RE: Way OT: Adam Smith and Software Markets

["Robert C. Leif" <rleif@rleif.com>]

Richard is correct; the mouse decreases productivity for both word
processors and spreadsheets. The three big improvements with Windows were
OLE, common device drivers, and TrueType fonts.
Parenthetically, there were 3 products that were clearly superior to their
equivalents in Microsoft Office: FrameWork by Ashton-Tate, Improv by Lotus,
and FrameMaker by Adobe. Of these, only FrameMaker still exists. Although
FrameMaker has the advantages of good numbering, stable paragraph formats,
and image placement, Adobe has made the incredible mistake of basing it on
XML DTDs instead of Schemas. Spreadsheets formulas would become readable if,
as with Improv, the user could create unique names for their columns and
rows. This would also permit spreadsheets to serve as tables in compound
documents.
Bob Leif 

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Riehle [mailto:richard@adaworks.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 8:44 AM
To: comp.lang.ada@ada.eu.org
Subject: Re: Way OT: Adam Smith and Software Markets

"Frank J. Lhota" wrote:

> >   Unfortunately, as this points out in yet another way, the classic Adam
> > Smith free market works very poorly for software.
>
> There is a simple experiment ...

> Try out you old word
> processor, the one that only worked with fixed pitch fonts, and could only
> render a smooth right edge by periodically inserting extra blanks into
your
> text.

Actually, one can also look at this from the perspective of productivity.

Those early word processors, with their fixed pitch fonts and limited
formatting capabilities provided a high level of productivity compared
to the more complex word processors of today.  One simply began
typing a manuscript, got it finished and went on to the next one.

One of the worst productivity inhibitors, for word processing, is the
mouse.  In fact, the mouse detracts from productivity in lots of
environments.  We have all observed the typist who, upon making
a simple error in a line of text, stops, reaches for the mouse, highlights
the error, makes the correction, returns to the keyboard and continues
typing.   In a word processor without a mouse, that same typist will
simply backspace over the character, make the correction and move
on.


The plethora of available windows also distracts
the writer from simply writing.   C. Northcote Parkinson,
originator of Parkinson's Law, wrote that  "Work expands to
fill the amount of time available to do it."  In the modern
world of multiple-option windowing environments, we can
rephrase this to, "Work expands to accomodate the number
of features available to do it."

When we design applications such as an order entry system,
we want to limit the availability of windowing options for
the clerk engaged in that activity.  We want to disable a lot
of features, including word processing, unlimited access to
the Internet, and games.   I see designers who still do not
understand this important idea.  We need some input from
industrial engineering practice so we can understand the
nature of productivity once again.

Richard Riehle