24 February 2021, 23:45 | #1 |
WhatIFF? Amiga Magazine
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Chiba, Japan
Age: 46
Posts: 480
|
Is there anything you miss in current gen OS that you had in Workbench?
I use a Mac as my primary machine for work and one thing I realised that I miss a lot from using Workbench is the click to front window. Each time I click once on a window in Mac OS it comes to the front and I find that quite frustrating at times. In Workbench it does not come to the front unless you click the top right button and I realised this gives me more control over my system. So is there any feature of Workbench that you miss or wished you could do in a modern OS?
|
24 February 2021, 23:56 | #2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 3,409
|
I always miss the way Amiga's dealt with volumes and especially the assigns. Such a useful way to order your files beyond just drives and directories.
|
25 February 2021, 00:31 | #3 |
Ex nihilo nihil
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: CH
Posts: 4,856
|
I miss the "lightweight" of the AmigaOS/Workbench. A feature by itself
The easy backup facility (copy files or 'lha' your partition and your are done). Now, even editing a simple file like the "host" file in Wind@ws could be a pain |
25 February 2021, 00:52 | #4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dublin, then Glasgow
Posts: 6,334
|
Yep, so many things, and not just with Workbench, but Amiga OS in general. For example:
- Windows not jumping to the front the instant you click them as you say. Double-clicking to bring them to the front (with the ClickToFront commodity) is a godsend so I can leave a window overlapping another and still read its contents while working in the main window behind it. - Being able to move windows and requesters, even when the application is waiting on something. So often I need to cancel a file request dialog or similar just so I can see something that it's blocking. - Dragging files and directories into file requesters to jump them to a location. Haiku offers something close to this. - Filetyping based on file content rather than extension. - Assigns and volumes as pointed out above. - Intuitive keyboard shortcuts for text (e.g. shift+left to move to the start of the line, shift+backspace to delete to the start of the line, shift+right to move to the end, shift+delete to delete to the end). - Intuitive keyboard shortcuts in general, with a primary shortcut key (Right Amiga+Q to quit etc.), and a separate OS shortcut key for overall functions like swapping screens, answering requesters, emulating mouse inputs (Left Amiga). Though, to be fair here the Mac has better shortcuts than other mainstream OSes. - Intuition screens. - Menus. Both the multi-selecting functionality and the hidden in the screen bar aspects. - Spatial arrangement in directories. It's not always to everyone's taste, but I like it Other systems do sometimes have it as an option, but not quite as free-form as Workbench. And I'm sure there are plenty more, but those are the main things that strike me when I'm using other systems. |
25 February 2021, 01:38 | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom
Posts: 1,978
|
All of the above, and:
A disk space meter at the edge of the volume window Icons that can be any size Icons as files in their own right. |
25 February 2021, 03:01 | #6 |
WhatIFF? Amiga Magazine
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Chiba, Japan
Age: 46
Posts: 480
|
Oh yeah, the assigns is a great way for organising your files, the amount of times I have to go through a maze of folders to get to a file on the Mac is maddening at times. The menu as well seems better implemented, it is cool how much the Amiga Workbench still feels fresh when compared to newer OSs.
|
25 February 2021, 03:11 | #7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: United States
Age: 52
Posts: 67
|
1. Variable sized icons were one of my favorite parts of the Amiga. In fact, the whole way WB dealt with icons was really neat.
2. Multiple resolutions on a single desktop. That would be super helpful these days. 3. Resolution and desktop size being independent. There are ways to do this on Windows but it's not part of the OS. 4. |
25 February 2021, 05:49 | #8 |
Coder/webmaster/gamer
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Canberra/Australia
Posts: 2,630
|
Intelligent algorithmic gadget layouting/sizing.
Last edited by Minuous; 25 February 2021 at 06:06. |
25 February 2021, 08:24 | #9 |
son of 68k
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lyon / France
Age: 51
Posts: 5,323
|
What has already been mentioned above.
The RAM disk that is always there. The "enter command and its arguments" popup from double-clicking an iconless data file. Fast booting. No shutdown sequence ; just switch it off. Use/save settings rather than "apply" that will save anyway. Settings like icon positions that aren't saved behind your back so a blunder doesn't mess things up. Scroll bars that don't lose the position when your mouse pointer ventures somehow out of the bar. |
25 February 2021, 08:49 | #10 |
Also known as GarethQ
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Twickenham / U.K.
Posts: 715
|
Arexx with ports into most programs. A system wide supported scripting language. Apple almost got it right with AppleScript, but not quite.
|
25 February 2021, 11:43 | #11 |
Settler
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Serf City
Posts: 1,760
|
Say
|
25 February 2021, 12:27 | #12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: UK
Posts: 243
|
Quote:
|
|
25 February 2021, 13:18 | #13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 695
|
- multiple screens
- RAM disk - save/use option on new settings - assigns Although the latter is something of a double edged sword. Some programs that were "HD installable" insisted of putting a bunch of assigns in your user-startup. Other than that the fact that you could type a quick "assign Foo: Work:bar" when a requester appeared "Insert Foo: in any drive" was something wonderful. |
25 February 2021, 13:56 | #14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dublin, then Glasgow
Posts: 6,334
|
Quote:
But yes, Windows is probably the biggest offender, however it is a necessary evil for myself and so many others, and so naturally it's the OS on which the missed features will be most observed. |
|
25 February 2021, 14:06 | #15 |
Puttymoon inhabitant
|
RAM Disk. It was pure genius.
|
25 February 2021, 15:46 | #16 |
cheeky scoundrel
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Spijkenisse/Netherlands
Age: 42
Posts: 6,908
|
I can't honestly think of anything really. Some nicety features, but I don't miss those. But then again I don't seem to care as much about the OS UI as other people seem to do, my interaction with any OS is mostly starting programs or managing a file, not exactly riveting stuff. I'm more motivated by how easy or difficult it is to keep the OS up to date and how high the risk is of a patch mucking things up.
|
25 February 2021, 19:16 | #17 | |
Amigan
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Posts: 1,309
|
Quote:
These were multi-million pound machines |
|
26 February 2021, 06:20 | #18 |
Inviyya Dude!
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Amiga Island
Posts: 2,770
|
* I liked the double state differently sized icons. Gave lots of personality to the OS.
* I like the way how stuff can sound so literal in the CLI/Shell. "Copy a to b". A lot of stuff in the OS feels a bit cumbersome these days, so I am really looking forward to OS 3.2 and what kind of new features it will have. |
26 February 2021, 07:30 | #19 |
-
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Helsinki / Finland
Age: 43
Posts: 9,861
|
A working locale system would be nice. In windows it is a mess if you have English windows and a national keymap / regional settings.
Multi language programs often helpfully force themselves to display according to my keyboard language or regional settings, even though everything else is in English. |
26 February 2021, 08:52 | #20 | |
Italian Amiga Zealot
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Italy
Age: 36
Posts: 1,910
|
Quote:
What I miss most, as someone has already suggested, is the ability for the OS to show a completely different icon when clicked. It was used to great effect by most apps / games and gave the OS great personality |
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Did I miss something ? | malko | project.MAGE | 3 | 12 June 2020 00:50 |
which app miss the more ? | turrican3 | support.Apps | 4 | 18 February 2018 05:36 |
Other games with "Darkmere"/"LotR" atmosphere? (may also be current-gen) | dex | Nostalgia & memories | 20 | 27 January 2016 15:29 |
Did I miss something? | Galahad/FLT | Amiga scene | 10 | 25 December 2013 04:04 |
Does anyone miss..... | Bloodwych | Nostalgia & memories | 48 | 10 March 2011 03:31 |
|
|