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Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 0057
ST REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE
Monday, OCT. 17, 1988
Vol II No. 57
===========
APEInc., P.O. BOX 74, Middlesex, N.J. 08846-0074
PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER
Ron Kovacs R.F.Mariano
=======================================================
ST REPORT EDITOR: Thomas Rex Reade
PO Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida. 32236-6672
Headquarters Bulletin Boards
ST Report North ST Report South
201-343-1426 904-786-4176
------------------------------------
ST Report Central ST Report West
216-784-0574 916-962-2566
CONTENTS
========
> From the Editor's Desk..............> TANDY and the ST..................
> At What Price? LOYALTY..............> HE believes in AMERICA!...........
> UPBEAT - MIDI-BEAT.................> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL............
> Extenders, What are they?...........> Pro GEM Windows #8................
=========================================================================
COMP-U-SERVE ~ GENIE ~ DELPHI ~ THE SOURCE
=========================================================================
From the Editor's Desk,
We are proud of Atari in one breath and scournful in another..this is what
we are accused of...I do not see it this way. What I see is an accurate
accounting to the reading public of what is actually happening in the ST
world without an icing of sugar. Someone remarked to me, "why didn't you
report the fact that Atari was at the NAMM show in Atlanta? I have but
one real answer for this and it is quite simple...
ATARI HAD NOTHING TO SHOW BUT THE ECHO OF YESTERDAY'S APPLAUSE!
-------
In fact, where Sam & Co. have been so darn busy BRAGGING about the lead
the ST has in the midi fields. The ST has, in fact, LOST that lead!
And....I might add, lost it miserably! We went and purchased the last
eleven issues of Keyboard Magazine to see what Atari was doing to support
the "Midi" aspect of the ST market. As expected, Atari was doing nothing!
Thank the good sense of the third party developers for their ads exhorting
the ST and their products. The gorgeous 2 page color ads for the Amiga,
month after month (Atari has had 2!), and it's MIDI CAPABILITIES were
very well done and indeed a thrust at the heart of Atari...as were the MAC
ads and the superbly done IBM ads..and Sam (our friend?) tries to tell us
to be "EVANGELISTS". HE should try it sometime!
Make no mistake about this,...The userbase, in general, in this country is
tired of the behavior and attitude of Atari. They are almost arrogant in
saying to heck with the US market. "WE HAVE EUROPE and are PROUD OF IT".
To say what I feel in response to that attitude means nothing, YOU, the
USERS, DEVELOPERS AND DEALERS have got to muster the courage and tell
ATARI exactly how you feel! By saying little or nothing, you send a
message to Atari saying, "all is ok, please continue on your present
course". Sure, we understand that the Dealers and Developers have money
involved, but even they must realize that if we don't get dead in Atari's
face we all will have NOTHING! Big developers (hardware and software)
are slipping away from "that bunch at ATARI" at a faster rate every month.
Here's ANOTHER Christmas Sales Season seemingly torpedoed by these.......
(SNICKER).. "Giants of Industry"! Jack...send the "boys" back to school!
Sad to say, but I think Commodore was right to say "NO" to the
Katzenjammer Kids!
How many of you were fortunate enough to see the magnificent performance
by Sam and entourage on CIS ? I still re-read it and go into hysterics!
I cannot believe Sam still tries to address the userbase for the ST as if
it were ALL 10-14 year olds. My compliments to the SysO..ps of CIS once
again for having used constraint in not forcing some real answers from the
"PABLUM MAN" <<< BIG LAUGH >>>!!!! Also, they demonstrated real grit in
remaining transparent in the face of a "Powder Puff" conference.
Congratulations folks, for having maintained the REAL SysOp goal of:
----
Transparent but Effective management of the System.
I am angry! Nobody told you the "little" story about the FAMOUS Midi
Instrument Manufacturer who approached a number of Computer Manufacturers
to "private label" a production run that would be modified somewhat to
allow up to eight midi output jacks, a thru jack and two input jacks.
Of course this computer would still be a thorobred except that it would
have exceptional midi potential. Guess what folks??? The machine is now
offered for sale as an IBM compatible portable!!! The name on it is
YAMAHA model C1. Sometimes, greed KILLS! The folks in Sunnyvale really
need to send the "boys" home and let Daddy and the professionals save the
business.
There WILL be more on this one.
Rex........
P.S. "YAMAHA" has a nice "sound" to it. <smug grin>
I hope Atari is "smart enough" to approach the Casio folks...
------------
**************************************************************************
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers
ST REPORT ONLINE ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE
NEW USERS SIGN UP TODAY!
Call any of the St Report Official BBS numbers
(Listed at the top of ST REPORT)
or
Leave E-mail to St Report, Ron Kovacs or Rex Reade
Be sure to include your full mailing address so your
Compuserve kit can be immediately mailed to you!
Expires 11-30-88
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
**************************************************************************
************************************
* The TORONTO ATARI FEDERATION *
* Presents *
* ----- *
* Sunday *
* THE November 6th *
* FIRST 10am to 6pm *
* CANADIAN at the [YYZ] *
* ATARI USERS Airport Hilton *
* CONVENTION 5875 Airport Rd *
* *
* Software/Hardware Vendors, Atari *
* Canada, PD Software, New Product *
* Demonstrations, Seminars, Users' *
* Groups, Developers and MORE!! *
* *
* $5.00 -Adults, $3.00 -Children. *
* *
* For more TAF information call: *
* 235-0318 [BBS] 425-5357 [msg] *
************************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
TANDY + ATARI ST?
=================
Connect the Tandy 3 1/2 inch drive
to the Atari ST
To connect the Tandy 3 1/2 inch external drive to the ST, the
following connections must be made:
ST Floppy Port Pin Function Tandy Drive Pin
1 Read Data 30
2 Side 0 Select 32
3 Ground Any Odd
4 Index 8
5 Drive 0 Select 10
6 Drive 1 Select 12
7 Ground Any Odd
8 Motor On 16
9 Direction In 18
10 Step 20
11 Write Data 22
12 Write Gate 24
13 Track 00 26
14 Write Protect 28
These connections may be made using two methods. The easiest
would be to take an ST drive cable, cut off one connector, and
connect the cable directly to the 34 pin header on the drive
itself. This will directly bypass the circuit board inside the
Tandy drive case. The major drawback to this method is the fact
that you will not be able to unplug the cable from the drive.
The other method, although more complicated, will allow you
to utilize the 30 pin edge connector mounted in the back of the
Tandy drive case. First remove all paths leading to the upper pads
of the edge connector and all paths on the bottom side that do not
lead to ground. Wire all connector pads on the bottom side
together so that they all are connected to ground. At the point
where the ribbon cable from the drive is attached to the circuit
board, wire the necessary connections to the pads of the 30 pin
edge connector. Remember, any odd number pin on the drive itself
is ground, so connect one to the bottom connector pads of the
circuit board being modified. Be sure to note each connector pad
you are using, and it's corresponding function. Now attach the ST
drive cable to a 30 pin edge plug in accordance with the wiring
accomplished on the circuit board.
Once wiring has been completed, place the jumper on the drive
mechanism to the A0 position. If your computer won't recognize the
drive, try the A1 position.
The drive requires 12V 230mA and 5V 240mA for power. I use a
standard PC power supply using either connectors P10 or P11.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
At What PRICE? LOYALTY
=======================
by T."Rex" Reade
After having polled over 120 users of ST equipment, the conclusions
were:
a)- The average investment is about three to five thousand dollars.
b)- The average age is from twenty three to fifty (big spread there).
c)- Almost all polled would gladly continue with Atari ST products.
Although this could never be termed a "professional" survey, I am sure if
all were known about who was "asked" these questions most would concur
that this "survey" is much more than accurate. Rest assured, we asked
developers, musicians, and ordnary users . The part that is wild
is..Atari could have done it's own informal survey of the ST users and
found much of the same thing. Instead, the head man still treats us like
kids with ice cream on our faces.
Sorry Sam, "it ain't gonna work"! The time has come for Atari to get real
with the userbase.
We want:
1 - The ST products enhanced on a regular basis.
( not every "so often" or "whenever")
2 - The ST products properly promoted and distributed.
(WE are TIRED of hearing about EUROPE!)
3 - An end put to the "maypo express".
(spoon-fed pablum)
4 - True user input to the company that is evidenced
in product upgrades. Like Hard Disk Partition Size!
(no more lame excuses...please!)
5 - Abandonment of the "lofty" dealer monarchy idea.
(what happened to.."Power Without the Price"?)
6 - An "in earnest" effort to promote and satisfy the
U.S.A. market.
( Even if you do not have the machines to ship, you CAN
talk about them and keep the interest level UP!)
In most of the ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY we find the annual release of NEW
products exciting and envigorating to both the users AND the MARKET
itself.
The users want to have and enjoy the very latest and the merchants need
the annual revitalization in the market place as it causes a true
competitive atmosphere and attractive pricing.
We all know (I think) the best part of the sales thrust for any new
product is in the first year.
Atari sez:
"WE DON'T WANT TO ADVERTISE AND NOT DELIVER, IT ONLY HELPS
OUR COMPETITION".
Rex...sez:
Atari is suffering from a case of the extreme "cheaps"..spend some bucks!
Tell the US Marketplace you are alive and well. Advertise the software
available for your machines in the ads, do something smart and support the
developers in the United States of America! After all, THEY support YOU!
Common Sense and Experience show:
--------------------------------
A)- The old adage, "OUTTA SIGHT - OUTTA MIND". Still fits...
B)- Advertisements similar to the two page spread (unusual) in Keyboard
(NOV. 88) that displays the names of the software available for the ST
gives the GOOD impression of presenting both the software and the
hardware. [GOOD P.R.]
In this computer marketplace "HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES"!!!
Here the "gold" is Product Name RECOGNITION...nobody, in their right mind,
would dispute this.
ATARI??.....AIN'T THAT THE PAC-MAN PEOPLE????
(ever heard that?....some recognition?... FOOL'S GOLD!)
Why, just 14 months ago you could walk into any decent music store and ask
about Midi and whose computer handled it...you would be told Atari ST and
then Mac..the Mac wasn't so popular because it was expensive and in
monochrome. BUT NOW...I dare you to ask ...the answers you get will
break your heart. It did mine. It makes you wonder if anybody in charge
at Atari honestly gives a darn.
Here we approach the end of ANOTHER year of broken promises by the
fearless (thoughtless) leaders of Atari. What do we know as far as
the future of the ST?
------
NOTHING... ABSOLUTLY NOTHING!
Sure, we know what we have in front of us works ok, and we know what we
would like to believe, but the truth is, we are all so very disappointed
in the management of Atari. I am waiting and watching to "SEE" what takes
place at Comdex (Fall).
While waiting, my senses are assaulted by all the fabulous advertisements
for all the OTHER computers available to the US market!
It's Amazing! Why don't they have the terrible ** DRAM PROBLEMS **
and all the "Other Baloney" excuses and reasons we are being fed!
The TRUTH is..EUROPE has the TOP PRIORITY for new machine deliveries. The
Lake Tahoe Conference made sure of this agreement with the European Wigs.
As for the FUTURE????
Comdex will tell all folks,,,,,
meanwhile;
Hey, You at ATARI, Please... WAKE up ....Please keep OUR machines current
and most of all,
PLEASE, STOP NEGLECTING US IN AMERICA!!
I AM A PROUD AMERICAN!
Rex..........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
HE BELIEVES IN AMERICA!
=======================
NeXT Inc. introduces a new type of computer system aimed at higher
education
NeXT Inc., of Palo Alto,
Wednesday, unveiled the NeXT Computer System, designed to meet the
demanding and diverse needs of higher education.
The system encompasses the best attributes of work stations and
personal computers, adds features previously found only on mainframes
and introduces entirely new innovations.
"NeXT's mission is to collaborate with higher education to develop
innovative, personal and affordable computer solutions for the next
decade and beyond," said Steven P. Jobs, president and chief executive
officer of NeXT.
"We began our product design process at key higher education centers in
this country, discovering what they wanted from a computer. Based on what
we heard, we have created a revolutionary learning and research
environment that represents what computing will be like in the 1990s.
"Currently, there is a revolution in software development and use
on college and university campuses, generating powerful concepts such
as simulated environments for both research and learning. The problem
is that higher education lacks a predictable computing target for
software developers, which slows emergence of practical products.
"NeXT intends to provide this target by raising the lowest common
denominator for standard capabilities in academic computing. In this
way, we will help spur the realization of some innovative and
important software ideas," Jobs said.
NeXT saw the need in higher education for a computer that combined
qualities of workstations and personal computers, with cabilities
far-exceeding either.
Specifically, the company took the workstation concepts of built-in
networking, large standard display screens, multitasking and a robust
application development environment, and designed and packaged them in a
one-foot cube with personal computer-like characteristics such as
affordability, efficient manufacturability and cool, quiet and reliable
use.
At the same time, NeXT recognized that significant innovations were
necessary to extend its computer system beyond a laundry list of
impressive features.
NeXT chose to innovate in four main areas:
A mainframe on two chips:
------------------------
The architectures of both workstations and personal computers contain
inherent bottlenecks to higher performance that cannot be resolved by
faster processors alone. To manage the flow of information within the
system to yield peak efficiency, NeXT designed the ICP and OSP, two
proprietary VLSI (very large-scale integration) chips that endow the
system with mainframe-like capabilities.
NextStep:
Although UNIX provides powerful capabilities and is the most prevalent
operating system for higher education and research, the complexity of
UNIX-based computers has put them beyond the reach of almost everyone
except scientists and engineers. At the same time, developing graphical
application software has traditionally extracted an inordinate amount of
time and expertise.
NeXT has addressed both these problems with NextStep, an
object-oriented software environment. NextStep makes the power of UNIX
accessible to all users, while it also significantly reduces the time,
expertise and software code developers need to construct graphical,
end-user applications.
Personal Optical Storage and the Digital Library: The potential for
desktop computers to open the world's knowledge to an individual has been
restricted, in part, by inadequate mass storage and poor searching and
indexing capabilities. To break through these restrictions, NeXT used a
new storage technology called magneto-optics to create a removable,
read/write/erasable 256 Megabyte Optical Disk as the Computer System's
standard mass storage device.
The Optical Disk makes possible the concept of the "Digital
Library," which can comprise on-line reference and literary works,
musical scores or images of photographic quality.
Included with every system is a powerful searching and indexing
tool called the Digital Librarian and a "starter" Digital Library.
Sound and Music: Sound is considered a vital communication medium.
As a result, NeXT has made sound capabilities integral to its
computer system:
o.. a microphone jack for input, CD-quality stereo output.
o.. a powerful 10 MIPS Digital Signal Processor (DSP).
o.. a standard voice mail application.
To encourage the development of applications that include sound, music and
voice, the system also includes the SoundKit and MusicKit.
The Sum is greater than the parts:
"Many of the NeXT Computer System's individual components
represent major technological breakthroughs," Jobs said.
"Taken in sum, they generate capabilities and potential exceeding
that of any existing category of computer system."
The system's basic hardware configuration includes the computer, a
one-foot cube that houses on a single board all the computer's highly
integrated silicon chips; the 256 Megabyate Optical Disk for editable
storage and retrieval of vast amounts of information; the 17-inch,
extremely high-resolution MegaPixel Display; and the 400 dpi Laser
Printer, which is the first affordable PostScript laser printer and
the first low-cost laser printer to provide 400 dots per inch (dpi)
resolution.
Underlying all the system's capabilities is a small, powerful and
efficient set of computer chips, all of which are standard and fit
onto a single board. There are three high-performance processors in
every system.
The main processor is Motorola's top-of-the-line microprocessor,
the 68030.
Accompanying it is Motorola's 68882 Floating-Point Unit, for fast
mathematical computations. Both these chips run at 25 megahertz.
The third processor is a 10 MIPS Motorola 56001 Digital Signal
Processor chip, for real-time sound and array processing. The board
can also support up to 16 megabytes (MB) of main memory.
Two proprietary VLSI chips, designed by NeXT, give the system its
mainframe-like qualities.
The Integrated Channel Processor (ICP) manages the flow of data among
the central processing unit (the 68030), main memory and all peripheral
devices. By offloading the 68030 and ensuring the efficient flow of data
within the system, the ICP allows the 68030 to run at its full rated
capacity of 5 MIPS.
The ICP provides 12 dedicated DMA (direct memory access) channels,
including channels for Ethernet networking and for disks, monitor, printer
and other peripheral devices. The single ICP chip replaces several
hundred chips performing similar functions on a mainframe computer, and it
raises sustained system throughput to a level impossible with either
personal computer or workstation architectures.
The other VLSI chip, the Optical Storage Processor, controls the 256
Megabyte Optical Disk, making possible this new storage technology.
The Optical Disk combines the vast storage capacities, removability
and reliability of laser technology with the fast access and full
read/write/erase capabilities of Winchester (magnetic) technology.
The Optical Disk provides unprecedented information storage,
manipulation and retrieval. With the Optical Disk working in conjunction
with the Digital Librarian, a specially designed searching and indexing
tool, users can almost instantaneously locate any textual information, in
any form, anywhere in the computer.
They can also browse through the system to uncover information,
ideas or connections between concepts. Software as Part of the System
NeXT includes an unparalled amount of software in the price of
every NeXT Computer System. The software starts with Mach, an advanced
multitasking operating system compatible with 4.3BSD UNIX, which is the
standard operating system in higher education communities.
In addition, the NeXT Computer System includes NextStep, a complete
software environment consisting of four components: the Window Server,
the Workspace Manager, the Application Kit and the Interface Builder.
The object-oriented environment was developed with the Objective-C
programming language, from the Stepstone Corp.
NextStep solves the two major problems with UNIX-based systems:
They are too complex and difficult for most non-programmers to use.
They require developers to spend an inordinate amount of time and
expertise creating graphical, end-user applications.
For users, NextStep makes the power of UNIX available by substituting a
window-based, graphical and intuitive interface for the traditional UNIX
comand-line interface. For developers, NextStep includes the Application
Kit, a set of interacting software "objects" for building applications.
Also included in NextStep is Interface Builder, a completely new
kind of software development tool. Interface Builder works graphically,
letting the developer construct an application by choosing from a palette
of available objects and using the mouse and keyboard to modify the
objects as needed, define the layout and establish connections between
objects.
This process permits the rapid construction of graphical user
interfaces and makes application development accessible to a much larger
community.
NextStep uses the Display PostScript system to ensure true WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get) between the screen and the printer.
The Display PostScript system includes a high-performance
implementation of the PostScript language, the de-facto imaging standard
for printing. It simplifies the programming of graphical applications
that support high-quality printing.
To further aid developers, the NeXT Computer System includes the
SoundKit, MusicKit, array processing routines, assemblers, compilers,
debuggers and a terminal emulator.
Standard with each system, on the 256 Megabyte Optical Disk, is a basic
Digital Library. A Digital Library can contain complete reference works,
books, images or musical scores.
The bundled library includes the Webster's Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary, including definitions, pronunciations and illustrations, not
just spelling; Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus; the Oxford Dictionary of
Quotations; the Oxford University Press edition of William Shakespeare;
The Complete Works.
NeXT technical references and other pertinent technical references.
The NeXT Computer System also includes a rich set of bundled
application software. These applications include WriteNow, a
full-featured word processing program; Mathematica, a symbolic mathematics
program; the powerful NeXT SQL Database Server, from Sybase; Allegro CL
Common Lisp; Jot, a personal text database manager; and a graphical
electronic mail application with integrated voice mail capabilities.
NeXT has built its business plan and products to meet the needs of
higher education. The company determined these needs through close
collaboration with leaders at college and university campuses
nationwide, uncovering the gaps between current and ideal computer
technology for this marketplace.
"Higher education is a huge market, certainly big enough in itself
to grow NeXT to critical mass," said Dan Lewin, vice president of sales
and marketing and NeXT. "Beyond that, higher education is the most
demanding and diverse marketplace conceivable. It provides a real acid
test. If we can do well here, were can do well anywhere.
"The key is understanding and committing to a business model that works
the way higher education does, both in its generic form and as it varies
from campus to campus. That's where NeXT has the edge, because we are the
only computer company that has amassed both the market knowledge and the
technological ability to deliver the right computing tools," Lewin said.
During 1988, NeXT will market its computer System directly to several
dozen of the nation's top institutions and software developers. NeXT
expects to appeal to higher education on the strength of its technology
tools and through the personal business relationships the company has
established with the higher education community.
Price and Availability
----------------------
The standard NeXT Computer System configuration, which includes 8 MB of
main memory, the 256 Megabyte Optical Disk, the MegaPixel Display,
keyboard, mouse and complete system software, will sell for $6,500.
The 400 dpi Laser Printer will sell for $2,000.
All prices quoted are for higher education.
NeXT will ship systems to its key customers and developers starting
this quarter, and expects to ship systems with final software by the
second quarter of 1989 to a broader base of institutions and developers.
Available options to the standard configuration include 4 MB RAM
expansion modules (up to 16 MB total), 660 MB and 330 MB
high-performance Winchester drives, an Ethernet kit, blank Optical
Disks and printer toner cartridges.
NeXT Inc., of Palo Alto, was founded in October 1985 by Steven P.
Jobs, co-founder and former chairman of Apple Computer Inc., and five
other individuals. The mission of the privately held company is to
collaborate with higher education to develop innovative, personal and
affordable computer solutions for the 1990s and beyond.
Ed. Note:
How sweet it is to see a Computer Company have some REAL FAITH in the
United States of America. Can IBM, Apple, Commodore and ALL the companies
be so totally wrong and ATARI be so right??? I think NOT! Atari had
better get with the program, or be left in the "micro-dust"!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPBEAT MIDI-BEAT
================
A look at a superb Midi-Utility
-------------------------------
OMNIBANKER ST
-------------
OMNI-BANKER ST is a "universal" MIDI Librarian that is capable of loading
and storing data from almost any midi device. It uses a custom instrument
database (that handles several dozen different devices) to automatcally
request and transmit data. It goes beyond generic librarians, by allowing
you to view two banks of 32 named patches at the same time (or to zoom in
and view 1 bank of 128 patches) and arrange patches both within and
between banks. Also it is mouse or keyboard driven and it permits
selection of individual patches for audition or editing.
When you open the instrument area of the program, you will immmediately
know you are in GOOD company... I saw all the favorites there!
ENSONIQ YAMAHA CASIO, KORG
AKAI ART J.L.COOPER KAWAI
OBERHEIM ROLAND SEQUENTIAL SEIL
VOYETRA
More added quarterly and, UPDATES ARE FREE!.
----------------
Omnibanker is written especially for the ST and is fully GEM based. The
fine design of the program allows you to use eirther a program version or
a desktop accessory version. Incidently, the Acc. version has ALL the
functions of the program.
The normal retail price of OMNI-BANKER ST is $95.00 plus 5.00 for shipping
and handling....(10.00 Canada) ..Omnibanker will ber appearing on the
dealer shelves in December.
:SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE READERS OF ST REPORT:
------------------------------------------
PARADGM SOFTWARE PRODUCTS have authorized us at ST Report to make this
extraordinary offer to our reader:
Until 12/01/88 OMNIBANKER ST WILL BE OFFERED TO OUR READERS FOR:
*** $55.00 + S&H! ***
CALL: 616-372-5972
Paradigm Software Products
1369 Concord Place, Suite 3-B
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49009
Please ask for Mark , and tell him you saw this mentioned in ST Report.
Oh! yes..I almost forgot, there is a 30 day money back guarantee!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
======================
Sunnyvale, CA There is some very STRONG talk about a slick move to
------------- relocate corporate hdqtrs, something about "more than
one set of offices".
Buena Park, CA Yamaha, a leader in Midi Instrument Manufacture, has a
-------------- FREE newsletter available send to: AFTERTOUCH, PO BOX
7938, Northridge,CA 91327-7938.
Hollywood, CA Paramount Studios hosts this year's MAC-MUSIC FEST 2.0
------------- Co-Sponsored by Filmsonix, Dec 3-4.
Los Angeles, CA Hybrid Arts, a staunch supporter of the Atari Midi
--------------- line has invested a small fortune in music industry
ads..Call their BBS: 213-826-4288.
Menlo Park, CA Digidesign and C-Lab Software are also investing in
-------------- strong holiday ads for their midi products and the ST.
Check the latest in Keyboard Magazine.
Buena Park, CA The YAMAHA/TOSHIBA 80286 C1 MIDI computer (portable)
-------------- has all the hot features. Reportedly, Yamaha
approached the portable market with an open mind on
which way to go, IBM is their choice. Dont look now
folks, but guess who will lead the "PACK" in midi.
Sunnyvale, CA Is the Atari Laptop (portable) really their own?
------------- Folks, when you see the new Lap Top, look close and
you tell us.
Houston, TX The C of C here is thoroghly worn out trying and will
----------- now adopt a blase attitude toward Atari's games they
call negotiations. In other words, STILL, NO INK ON
THE PAPER!
NEW YORK, NY Acme Toys is releasing a new pull toy, it pulls a
------------ wagon filled with computers, wears a beanie with a
propeller on it, it's bird! It sings; "cheep, cheep!"
And it's T-Shirt sez "we are for the birds"....
Sounds familiar to me....how about you?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE TYPES AND FILENAME EXTENSIONS
----------------------------------
What needs what to run?
By Robert J. Retelle
(c)1987
There are many different types of files available for the Atari ST, from
On-Line Services, from local Computer Bulletin Boards, and from User Group
Software Libraries, some of which are ready-to-run programs, but many of
which require some kind of preparation before they can be used.
Generally the Description of the software will tell you if the file or
program needs any special treatment, or if any other files are required.
The most important indicator of what the file is though, is the 'Filename
Extension'
The Atari ST computer allows disk files to have NAMES consisting of up to
eight letters or numbers, and an EXTENSION consisting of three more
letters or numbers. The NAME is separated from the EXTENSION by a period:
FILENAME.EXT MEGAROID.PRG
You can't use spaces or most other characters in the filenames. You CAN
use the underline character to separate words if you wish:
GAME_1.PRG HI_SCOR.DAT
Usually, the NAME will tell you what the file is, and the EXTENSION will
tell you what TYPE of file it is.
There are three types of files which can be RUN on the Atari ST computer
directly:
.PRG .TOS .TTP
.PRG Files are generally PROGRAMs which use GEM (windows, menus and the
mouse). You run these programs by double clicking on their ICON or
FILENAME from an open directory window.
.TOS
Files are generally PROGRAMS which do NOT use the GEM desktop. You
run them the same way as .prg files.
.TTP
Files are special versions of TOS programs which need certain input
from you before they can run (TTP means TOS Takes Parameters).
When you run these programs by clicking on them, a dialogue box will
open on the screen and you can type the needed information on a line
in the box. You will need to know, either from the File Description in
the Library, or from reading the Documentation for the program, what
to type for a particular program.
Note that while these programs will RUN on the ST, they may need other
files on the same disk with them to work properly. The File Description
or Documentation should tell you if other files are required.
Files which might be required by a PROGRAM include:
.RSC .DAT .PIC
.RSC
Files are RESOURCE files used by GEM programs, and contain information
needed by the program to run. The .RSC file MUST be on the same disk
as the .PRG file, and must have the same FILENAME as the .PRG file:
MEGAROID.PRG MEGAROID.RSC
.DAT
Files are DATA files, to be used by other programs. You might see these
called .D8A files occasionally. They generally must be on the same
disk as the program which will use them.
.PIC
Files are PICTURE files which are loaded onto the screen by the program
being run. Again, these generally must be on the same disk as the program.
There may be other types of files required to run a program, but these
are the most common ones. If you find a file with an unusual EXTENSION,
it's possible that it is one of these required files.
There is a special form of program for the ST, called ACCessories. These
are programs which are loaded into the computer's memory when the computer is
first turned on, stay there, ready to be used from within other GEM based
programs. ACCessories may include calculators, clocks, notepads and other
useful applications. They allow you to switch to other functions without
leaving the program you are running. There are even Game Accessories which
allow you to play games while you're supposed to be working with Spreadsheets
or Word Processors...! To load an accessory, copy it onto the disk you use
when you first turn on your computer. Up to six acc files can be on this
disk, allowing up to six choices of acc in your programs. Note that Acc
take up memory in your computer, which will decrease the amount of memory
available to other programs. Accessories are identified by the Filename
Extension: .ACC
Another common type of file is one which contains TEXT or DOCUMENTATION in
a readable form:
.TXT .DOC READ.ME
Generally these will be information or instructions needed to run a
program. These files can usually be read directly from the desktop by
clicking on their icon or filename, and selecting SHOW from the alert box
which pops up on the screen. You can also usually print these files on
your printer by selecting PRINT from the same alert box.
The READ.ME file is usually included on a program disk or as part of a
group of files to give you important information about new features or
updates. You *should* read it before trying to use the program!
Note that the files created by WORD PROCESSORS may NOT be readable from
the desktop SHOW function because of the special formats they save the
text with.
One example is files identified with a .STW entension. These are created
with the STWRITER program, and need to be loaded back into that word
processor to be read or printed.
Also note that files created with the Publishing Partner desktop
publishing program have a .DOC (Document) extension, but are NOT readable
from the SHOW option of GEM.
At times, programs may come with files containing the original 'source
code' that was used to write the program. These files are usually not
necessary to just run the program, and are only of interest if you would
like to see how the program was written, or if you would like to modify
the program.
These SOURCE CODE or programming files are generally identified:
.C .MOD .PAS .ASM .H .SRC
Programs written in certain languages, such as BASIC or LOGO cannot be run
by themselves. They need to have the LANGUAGE itself loaded into the
computer and run first, then the actual program can be loaded and run by
the language.
These programs are identified:
.BAS .LOG
Note that there are now several different BASIC languages in use on the
ST, and the programs for each of them are generally not interchangable
with other kinds of BASIC. The description of the file in the Software
Library should tell you which BASIC language you will need to run the
program.
MUSIC AND GRAPHICS FILES
There are several kinds of files for various Music and Graphics programs
available in software libraries. In most cases, the filename extension
will help identify the kind of program you will need to use to display
the picture, or play the music.
.SNG
Currently, the most popular music program seems to be The Music Studio
from Activision. The great majority of music files available require
the use of the Music Studio program to play. There is as yet NO Public
Domain player program for these song files. You must first load and run
your Music Studio program, then load and play the .SNG files.
.MCS
MUSC CONSTRUCTION SET Song files.
.NEO
This identifies a file as a picture drawn using Atari's NEOchrome
drawing program. These files are always in LOW resolution, and may
contain 'color rotation' animation effects. NEOchrome files are
always contain 32128 bytes. NEOchrome pictures can be displayed by
loading them into the NEOchrome program, or by using one of several
picture display programs in the Software Library. One good choice is
EFFETS.PRG.
.PI1
This is a LOW resolution picture drawn using the DEGAS drawing program.
DEGAS pictures are always 32034 bytes long. You can use DEGAS itself to
display the pictures, or a 'stand alone' display program. DEGASPIC.PRG
is a good one to use.
.PI2 This is a MEDIUM resolution DEGAS picture
.PI3 This is a HIGH resolution DEGAS picture.
.PC1 .PC2 .PC3
These are drawings done with the DEGAS ELITE drawing program, and saved
in COMPRESSED format. They corespond to the same resolutions as the
DEGAS files with the same number in the filename extension. Because they
are compressed, they will be smaller files than the normal DEGAS files.
The actual number of bytes will depend on the complexity of the picture.
Both compressed and uncompressed DEGAS ELITE pictures can be displayed
by using SHOWPIC2.PRG.
.TNY
This indicates a picture which has been compressed using Dave Mumper's
TINYSTUFF program, and is referred to as TINY format. These pictures
can be either NEOchrome or DEGAS originally. If the original picture
was a NEOchrome drawing with color rotation animation, the animation
effects will be preserved in the .TNY file. To display TINY format
pictures, use TINYVIEW.PRG.
.TN1 .TN2 .TN3
These are picture files compressed with Dave Mumper's new TINYSTUFF2
system. Use TNYVIEW2.PRG to view them.
COMPRESSED FILE FORMATS
ARChive, SQUeeze and LIBrary
To save space, and the time it takes to download files, many of the
files and programs in software ibraries have been 'compressed' using
special techniques. Many times, this will result in a file that is up to
half size, meaning you can download it in half the time!
Such a file is useless to you however, until you UNcompress it in your own
computer after downloading it. This extra step is more than justified by
the savings of time and money resulting from the smaller file size.
There are three common methods of compression that you will encounter in
the Software Libraries. Files processed with each will be identified by
the Filename Extender:
.ARC .xQx .LBR
.ARC
This indicates that the file has been processed with the ARChive utility.
ARChive has been adopted as the standard compression method in most
software libraries, replacing the other two on most new files.
ARChive not only allows files to be compressed, but allows several
files to be joined into one smaller, easier to handle package. For
example, a program may require a .PRG program, a .DAT data file, a .PIC
picture and have a .DOC documentation file. Using ARChive, all four
files can be compressed into one .ARC file, making it easy to download
the entire group of files at once. Once you have downloaded the .ARC
file, you must use ARC.TTP to 'unARChive' it. Another file you may
need to make the best use of the ARChive system is ARC.ARC which
included the instructions for using ARC.TTP
SUMMARY OF FILETYPES
--------------------
.PRG Runnable GEM program
.TOS Runnable TOS program
.TTP Runnable program which requires input
.RSC Resource file required to be on the disk with its .PRG program
.DAT Data file used by a program
.PIC Picture file used by a program
.TXT Readable text file
.DOC Readable Documentation (instructions) file
.C
.MOD
.PAS
.ASM
.SRC Source Code files for programmers
.BAS BASIC program. Requires a BASIC Language to be loaded first
.LOG LOGO program. Requires LOGO language to be loades first
.SNG Music Studio music file. Requires Activision Music Studio program
.NEO NEOchrome drawing. Use EFFETS.PRG to view
.PI1
.PI2
.PI3 Degas drawing. Use DEGASPIC.PRG to view
.PC1
.PC2
.PC3 Compressed DEGAS Elite drawing. Use SHOPIC2.PRG to view
.TNY Compressed TINY format picture. Use TINYVIEW.PRG to view
.TN1
.TN2
.TN3 Compressed TINY2 format picture. Use TNYVIEW2.PRG to view
.ARC ARChived file. Use ARC.TTP to restore.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANTIC PUBLISHING INC.
COPYRIGHT 1988
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.
Professional GEM by Tim Oren
Column #8 - User Interfaces, Homily #1
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
In response to a number of requests, this installment of ST PRO GEM
will be devoted to examining a few of the principles of computer/human
interface design, or "religion" as some would have it. I'm going to
start with basic ergonomic laws, and try to draw some conclusions
which are fairly specific to designing for the ST. If this article
meets with general approval, further "homilies" may appear at
irregular intervals as part of the ST PRO GEM series.
For those who did NOT ask for this topic, it seems fair to explain
why your diet of hard-core technical information has been interrupted
by a sermon! As a motivater, we might consider why some programs are
said by reviewers to have a "hot" feel (and hence sell well!) while
others are "confusing" or "boring".
Alan Kay has said that "user interface is theatre". I think we may
be able to take it further, and suggest that a successful program
works a bit of magic, persuading the user to suspend his disbelief and
enter an imaginary world behind the screen, whether it is the
mathematical world of a spreadsheet, or the land of Pacman pursued by
ghosts.
A reader of a novel or science fiction story also suspends
disbelief to participate in the work. Bad grammar and clumsy plotting
by the author are jarring, and break down the illusion. Similarly, a
programmer who fails to pay attention to making his interface fast and
consistent will annoy the user, and distract him from whatever care
has been lavished on the functional core of the program.
CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE
Before launching into the discussion of user interface, I should
mention that the general treatment and many of the specific research
results are drawn from Card, Newell, and Moran's landmark book on the
topic, which is cited at the end of the article. Any errors in
interpretation and application to GEM and the ST are entirely my own,
however.
FINGERTIPS
We'll start right at the user's fingers with the basic equation
governing positioning of the mouse, Fitt's Law, which is given as
T = I * LOG2( D / S + .5)
where T is the amount of time to move to a target, D is the distance
of the target from the current position, and S is the size of the
target, stated in equivalent units. LOG2 is the base 2 (binary)
logarithm function, and I is a proportionality constant, about 100
milliseconds per bit, which corresponds to the human's "clock rate"
for making incremental movements.
We can squeeze an amazing amount of information out of this formula
when attempting to speed up an interface. Since motion time goes up
with distance, we should arrange the screen with the usual working
area near the center, so the mouse will have to move a smaller
distance on average from a selected object to a menu or panel.
Likewise, any items which are usually used together should be placed
together.
The most common operations will have the greater impact on speed,
so they should be closest to the working area and perhaps larger than
other icons or menu entries. If you want to have all other operations
take about the same time, then the targets farthest from the working
area should be larger, and those closer may be proportionately
smaller.
Consider also the implications for dialogs. Small check boxes are
out. Large buttons which are easy to hit are in. There should be
ample space between selectable items to allow for positioning error.
Dangerous options should be widely separated from common selections.
MUSCLES
Anyone who has used the ST Desktop for any period of time has
probably noticed that his fingers now know where to find the File
menu. This phenomenon is sometimes called "muscle memory", and its
rate of onset is given by the Power Law of Practice:
T(n) = T(1) * n ** (-a)
where T(n) is the time on the nth trial, T(1) is the time on the first
trial, and a is approximately 0.4. (I have appropriated ** from
Fortran as an exponentiation operator, since C lacks one.)
This first thing to note about the Power Law is that it only works
if a target stays in the same place! This should be a potent argument
against rearranging icons, menus, or dialogs without some explicit
request by the user. The time to hit a target which moves around
arbitrarily will always be T(1)!
In many cases, the Power Law will also work for sequences of
operations to even greater effect. If you are a touch typist, you can
observe this effect by comparing how fast you can enter "the" in
comparison to three random letters. We'll come back shortly to
consider what we can do to encourage this phenomenon.
EYES
Just as fingers are the way the user sends data to the computer, so
the eyes are his channel from the machine. The rate at which
information may be passed to the user is determined by the "cycle
time" of his visual processor. Experimental results show that this
time ranges between 50 and 200 milliseconds.
Events separated by 50 milliseconds or less are always perceived as
a single event. Those separated by more than 200 milliseconds are
always seen as separate. We can use these facts in optimizing user of
the computer's power when driving the interface.
Suppose your application's interface contains an icon which should
be inverted when the mouse passes over it. We now know that flipping
it within one twentieth of a second is necessary and sufficient.
Therefore, if a "first cut" at the program achieves this performance,
there is no need for further optimization, unless you want to
interleave other operations. If it falls short, it will be necessary
to do some assembly coding to achieve a smooth feel.
On the other hand, two actions which you want to appear distinct or
convey two different pieces of information must be separated by an
absolute minimum of a fifth of a second, even assuming that they
occur in an identical location on which the user's attention is
already focused.
We are able to influence the visual processing rate within the 50
to 200 millisecond range by changing the intensity of the stimulus
presented. This can be done with color, by flashing a target, or by
more subtle enhancements such as bold face type. For instance, most
people using GEM soon become accustomed to the "paper white"
background of most windows and dialogs. A dialog which uses a reverse
color scheme, white letters on black, is visually shocking in its
starkness, and will immediately draw the user's eyes.
It should be quickly added that stimulus enhancement will only work
when it unambiguously draws attention to the target. Three or four
blinking objects scattered around the screen are confusing, and worse
than no enhancement at all!
SHORT-TERM MEMORY
Both the information gathered by the eyes and movement commands on
their way to the hand pass through short-term memory (also called
working memory). The amount of information which can be held in
short-term memory at any one time is limited. You can demonstrate
this limit on yourself by attempting to type a sheet of random numbers
by looking back and forth from the numbers to the screen. If you are
like most people, you will be able to remember between five and nine
numbers at a time. So universal is this finding that it is sometimes
called "the magic number seven, plus or minus two".
This short-term capacity sets a limit on the number of choices
which the user can be expected to grasp at once. It suggests that the
number of independent choices in a menu, for instance, should be
around seven, and never exceed nine. If this limit is violated, then
the user will have to take several glances, with pauses to think, in
order to make a choice.
CHUNKING
The effective capacity of short-term memory can be increased when
several related items are mentally grouped as a "chunk". Humans
automatically adopt this strategy to save themselves time. For
instance, random numbers had to be used instead of text in the example
above, because people do not type their native language as individual
characters. Instead, they combine the letters into words and remember
these chunks instead. Put another way, the characters are no longer
considered as individual choices.
A well designed interface should promote the use of chunking as a
strategy by the user. One easy way is to gather together related
options in a single place. This is one reason that like commands are
grouped into a single menu which is hidden except for its title. If
all of the menu options were "in the open", the user would be
overwhelmed with dozens of alternatives at once. Instead, a "Show
Info" command, for instance, becomes two chunks: pick File menu, then
pick Show.
Sometimes the interface can accomplish the chunking for the user.
Consider the difference between a slider bar in a GEM program, and a
three digit entry field in a text mode application. Obviously, the
GEM user has fewer decisions to make in order to set the associated
variable.
THINK!
While we are puttering around trying to speed up the keyboard, the
mouse, and the screen, the user is actually trying to get some work
done. We need to back off now, and look at the ways of thinking, or
cognitive processes, that go into accomplishing the job.
The user's goal may be to enter and edit a letter, to retrieve
information from a database, or simply draw a picture, but it probably
has very little to do with programming. In fact, the Problem Space
Principle says that the task can be described as a set of states of
knowledge, a set of operators and associated constraints for changing
the states, and the knowledge to choose the appropriate operator,
which resides in the user's head.
Those with a background in systems theory can consider this as a
somewhat abstract, but straightforward, statement in terms of state
variables and operators. A programmer might compare the knowledge
states to the values of variables, the operators to arithmetic and
logic operations, the constraints to the rules of syntax, and the
user's knowledge to the algorithm embodied by a program.
ARE WE NOT MEN?
A rational person will try to attain his goals (get the job done)
by changing the state of his problem space from its initial state to
the goal state. The initial state, for instance, might be a blank
word processor screen. The desired final state is to have a completed
business letter on the screen.
The Rationality Principle says that the user's behavior in typing,
mousing, and so on, can be explained by considering the tasks required
to achieve the goal, the operators available to carry out the tasks,
and the limitations on the user's knowledge, observations, and
processing capacity. This sounds like the typical user of a computer
program must spend a good deal of time scratching his head and
wondering what to do next. In fact, one of Card and Moran's key
results is that this is NOT what takes place.
What happens, in fact, is that the trained user strikes a sort of
"modus vivendi" with his tool and adopts a set of repetitive, trained
behavior patterns as the best way to get the job done. He may go so
far as to ignore some functions of the program in order to set up a
reliable pattern. What we are looking for is a way of measuring and
predicting the "quality" of this trained behavior. Since using
computers is a human endeavor, we should consider not only the speed
with which the task is completed, but the degree of annoyance or
pleasure associated with the process.
Card and Moran constructed a series of behavioral models which they
called GOMS models, for Goals-Operators-Methods-Selection. These
models suggested that in the training process the user learned to
combine the basic operators in sequences (chunks!) which then became
methods for reaching the goals. Then these first level methods might
be combined again into second level methods, and so forth, as the
learning progressed.
The GOMS models were tested in a lengthy series of trials at Xerox
PARC using a variety of word processing software. (Among the subjects
of these experiments were the inventors of the windowing methods used
in GEM!) The results were again surprising: the level of detail in
the models was really unimportant!
It turned out to be sufficient to merely count up the number of
keystrokes, mouse movements, and thought intervals required by each
task. After summing up all of the tasks, any extra time for the
computer to respond, or the user to move his hands from keyboard to
mouse, or eyes from screen to printed page is added in. This
simplified version is called the Keystroke-Level Model.
As an example of the Keystroke Model, consider the task of changing
a mistyped letter on the screen of a GEM word processor. This might
be broken down as follows: 1) find the letter on the screen; 2) move
hand to mouse; 3) point to letter; 4) click mouse button; 5) move hand
to keyboard; 6) strike "Delete" key; 7) strike key for new character.
The sufficiency of the Keystroke Model is great news for our
attempt to design faster interfaces. It says we can concentrate our
efforts on minimizing the number of total actions to be taken, and
making sure that each action is as fast as possible. We have already
discussed some ways to speed up the mouse and keyboard actions, so
let's now consider how to speed up the thought intervals, and cut the
number of actions.
One way to cut down "think time" is to make sure that the capacity
of short-term memory is not exceeded during the course of a task. For
example, the fix-a-letter task described above required the user to
remember 1) his place in the overall job of typing the document; 2)
the task he is about to perform; 3) where the bad character appeared,
and 4) what the new character was. When this total of items creeps
toward seven, the user often loses his place and commits errors.
You can appreciate the ubiquity of this problem by considering how
many times you have made mistakes nesting parentheses, or had to go
back to count them, because too many things happened while typing the
line to remember the nesting levels. The moral is that operations with
long strings of operands should be avoided when designing an
interface.
Th
e single most important factor in making an interface comfortable
to use is increasing its predictability, and decreasing the amount of
indecision present at each step during a task. There is (inevitably)
an Uncertainty Principle which relates the number of choices at each
step to the associated
time for thought:
T = I * LOG2 ( N + 1)
where LOG2 is the binary logarithm function, N is the number of
equally probable choices, and I is a constant of approximately 140
msec/bit. When the alternates are not equally probable, the function
is more complex:
T = I * SUM-FOR-i-FROM-1-TO-N (P(i) * LOG2( 1 / P(i) + 1) )
where the P(i) are the probabilities of each of the choices (which
must sum to one). (SUM-FOR-i... is the best I can do for a sigma
operator on-line!) Those of you with some information theory
background will recognize this formula as the entropy of the decision;
we'll come back to that later.
So what can we learn from this hash? It turns out, as we might
expect, that we can decrease the decision time by making some of the
user's choices more probable than others. We do that by means of
feedback cues from the interface.
The important of reliable, continuous meaningful feedback cannot be
emphasized enough. It helps the beginner learn the system, and its
predictability makes the program comfortable for the expert. Programs
with no feedback, or unreliable cues, produce confusion, dissonance,
and frustration in the user.
This principle is so important that I going to give several
examples from common GEM practice. The Desktop provides several
instances. When an object is selected and a menu drops down, only
those choices which are legal for the object are in black. The others
are dimmed to grey, and are therefore removed from the decision. When
a pick is made from the menu, the bar entry remains black until the
operation is complete, reassuring the user that the correct choice was
made. In both the Desktop and the RCS, items which are double-clicked
open up with a "zoom box" from the object, again showing that the
right object was picked.
Other techniques are useful when operator icons are exposed on the
screen. When an object is picked, the legal operations might be
outlined, or the bad choices might be dimmed. If the screen flashing
produced by this is objectionable, the legal icons can be made mouse
sensitive, so they will "light up" when the cursor passes over - again
showing the user which choices are legal.
The desire for feedback is so strong that it should be provided
even while the computer is doing an operation on its own. The hour
glass mouse form is a primitive example of this. More sophisticated
are "progress indicators" such as animated thermometer bars, clocks,
or text displays of the processing steps. The ST Desktop provides
examples in the Format and Disk Copy functions. The purpose of all of
these is to reassure the user that the operation is progressing
normally. Their lack can lead to amusing spectacles such as
secretaries leaning over to hear if their disk drives are working!
Another commonly overlooked feature is error prevention and
correction. Card and Moran's results showed that in order to go
faster, people will tolerate error rates of up to 30% in their work.
Any program which does not give a fast way to fix mistakes will be
frustrating indeed!
The best way to cope with an error is to "make it didn't happen",
to quote a common child's phrase. The same feedback methods discussed
above are also effective in preventing the user from picking
inappropriate combinations of objects and operations. Replacement of
numeric type-ins with sliders or other visual controls eliminates the
common "Range Error". The use of radio buttons prevents the user from
picking incompatible options. When such techniques are used
consistently, the beginner also gains confidence that he may explore
the program without blundering into errors.
Once an error has occured, the best solution is to have an "inverse
operation" immediately available. For instance, the way to fix a bad
character is to hit the backspace key. If a line is inadvertantly
deleted, there should be a way to restore it.
Sometimes the mechanics of providing true inverses are impractical,
or end up cluttering the interface themselves. In these cases, a
global "Undo" command should be provided to reverse the effect of the
last operation, no matter what it was.
OF MODES AND BANDWIDTH
Now I am going to depart from the Card, Newell and Moran thread of
discussion to consider how we can minimize the number of operations in
a task by altering the modes of the interface. Although "no modes"
has been a watchword of Macintosh developers, the term may need
definition for Atarians.
Simply stated, a mode exists any time you cannot get to all of the
capabilities of the program without taking some intermediate step.
Familiar examples are old-style "menu-driven" programs, in which user
must make selections from a number of nested menus in order to perform
any operation. The options of any one menu are unavailable from the
others.
Recall that the user is trying to accomplish work in his own
problem space, by altering its states. A mode in the program adds
additional states to the problem space, which he is forced to consider
in order to get the job done. We might call an interface which is
completely modeless "transparent", because it adds no states between
the user and his work. One of the best examples of a transparent
program is the 15-puzzle in the Macintosh desk accessory set. The
problem space of rearranging the tiles is identical between the
program and a physical puzzle.
Unfortunately, most programmers find themselves forced to put modes
of some sort into their programs. These often arise due to
technological limitations, such as memory space, screen "real estate",
or performance limitations of peripherals. The question is how the
modes can be made least offensive.
I will make the general claim that the frustration which a mode
produces is directly proportional to the amount of the user's
bandwidth which it consumes. In other words, we need to consider how
many keystrokes, mouse clicks, eye movements, and so on, are going
into manipulating the true problem states, and how many are being
absorbed by the modes of the program. If the interface is wasting a
large amount of the user's effort, it will be perceived as slow and
annoying.
Here we can consider again the hierarchy of goals and methods which
the user employs. When the mode is low in the hierarchy, and close to
the user's "fingertips", it is encountered the most frequently. For
instance, consider how frustrating it would be to have to hit a
function key before typing in each character!
The "menu-driven" style of programs mentioned above are almost as
bad, since usually only one piece of information is collected at each
menu. Such a program becomes a labyrinth of states better suited to
an adventure game!
The least offensive modes are found at the higher, goal related
levels of the hierarchy. The better they align with changes in the
state of the original problem, the more they are tolerated. For
example, a word processing program might have one screen layout for
program editing, another for writing letters, and yet another while
printing the documents. A multi-function business package might have
one set of menus for the spreadsheet, another for a graphing module,
and a third for a database.
In some cases the problem solved by the program has convenient
"fracture lines" which can be used to define the modes. An example in
my own past is the RCS, where the editing of each type of resource
tree forms its own mode, with each of the modes nested within the
overall mode and problem of composing the entire resource tree.
TO DO IS TO BE!
Any narrative description of user interface is bound to be lacking.
There is no way text can convey the vibrancy and tactile pleasure of a
good interface, or the sullen boredom of a bad one. Therefore, I
encourage you to experiment. Get out your favorite arcade game and
see if you can spot some of the elements I have described. Dig into
your slush pile for the most annoying program you have ever seen, run
it and see if you can see mistakes. How would you fix them? Then...
go do it to your own program!
AMEN...
This concludes the sermon. I'd like some Feedback as to whether
you found this Boring Beyond Belief or Really Hot Stuff. If enough
people are interested, homily number two will appear a few episodes
from now. The very next installment of ST PRO GEM will go back to
basics to explore VDI drawing primitives. In the meantime, you might
investigate some of the Good Books on interface design referenced
below.
REFERENCES
Stuart K. Card, Thomas P. Moran, and Allen Newell, THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale,
New Jersey, 1983. (Fundamental and indispensible. The volume of
experimental results make it weighty. The Good Parts are at the
beginning and end.)
"Macintosh User Interface Guidelines", in INSIDE MACINTOSH, Apple
Computer, Inc., 1984. (Yes, Atarians, we have something to learn
here. Though not everything "translates", this is a fine piece of
principled design work. Read and appreciate.)
James D. Foley, Victor L. Wallace, and Peggy Chan, "The Human
Factors of Computer Graphics Interaction Techniques", IEEE Computer
Graphics (CG & A), November 1984, pp. 13-48. (A good overview,
including higher level topics which I have postponed to a later
article. Excellent bibliography.)
J. D. Foley and A. Van Dam, FUNDAMENTALS OF INTERACTIVE COMPUTER
GRAPHICS, Addison Wesley, 1984, Chapters 5 and 6. (If you can't get
the article above, read this. If you are designing graphics apps, buy
the whole book! Staggering bibliography.)
Ben Schneidermann, "Direct Manipulation: A Step Beyond
Programming Languages", IEEE Computer, August 1983, pp. 57-69. (What
do Pacman and Visicalc have in common? Schneidermann's analysis is
vital to creating hot interfaces.)
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THIS WEEK'S QUOTABLE QUOTE
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HOFSCHEDTER'S LAW
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"VE GET TO SOON OLD... UND TOO LATE SCHMART!"
translated by "sammy's crew"
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ST-REPORT Issue #57 OCT. 17, 1988 (c)'88 APEInc. All Rights Reserved.
Reprint permission granted except where noted in the article. Any reprint
must include ST-Report and the author in the credits. Views Presented
herein are not necessarily those of ST-Report or of the Staff. All items
and articles appearing in ST-REPORT are copywrite (c)APEInc.
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