Re: GUI necessary? -- MIDRANGE-L

:::>But ... I can think of VERY FEW instances where a GUI is necessary ... or
:::even
:::>advantageous.
:::
:::
:::Wow! That's a pretty strong statement.


As usual, my flair for the dramatic has overtaken me!


I SHOULD have said: As far as the business users I see, I WITNESS very few
instances where a GUI is necessary.

Then again ... my view is mostly of accounting clerks at this moment.





::: Are you saying that a multi-tasking,
:::Windowed interface does not add to your productivity?



Hmmm ... a trick question. If I say "Yes", I'm admitting that my productivity
COULD be improved. If I say "No", then I'm walking into a trap that Roger Pence
has set for me.

My answer is this: At times, yes.





::: Prior to windowed
:::desktops (note, the reference to teh generic concept not Gate's cash cow)
:::the only way you could do more than one thing with the AS/400 was with
:::multiple terminals or kludgy old group jobs.


But ... again ... I see a lot of peoples whose job involves ONE task (can you
say "boring"?) ... or at least one at a time.




:::The value of GUI is more than simply offering your users checkboxes and
:::pulldown menus. GUI offers your users an easily switchable context of
:::applications, launched at their need. Beyond the sexy appeal of GUI, it's
:::fundamental importance is in letting users control their desktop context. Go
:::poll the bean counters today using a 5250 emulator and Excel concurrently.
:::Ask them if they'd like to go back to the days of a PC on desk and a 5250
:::dumb terminal on the other. Hardly. It doesn't matter that one of the apps
:::they're using (perhaps the one they're using most) is a green-screen
:::wannabe. They are in control and can launch the apps of their choice, and
:::download data to these apps, as needed.



Good point; I stand corrected.





:::As for GUIs not making good heads down data entry devices, that's a
:::green-screen myth of the highest order. Have you ever used Quicken? It is
:::hands down the best data entry I've ever used!


I totally agree. But being a GUI developer, my biggest challenge is developing
good data entry programs. Actually, it's the event-driven paradigm (AWRIGHT! I
ACTUALLY got to use the word "paradigm" in a sentence! Woo-hoo!) that drives
me/us batty.

Ahhh ... but I wouldn't give up GUI programming for anything. Except maybe
building wooden boats.





:::Whew. I feel better. Gotta go back to work.

Ha ha! <g>




Peace,

-- Don Schenck
www.SchenckTech.com

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