pull down,
> scroll around a while then click. Sure you CAN do that with the keyboard
> but you can only use the first letters of entries in the list for
> positioning you can't 'search' the list.
> > Ask any application or tool producer if they can sell a 5250 version of
> > their product - or if they are still investing in green screen apps.  I
> > don't think you'll find any.  End users decided long ago that they
> wanted a
> > graphical interface.
> >
> Graphical interfaces are fantastic for getting things OUT of the system.
> Query like logic, graphs, charts, pictures etc. are all wonderful on
> this side. It's not so bad for casual entry either especially when
> limited options exist as to what to do or limited fields to enter data
> in. But for those heavy data entry tasks the web still sucks more than
> my shop vac.
> > Sure some existing customers still want 5250 apps, but they are in the
> > minority and probably aren't upgrading hardware and still run S/36
> code.  So
> > even if they had threaded 5250 apps (which I really doubt the utility of
> > anyway) they wouldn't buy/write them anyway.
> >
> IF the application is S/36 and still work, great. Should lots of effort
> be put into maintaining those apps? Likely not. However in my Irish Took
> Box (it's a bucket-O-tools) I don't have just a hammer, I also have vice
> grips, screwdrivers, crescent wrenches, tape measure, a level, a punch,
> a tin snips, and likely several things I haven't seen in years. Each
> gets used where it fits best because not every problem is a nail.
> Simply abandoing the 5250 interface because it's not sexy does not make
> the application better. There is no harm in keeping that part of the
> application when it works better and is more efficient for the user (not
> to mention the machine.)
>
> And one other thing, Just who the *&%$ decided it was more efficient for
> me to enter MMMMM instead of MI when I'm entering my address on a web
> page? I have lived in MI since the doctor first smacked me on the
> backside. I can enter MI and don't need a list of 50 states to pick
> from. Too bad Minnesota and Missouri and Mississippi we got MI you got
> something hard to remember. :-) Our friends to the north have far fewer
> than 50 provinces and I bet they get saddled with a drop down too. This
> is an example of something 'cool' (the drop-down list) being used when
> it simply is NOT more efficient for the user OR bandwidth to the
> browser. This is 'normal' web design  think.  Hey, how about we just
> enter the ZIP code and let the machine pull City and State from there!
> We did this 20 years ago on the green screen!!
>
> - Larry
> > Jon Paris
> > Partner400
> >
> > www.Partner400.com
> > www.RPGWorld.com
> >
>
>
> --
> Larry Bolhuis                   IBM eServer Certified Systems Expert:
> Vice President                    iSeries Technical Solutions V5R3
> Arbor Solutions, Inc.             iSeries LPAR Technical Solutions V5R3
> 1345 Monroe NW Suite 259          iSeries Linux Technical Solutions V5R3
> Grand Rapids, MI 49505            iSeries Windows Integration Technical
> Solutions V5R3
>                                IBM eServer Certified Systems Specialist
> (616) 451-2500                    iSeries System Administrator for
> OS/400 V5R3
> (616) 451-2571 - Fax              AS/400 RPG IV Developer
> (616) 260-4746 - Cell             iSeries System Command Operations V5R2
>
> If you can read this, thank a teacher....and since it's in English,
> thank a soldier.
>
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