Re: Mac vs. PC survey

[diane haugen <dhaugen -at- BARNESVILLE -dot- POLARISTEL -dot- NET>]

On 8/16/96 Elna Tymes wrote:

>I'm absolutely appalled that someone would post to this international
>list the results of a highly unscientific sampling, without saying so by
>way of qualification.  I'm also livid that you would imply "more of us"
>prefer *anything* without making sure that your statistics and method are
>objectively defensible.


I didn't get the impression Eric Haddock was suggesting this was a
statistically significant study.  It was, I think he said, "interesting."
In other words, I had no trouble picking up on this being an informal
survey.  The issue --  whether people use a particular platform because the
work environment forces them to rather than the platform of their choice --
is, I think, one technical writers may find effects their work.



>There *are* some statistically defensible surveys on user preferences,
>but they're done by people who know something about statistics.

I would be interested in knowing what these studies are.  Would you be so
kind as to share the sources so others could check into them?


====================================================
Diane Haugen      dhaugen -at- barnesville -dot- polaristel -dot- net

Whiskey Creek Document Design        Barnesville, MN

Editor, Document Design
<http://www.rrv.net/wcdd/dd/welcome.html>
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