The Good Old Times

I am old-fashioned. I am also old. Perhaps, I believe (as I'm waiting for IMAGE CAPTURE, to scan screen - aha it stopped) that the programs I've used for many a year are more easier, quicker and more productive.

Take for instance, GRAB. I've used it since it became offered. With a flick of my finger I can take a pic of 4 different screen choices. With a flick of my wrist I can then save the choice. This all takes about 8 sec. (I timed "selection.") IMAGE CAPTURE would still be scanning the screen.

Then there is APPLEWORKS. I love APPLEWORKS. I even bought a second hand iBook with an OS of 10.4 so that I could use my favorite program.
(Yes, my iMac (10.7.3) contains iWorks with PAGES. I tried to use it . I really did try - but I got bolluxed up and very frustrated.)
I happily went back to APPLEWORKS to create my senior's club monthly memo, my Mah Jongg's yearly framed memento portrait and varied personal needs- all with ease and with pleasure.
I can polish an image with Paint tools and set it into a text page with ease , setting it backward or completely back in a second. I can create a frame in Paint, copying and pasting portions of the frame to elongate it to match the text size and also slide it easily into the page . I can then arrange text to fit pics and frames. And Voila!
Oh yes, I can comfortable create a membership list in APPLEWORKS that is usable for mailing labels, name plates and our yearly directory. …and varied other sundries.

So, young people, enhance your programs with new complexities and razzle dazzle(and increased $'s). Let me sit in my rocking chair with time on my hands.

Keep Appleworks going for you by all means, keep yourself comfortable and happy, and keep a good old G4 running as a useful tool.

I remember AppleWorks, OS9 (I remember OS 7.5 on my LC475) and even Netscape navigator. At least AppleWorks works on some version of OSX, one thing I don't miss from the good old days is OS9 crashing out, taking all of my Apps and work with it and forcing me to reach for the power button.

But at least in those days I picked up the good old habit, save often.

AppleWorks was awesome! I used that for some many school reports and floor plans for Sims houses.

joyss said:

So, young people, enhance your programs with new complexities and razzle dazzle(and increased $'s). Let me sit in my rocking chair with time on my hands.

Click to expand...

Not all of us young people like the complexity that comes with newer technologies. However, I think we're better adept at using it because we've grown up with it. Then again, I'm essentializing "young people" here.

I'm with you when it comes to the razzle dazzle - I'm in my twenties and revel in technological simplicity. In fact, I'd argue that success is determined by how simple someone can design something.

joyss said:

Then there is APPLEWORKS. I love APPLEWORKS. I even bought a second hand iBook with an OS of 10.4 so that I could use my favorite program.
(Yes, my iMac (10.7.3) contains iWorks with PAGES. I tried to use it . I really did try - but I got bolluxed up and very frustrated.)
I happily went back to APPLEWORKS to create my senior's club monthly memo, my Mah Jongg's yearly framed memento portrait and varied personal needs- all with ease and with pleasure.

So, young people, enhance your programs with new complexities and razzle dazzle(and increased $'s). Let me sit in my rocking chair with time on my hands.

Click to expand...

Here's a viewpoint from an "older" person who has been associated with computers since the mid-1980's.

While I do agree that older applications seem much easier, simpler, and less complex to use (relative to more contemporary programs)...those older programs still had a "learning curve" associated with them when someone first tried to use them.

I also agree that newer programs can seem more complex & more difficult learn...the truth is...with the proper amount of time & focus dedicated to learning how to use the new application (just like someone would have done 20 years ago with an older program)...how to use a newer program can be accomplished as well!

The bottom line is (if someone already knows how to use an older application)...they might say to themselves..."Why the heck should I waste my time learning how to use the new more complex program...when I already know how to use the older program!"

And my answer is...if someone spent the same amount of time & focus learning the new program...as they might have spend learning the old program 10, 15, or 20 years ago...then they are perfectly capable of learning the how to use the new program (if they choose to make the effort)!

- Nick

p.s. And I will admit...sometimes I just don't like to make the effort learning a new program...especially if I don't have a real important immediate need for it's use!

pigoo3 said:

While I do agree that older applications seem much easier, simpler, and less complex to use (relative to more contemporary programs)...those older programs still had a "learning curve" associated with them when someone first tried to use them.

Click to expand...

Not to mention that in terms of pure functionality, older apps look much too simplistic for some tasks. If someone asked me to write out a whole paper in Vim, I'd struggle. However, if someone asked me to write it up in Word, I'd have no problem. Sometimes complexity can be a good thing (definitely not always though).

pigoo3 said:

And my answer is...if someone spent the same amount of time & focus learning the new program...as they might have spend learning the old program 10, 15, or 20 years ago...then they are perfectly capable of learning the how to use the new program (if they choose to make the effort)!

Click to expand...

Absolutely. Newer technologies are not excessively complex. My mom for example has managed to become quite the technophile (I was visibly and pleasantly surprised to see how much my mom knew about the world of technology recently) - she now has dual monitors at work and an iPad next to her computer.

pigoo3 said:

Here's a viewpoint from an "older" person who has been associated with computers since the mid-1980's.

While I do agree that older applications seem much easier, simpler, and less complex to use (relative to more contemporary programs)...those older programs still had a "learning curve" associated with them when someone first tried to use them.

I also agree that newer programs can seem more complex & more difficult learn...the truth is...with the proper amount of time & focus dedicated to learning how to use the new application (just like someone would have done 20 years ago with an older program)...how to use a newer program can be accomplished as well!

The bottom line is (if someone already knows how to use an older application)...they might say to themselves..."Why the heck should I waste my time learning how to use the new more complex program...when I already know how to use the older program!"

And my answer is...if someone spent the same amount of time & focus learning the new program...as they might have spend learning the old program 10, 15, or 20 years ago...then they are perfectly capable of learning the how to use the new program (if they choose to make the effort)!

- Nick

Click to expand...

Not necessarily true. Take Open Office. Every time I want to double space a paper on it, I have to Google how to do it. All of the normal places I look aren't the correct place. Now, I don't use it that much, but I normally can figure out software on my own without help. Open Office just doesn't make sense with placement of some of their settings.

Stretch said:

Not necessarily true. Take Open Office. Every time I want to double space a paper on it, I have to Google how to do it. All of the normal places I look aren't the correct place. Now, I don't use it that much, but I normally can figure out software on my own without help. Open Office just doesn't make sense with placement of some of their settings.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure that's a result of it being complex. Rather, I think that's a product of poor UI design. That's one of two things that has always been a problem for OOo (the other being bloat and responsiveness). Thankfully, the LibreOffice project is focusing on both of those.

OO is a great example of a 'free' UI Another.. is GIMP. Both of which, I loathe.

vansmith said:

Not to mention that in terms of pure functionality, older apps look much too simplistic for some tasks. If someone asked me to write out a whole paper in Vim, I'd struggle. However, if someone asked me to write it up in Word, I'd have no problem. Sometimes complexity can be a good thing (definitely not always though).

Click to expand...

I was going to mention that as well. That newer programs may seem more complex vs. older programs...but newer programs are also more "feature rich"...so with potentially more complexity...also comes potential rewards in terms of added features & added functionality.

What I think that it really boils down to is...if someone has only "basic" needs from a program...then the older/simpler program will get the job done just fine! But if someone has more complex needs...then the added abilities of newer more feature rich programs is what is needed.

Like almost everything in life...it's a balance. If things get more complex...without a refined user interface to make this complexity more "user-friendly"...then the added complexity may not be worth it.

- Nick

Dysfunction said:

OO is a great example of a 'free' UI Another.. is GIMP. Both of which, I loathe.

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You and every other person on the planet hate the GIMP UI. I don't think I've ever met someone who liked it...ever.

pigoo3 said:

I was going to mention that as well. That newer programs may seem more complex vs. older programs...but newer programs are also more "feature rich"...so with potentially more complexity...also comes potential rewards in terms of added features & added functionality.

What I think that it really boils down to is...if someone has only "basic" needs from a program...then the older/simpler program will get the job done just fine! But if someone has more complex needs...then the added abilities of newer more feature rich programs is what is needed.

Like almost everything in life...it's a balance. If things get more complex...without a refined user interface to make this complexity more "user-friendly"...then the added complexity may not be worth it.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a bit of a double edged sword. This is where you have to appreciate products that are very complex but very easy to use. I do have to commend Apple here for accomplishing this balance by taking a complex OS core and making it relatively easy to use (while thankfully not preventing us from tinkering if need be).

pigoo3 said:

What I think that it really boils down to is...if someone has only "basic" needs from a program...then the older/simpler program will get the job done just fine! But if someone has more complex needs...then the added abilities of newer more feature rich programs is what is needed.

- Nick

Click to expand...

i agree. it took me loads of time to understand photoshop and adobe acrobat pro - both of which are VERY counter-intuitive. but once you know your tricks they can do magic. for the average user with basic needs however, they are way to complex!