[OS X Emacs] Re: Returning to Emacs

[David Reitter]

On Apr 16, 2010, at 2:43 AM, Jochen Küpper wrote:

> Actually, David, I am sure a large number of people are happy to use this, as it is a "plain Emacs" that behaves like elsewhere…
> You can also get it through MacPorts, for example, plus a number of "standard" add-ons (i.e., auctex).


Emacs has a very efficient, highly idiosyncratic user interface.  Humans tend to acquire "proceduralized skills" that allow us very fast access to, e.g. motor actions, such as pressing keys.  That's what Emacs leverages.  

The exact effect of context switching is unclear; general UI "wisdom" says that modes, or context-dependent commands will slow users down and make them more susceptible to mistakes.  That, and the steep learning curve, are the premises on which Aquamacs was conceived.  

So, if you end up using Emacs for most of your tasks, and once you've had sufficient training, you should be very efficient with it.

That said, (almost?) all the Emacs key commands are available in Aquamacs; stuff like CUA/transient-mark-mode can be switched off easily.

I'd be interested in understanding what incompatibilities you see.  Perhaps something can be done about them...



--
http://aquamacs.org -- Aquamacs: Emacs on Mac OS X
http://aquamacs.org/donate -- Could we help you? Return the favor and support the Aquamacs Project!