#Fixing AmigaDOS
7 messages in this thread
Steve,
Elaborate please, I'd rather not go buy an ST just to find out what you're
talking about. BTW are type and execute the ONLY options you're interested
in??
No need to buy an ST — just take a look at the GEM desktop on an ST or a PC.
When you click on the disk icon, a window opens up. ALL files on that disk are
displayed as icons (non-unique icons unlike ST or Mac). You also have option
of displaying the files on the disk as text, sorted by type or alphabetically,
instead of graphicly. At any rate, the point is that you can see all the files
on a disk — no need to go to a CLI environment to see what you have. If you
double click on a file icon (or file name text) an action is taken depending
upon it's type. If it is an executable file, it is run. If it is a data file
for a specific program, the program is run using that data file. If it is a
text file, you are given a dialog (requester) that asks if you want the file
displayed to screen, disk, or printer.
No, type and execute are not the only options I'd like to see, but I do think
that workbench should at least have the same functionality of the desktop.
Especially the fact that you can see all files on a given disk from the graphic
interface.
Steve,
While I agree that showing all the files on a drive/directory via the
WorkBench is a missing feature…don't forget the ST requires specific filename
extenders to determine filetype (much like MS-DOS) and I don't particularly
like that (some folks do like it thou).
I would prefer a text display for all files or directories that don't
already have an ICON with a listing in a separate window—sort of a
sub-window. You click on the disk ICON, and get the normal set of ICON's and
so forth. You then have a menu option (or whatever) that opens a 2nd window
with the text listing of all files/directories available within the current
directory (active window). The ability to run these files and have auto type
checking (script file? Executable file?, etc.) by the OS would be real nice.
The problems I see with that, is that most of the non-icon'ed files (on
a standard WB) require parameters and would require poping up a 3rd window for
the parameters and may end up being more confusing than the present CLI set-up.
Don
ICONs should be tagged to the files themselves (Mac style) rather than having
.info files all over the place. Also, since Amiga looks at a disk when it's
inserted, again, like the Mac, it should be able to open a window and display
what's on the disk (as a settable user option). I would estimate that 50% or
more of Amiga owners either don't use or are not comfortable with the CLI
environment. There needs to be a way to see just exactly what is on any given
disk from the workbench.
Steve;
I agree with you. Being a long time IBM and Mac user before I got my Amiga
(I still have both machines and still use them for various things), the one
thing that bothers me about the Amiga is that DOS can't make up it's mind on
what it wants to be. In many ways it's like the Mac user interface (which is
still, in my opinion, the best graphic interface around) and the IBM all-text
approach rolled into one. Problem is, AmigaDOS seems to amplify the weaknesses
inherent in both types of interface!
I've given up using the Workbench. It simply doesn't offer enough control
over what you are doing with your files — god knows it's also amazingly slow
for a 68000-based machine! CLI is workable, but the fact that it doesn't show
you what directory you happen to be in (and the fact that the directory
function is slow enough to make me cry) really makes moving files around a pain
in the rear. For the new user (like me, a few weeks ago), trying to get the
hang of using both the workbench and CLI can be a harrowing experience. The
fact that you have to go and buy the DOS manual seperately doesn't help
matters, either.
Still, I like my Amiga enough to keep using it and hoping the idiots who
designed the graphics interface will get their act together one of these days
and give me something I could be comfortable using.
Doug
Doug,
Suggest you get Dillon's Shell205, it helps make the CLI usable
Thanks, I'll look for it.