CompuServe Thread

John, I, for one, am quite enamored of some aspects of the Mac interface. The fact that left-command and right-command are interchangeable. (Amiga: lessee now… was that LeftAmiga-I or RightAmiga-I?) Standard keyboard equivalents for "Cancel" (command-.) and "OK" (Return). Standard field behaviour. (Double-click on a field: the whole field is highlighted, ready to be replaced by whatever you type; same when you're moving from field to field with the Tab key). For example, to print pages 2 and 3 in WordPerfect: 1) Press command-P. Standard in all programs. 2) Press Tab, 2, Tab, 3, Return. To do the same in a typical Amiga program: 1) Press RightAmiga-P. Or is it LeftAmiga-P? Or perhaps there's no keyboard equivalent; if so, reach for the mouse, move the pointer to the first or second menu, hold the left mouse button (LMB) down, drag down to "Print", release the mouse button. 2) Move the mouse pointer to the "first page" field. Click LMB. 3) Move your hand to the keyboard. Press RightAmiga-X. Press 2. You may have to press Return to ensure your entry "sticks". Then again, you may not. It depends on the program. 4) Move your hand to the mouse. Move the pointer to the "last page" field. 5) Move your hand to the keyboard. Press 3, and usually Return. 6) Move your hand to the mouse. Move the mouse pointer to the "OK" button and press the LMB. See what an inefficient, inconsistent mess we have in the current state of Amiga software interfaces? This example doesn't reflect one specific piece of software, but it borrows brain-dead elements from (too) many Amiga programs. On the Mac, I don't have to move my mouse hand on and off the keyboard several times just to perform a simple function. I don't have to remember each program's idiosyncratic ways of dealing with fields and keys. I just do it. Sure, Commodore has put out GUI guidelines, but how many programs on _your_ hard disk follow them all? My point exactly. I love my Amiga, its multitasking, some of its bargain-of-the-year graphics software, but I hate the interface mess. Blaq!