
Computers and network effects: Why your computer is “slow” - jseliger
http://jseliger.com/2010/09/30/computers-and-network-effects-why-your-computer-is-slow/
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wglb
I am not sure you actually meant _code walks while BS walks_ ; maybe one of
those 'walks' wants to be 'talks'?

I think the problem is not just one of a feature comparison, indeed, the
symbolics environment had more features in one area than almost anything
existing today does.

To do a true comparison, I think one needs to consider the number of layers of
stuff that sit between the hardware and the user of the word processing
system.

While I think Joel's 80/20 article is quite true, perhaps it deserves more
thought. Consider the possibility that his MS experience is with an
organization that, in part, competed on features, and MS essentially won the
battle. One then at first concludes that it has the features that people want.

Compare that to the automobile safety discussion of decades ago. Automobile
executives and marketers concluded, at least publicly, that "Safety doesn't
sell". However these days safety is a big part of the sales pitch. What has
changed? Well, perhaps nothing has changed other than the thinking at the top
of the auto companies.

As useful as Joel's 80/20 argument is, I am having some trouble holding that
thought in my head (that is that a feature-laden word processor is what people
really want) at the same time as Patrick's observation that most of his paying
customers see his program as just another part of Google.

I think it would be useful to drill down into these concepts a little further.

