Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 01:35:17 -0700 (MST) From: Larry Fish To: cavers Subject: Computer Survey Results Message-Id: COMPUTER SURVEY RESULTS I have finally finished compiling the results of the survey I posted last month. I want to thank everyone that took the time to write. Your comments will be very useful to me, the other programmers and cavers in general. The results are very interesting. First of all the response was very broad based and the results should give us a pretty clear picture of how cavers use their computers. There were 82 replys; 15 from outside of the United States. Responses from inside the United States were distributed among 24 different states. Since the survey was primarily distributed via the internet, I'm sure the survey is baised in direction of the more computer literate segment of the caving population. This means that the average cavers probably has older and less sophisticate equiment than the people who responded to the survey. Please note that there may be some minor internal inconsistancies in the numbers. Generally, this is due to time and energy limitations on my part. I just couldn't check and recheck the results. It is also due to inconsistancies in the way people answered the questions. First of all, not everyone responded to every question. In addition, there were some illogical responses. For example, some Mac users said that they were going to upgrade to Window 95 within six months. As a result, I didn't spend a lot of time trying to make all the columns add up and all the percentages total 100. The most interesting thing about the survey is how few cavers are jumping on the Windows 95 bandwagon. Most of you were pretty suspicious of Windows 95 and some of you were down right hostile toward Microsoft. I have included quite a few of the comments you sent me because they made some powerful and interesting points. ======================================================================= 1. WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? ======================================================================= Total Number of Replys = 82 Number of Replys From Outside the United States = 15 Austrialia = 4 Italy = 2 England = 4 Germany = 1 France = 3 Ireland = 1 Number of Different U.S. States Responding = 24 Alabama = 3 Indiana = 3 Oklahoma = 2 Arizona = 2 Louisiana = 1 Oregon = 3 Arkansas = 1 Mass. = 1 Penn. = 3 California = 7 Maryland = 3 Tennessee = 3 Colorado = 5 Missouri = 2 Texas = 2 Florida = 2 New Mexico = 2 Utah = 2 Georgia = 2 New York = 3 Virgini = 4 Idaho = 2 Ohio = 4 Wyoming = 1 Unknown = 4 ======================================================================= 2. DO YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER TO PROCESS CAVE DATA? ======================================================================= Yes = 55 Percent of total = 68% Some = 10 Percent of total = 12% Not Yet = 7 Percent of total = 9% No = 9 Percent of total = 11% ======================================================================= 3. WHAT TYPE OF COMPUTER HARDWARE DO YOU USE: ======================================================================= Total Computers = 182 PCs and PC Clones Total = 114 Percent of Total Computers = 63% ================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------ Non Windows Machines Total = 15 Percent of PCs = 13% ------------------------------------------------------------ PC = 4 XT = 3 AT = 8 ------------------------------------------------------------ 386 Total = 20 Percent of PCs = 18% ------------------------------------------------------------- 386DX = 11 386SX = 9 ------------------------------------------------------------ 486 Total = 61 Percent of PCs = 54% ------------------------------------------------------------ 486DX = 48 486SLC = 2 486SX = 11 ------------------------------------------------------------ PENTIUMS = 18 Percent of PCs = 16% ------------------------------------------------------------ MacIntosh Total = 54 Percent of Total Computers = 30% =================================================================== Mac II = 4 Power PC = 9 Other unspecified = 41 WORKSTATIONS = 11 Percent of Total Computers = 6% =================================================================== OTHER = 3 Percent of Total Computers = 2% =================================================================== Acorns = 2 Apple II = 1 Z80 = 1 ======================================================================= 4. WHAT OPERATING SYSTEMS DO YOU CURRENTLY USE? ======================================================================= TOTAL OPERATING SYSTEMS = 180 Total PC Operating Systems = 121 Percent of Total = 67% ----------------------------------------------------------- DOS = 42 Percent of PC Operating Systems = 34% WIN 3.X = 49 Percent of PC Operating Systems = 40% WIN 95 = 23 Percent of PC Operating Systems = 19% WIN NT = 3 Percent of PC Operating Systems = 2% OS/2 = 4 Percent of PC Operating Systems = 3% SYSTEM SEVEN = 30 Percent of Total = 16% -------------------------------------------------------------- UNIX = 21 Percent of Total = 11% ------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT STEP = 1 Percent of Total = 1% ------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER = 7 Percent of Total = 3% ------------------------------------------------------------- (RISC OS,PRODOS,APPLE DOS,VM/ESA,VMS) ======================================================================= 5. HOW SOON WILL YOU UPGRADE TO WINDOW 95? ======================================================================= Responses = 68 Within Three Months = 1 1% Within Six Months = 5 7% Within Nine Months = 2 3% Within One Year = 12 18% Greater than one year = 29 43% Never = 19 30% ======================================================================= 6. COMMENTS: ======================================================================= -------------------------------------------------------------------- ON UPGRADING TO WINDOWS 95 -------------------------------------------------------------------- I have converted to Windows 95. I like it and do not plan on changing. Windows 95--ucky, buggy system (from experience); I wouldn't use it unless stranded on desert isle with no computers and no caves. Death before DOS. I don't like windows, DOS is better. Windows 95 is not going to be feasible for me. Requires Too much Ram, Too much HD space, and doesn't offer reasonable return. Have helped 2 people try to install it and both times we finally gave up. Personnaly I leave upgrades for at least 6 months - remember DOS 4.00. I do not plan to install Windows 95 in the forseeable future. I see it as the computer and memory industry's next gold mine. More memory, more disk space, and less reliability. Can't see a good reason till something comes along that just won't run properly without it. Could be tomorrow or in a few years, who knows. I am uneasy about the trend in computing to ever larger, more complicated programs, requiring frequent upgrades to more powerful and expensive computers with larger drives & memory. I would like to see leaner and more efficient programs whenever possible. I'm thoroughly disgusted with Microsoft's rah-rah marketing: Ignoring problems and blatant dishonesty about Win '95s bugs, hardware requirements, and poorly-implemented promised features, among other things. I have no immediate plans to install Windows, and I do not consider it an upgrade I will only upgrade when buying a new computer, which will probably happen in a year, or when I come into a lot of money...! It isn't worth my time/money to upgrade at this time, because I'd probably need to upgrade my memory & hard drive in addition to getting Win95. This money can stay in the bank and gain interest for my next purchase (pentium). I will always keep a copy of Win3.1x, maybe a year or more before win95 gets used by default. Very useful DOS utils on all my machines stop it from working to its best advantage, but I am not prepared to chuck them yet... Windows 95 is reputed to be a memory hog, so 8M is the stated minimum to "get along". In order to keep my portable computer and desktop relatively compatible, I will be staying with windows 3.1 for the time being. I will upgrade my desktop within a year, and of course it will come with windows 95 then. A programs in Windows does the same thing as a program in DOS, but usually requires much more memory, much more hard disk space and usually is slow. All published lab tests show that W95 is slower than WFWG on 16 bit apps. I see no real point to upgrade till 32 bit apps that I need become available. I believe all of us Dos/Windows users will migrate to Windows95 eventually. However, since for many of us it involves buying a new system or upgrading our old ones, it will take a year or two. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ON RECOMPILING COMPASS TO WINDOWS 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- It would be wonderful if you recompile COMPASS !!!! Would love to see a 32--bit copy of Compass! A MAC version would be cool - at least keep the DOS version. A Win 95 version would be great!!! I would encourage you to support the newest Windows 95. It is sure to be the standard in the years to come! I hate windows ! It stupidifys the user and makes simple tasks more expensive in user time and couputer price. I use windows only because I have a couple of programs that mandate it. I hope that you will continue to provide a DOS only version of Compass. I would like to see a Win95 version, but the 50Mb that Win95 takles up on disk would make its use a problem on some machines, where a Win3 version is much more appropriate. I have used Compass and enjoy it's ease of use. I will be upgrading to one of the Windows versions soon. Keep up the good work! I'd be interested in getting the Windows 95 version when it's ready. Just let me know. Would like to see Compass fully developed for Windows (3.11 and later 95) to eliminate the DOS interface version. Put the windoze 3.1 version into a static mode (if you are happy with it, and can't think of any more improvements) and then do a new 32bit system for win95/unix/mac89/etc I understand very well the advantage to run under 32 bits under the windows 95 mode, but I think that only few people in France had planed to buy it for their personal use. Thanks for all your work on the COMPASS program series. It has made my efforts at cave mapping so much easier. I hope that there will always be a DOS based version that can run on a simple computer. Speed and whiz bang are great, but the ability to input and process data on almost FREE (XT type) computers and simple laptops is a great help. It allows more people to be involved, not just those on the cutting edge. Thanks again for your time and effort. Don't be in a hurry to convert to win-95. compass ain't broke. Compass is an excellent Program. It is great to be able to export it to a CAD Program for additional manipulation. Go ahead and recompile, but leave 3.1 version available util 1997 when 32 OS is supposed to become king. It would be nice if software such as COMPASS would work with other environments such as OS-2. Final point: I think Windows95 will dominate the market. A windows 95 version does not preclude a separate DOS or Windows 3.1 version. Users who do not wish to upgrade to Windows 95 can always continue to use the current version. However, unless you are going to upgrade to take advantage of new features (such as long file names, etc) then I don't think there is any compelling reason to recompile for Win32, other than the fact that the program would then be preemptively multitaked and better protected from system hangs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ON MACS AND WORKSTATIONS VS PCs ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The survey reeks of PC ism. Lumping all UNIX systems together for example. Mac-based systems seem to be so much easier to deal with! I REALLY love my Mac. I do all my mapping on it using a spread sheet for number crunching and Minicad for 3D drafting. Works GREAT. Have used unix (and VMS before that) for cave survey data in the past, but Macs are fast enough now that I use them instead. I plan to test the Windows emulators that are now available under Unix+X11, but I have not yet found the time... If you posted the source files some people might port it on other computers. Still evaluating what program to use to collect and display mapping data. Was very impressed with Toporobot presentation by Martin Heller at the Convention, but it doesn't work on a PC :-(.