Re: [9fans] how people learn things (was architectures)

["Boyd Roberts" <boyd@fr.inter.net>]

> On the other hand, Plan 9 doesn't have many applications like excel or word.
> If your main purpose to select your OS is to use such applications, you'd do
> MS Windows, I think.   This is what I wanted but forgot to say before.

yes, this is the 'killer app' theory.  i don't actually want excel -- i'll
use awk.  i don't want word -- i'll use troff.  but the problem is that J.
Random User wants this 'cos it's shiny and flashy and they can point and
click (have it crash on them :) and don't need to know anything about
programming or typography.

i write code.  i grew up with troff.  i use windows as a _terminal_.
well, i have written code for it, but i needed a job and got conned.
in retrospect it was very interesting 'cos i had to learn it from
scratch and the constant 'they did what!?!' suprises taught me why
it doesn't work and how it's very difficult to write a correct
windows program.