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Subject:
From:
Phillip Helbig <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:37:48 GMT
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>   I have some experience of this on UNIX, because the standard text
> oriented program "mail" is one of the few that does not corrupt the
> mailbox, and it is still possiblle to pick it down to another computer.

VMS MAIL is much more than the standard UNIX mail:)

>   But really few uses non-GUI these days, even on UNIX, and the GUI's are
> much easier to use; and ease of communication is the true purpose.

I tend to avoid GUIs for four reasons.  1) If one can `properly' type,
then a hand on the mouse means a hand not on the keyboard and really
slows one down, whereas doing things from the keyboard (not necessarily
typed commands, but using hot keys like the keypad on VTxxx terminals
and so on, which one can programme to suit individual needs etc) is much
quicker.  2) There is less risk of clicking in the wrong place.  3) It
is easier when logging in remotely (like from a conference on the other
side of the world) since an ASCII screen interface must transmit much
less information across the net.  4) It consumes less resources.  Sure,
computers are faster, but right now I have a multi-day batch job running
which is getting over 99.5% of the CPU time, and I don't notice this AT
ALL when doing email, whereas I probably would with a GUI, or if I
didn't I would slow down the batch job, which I don't want to do.


--
Phillip Helbig                          Email ... [log in to unmask]
Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories   Tel. ..... +44 1477 571 321 (ext. 297)
Jodrell Bank                            Fax ................. +44 1477 571 618
Macclesfield                            Telex ................. 36149 JODREL G
UK-Cheshire SK11 9DL                    Web .... http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pjh/

My opinions are not necessarily those of NRAL or the University of Manchester.

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