Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> Just call me respectful of the guy who invents something totally new.
>
Sure. But he didn't invent it. Visicalc was the ground breaker that
created the visual, interactive spreadsheet metaphor on a computer. It
was very possibly as important as the Apple II is creating the home
computer as tool, rather than toy. There may well not have been an IBM
PC (for better or worse) without it. And it was Dan Bricklin's
brainchild and the original "killer app". Even MS had a spreadsheet,
MultiPlan, before Lotus. I've used them. And boy was that board to get
more columns of letters (120?) on the II+ a touchy thing.
Don't get me wrong, Sachs is obviously a brilliant programmer, and Lotus
is a big step forward from Visicalc, but really extension and
refinement, not "totally new" And PWP, however great it may be, is not
"totally new" either. It may have a better interface, smoother
operation, and so on, but it is still extension and refinement of
earlier programs, one of which, at least, is still alive and very much
kicking. :-)
I just don't project perfect expertise even on geniuses, especially
outside their special area of talent/experience/expertise. Fortunately,
nobody listened to Einstein about quantum theory. Or those who did
didn't become successful, let alone famous, while the smart ones who
ignored him did. "God doesn't play dice with the Universe!" may or may
not be good theology, but it turned out to be bad physics.
> But my respect for PW Pro comes from years of using it including the
> layout and resizing tools.
I'm not saying it isn't the cat's meow, I'm just not interested in
learning another editor. Gotta conserve those brain cells? Well, at
least some modicum of sanity.
> No, I'm not aware of any formal tests placing PWP at or near the top of
> anything let alone resizing.
And it may well be very good. It just doesn't give Sachs' pronouncements
automatic credibility without question, for me, in that little specialty
corner.
Moose
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|