[softwarelist] Re: O-Pro's future

Phil Dennison wrote:

[snips]
I think that last statement says a lot. A large proportion of Windows users have never used anything else. In their heads, what a computer can do is synonymous with what their computer can do. Many use Word like a typewriter, and have no idea of the difference between, say, a text file and a Word document. Those of us who have used minority platform are aware of all kinds of issues which just seem complicated to a Windows only person.
People don't like Word, but most have it and use it and don't even consider an alternative might exist. My main complaint against Microsoft/Windows is that it lowers peoples expectations of what a computer can do. In terms of reliability, complexity and quality of output.
I fail to see the logic here. Windows (and Linux) systems both do more than RISC OS, for reasons given many times. These reasons have been spelled out even by people who choose to earn a living out of RISC OS, so this is not sour grapes or trolling on my part.
Given that Windows (and Linux and Mac) can do more things than RISC OS, I fail to see how it can be said that Windows lowers the expectations of people using it. If such a person was to try using RISC OS then they would feel very limited in what they could do. This is probably the main reason why people leave RISC OS, and the reason why many RISC OS users also have a Windows/Linux/Mac machine. It may well be that using RISC OS for the limited number of things that it CAN do is easier than Windows, but this is dependant upon your outlook.
The use of a minority platform has nothing to do with being aware of certain issues. I used Unix (certainly NOT a minority platform) for many years (before Linux came along) and I am aware of issues that a normal Windows user would not be aware of, simply because they don't have to be aware of them. I am sure that I am aware of issues that some normal RISC OS users are unaware of. I am also sure that there are people around here who are aware of more issues than I am.
The posting that I am responding to continues the common trait amongst certain RISC OS users that the "average" RISC OS user is more computer aware than users of other platforms, usually Windows. This is arrogance on the part of those people, as the topics that come up on the various RISC OS forums show that the "average" RISC OS user is certainly no more computer literate than the average Windows user.
Sorry for continuing this thread on your forum Mr Pilling, but this sort of posting annoys me, as it attempts to perpetuate the myth that RISC OS is the most superior OS and that it is only because of the dastardly Microsoft that it has failed. 

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Regards, Phillip Marsden
For quality bespoke acoustic guitars phillip.marsden@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

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