Re: Alternate applications

[Two Ducks <twoducks@globalserve.net>]

On Sat, 18 Apr 1998, Kevin Forge wrote:
>Two Ducks wrote:
>> 
>> desktop. We could provide information for common alternatives (which 
>> nsmail might be.) Or we could provide the complicated (but smooth!)
>> solution. I would suggest at the moment choice number two.
>>
>Help for other APPs should be shipped as part of that APP and linked 
>into the existing help system once the app is installed.  so forinstance
>doing a search on Netscape Mail will come up blank if Netscape isn't 
>installed but give proper instructions if it is.  

Problem is, what if we have a task-help that says the following (please
forgive the KDE references but that's what I am using currently)

------------
Reading email

1. Log in to your internet service provider --> (link to other doc)
2. Click on the 'K' icon on the toolbar with the left mouse button 
    and a popup menu appears
3. Place the mouse cursor over the 'Internet' menu item and a
   sub-menu pops up
4. Move the mouse over the 'Mail client' menu item
5. Click the left mouse button and the email program will start
------------

If a user then downloads Netscape mail this task is incorrect for
using the new application. Is it worth worrying about this, or should
we assume that if the user downloads netscape mail they know what
they are doing enough to start the program themselves?

>Linking it into the search system is the critical next step that no 
>existing OS provides.  Talk about competitive edge ?  
>
>Why not just include help for other apps in a help distribution ?
>2 reasons.  
>1 : Help needs to change when the apps do.

Which would seem to indicate that the help file above should allow for
different mail programs.

>2 : The system must be completely open ended, so you can invent a 
>whole new app category, like KDE Drancing ( A program to produce music 
>by watching you dance )

Ken