> Windows is far more used than Linux and thus it is expected that most 
> Blender users are also Windows users.

So why not use the normal Windows GUI in the Windows port?

> "2 lines" of platform-specific C code that will likely require in turn 
> another hundreds of lines of specific wrappers and type declarations just 
> to call those "2 lines".  dired mode is only suffering for people who do 
> not take their time to learn how to properly use it.

Most people don't have time to learn all the quirky features of every single 
program, that's why OS standards exist for common operations like "show 
context menu", "save", "select" etc.

> I remember vim very well because I carry it along with me everywhere I go.

But if you used Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Paint Shop Pro, Blender, Emacs, 
POV, Visual Studio, some other 3D software etc all regularly and they all 
used different keyboard shortcuts and UIs, would you remember them all and 
be able to work very efficiently?  I know I certainly wouldn't be able to. 
MS wrote the app style guide for a reason.

>> Really what is the disadvantage with Ctrl-S being save instead of Ctrl-W 
>> in Blender, apart from the fact that "it's always been like that"?
>
> The disadvantage is that it began that way and people learned it that way 
> and if they change now people will complain.  Legacy software is always 
> like that.

I said *apart* from "it's always been like that" (that can be fixed by a 
simple "legacy mode" option).  I guess not then.

> Never heard of it.  Niche tools can indeed do better by going 
> platform-specific.

No, it is still available for 4 or 5 platforms IIRC (including Linux and 
Solaris) so I guess they managed somehow.

> I realize now you didn't comment on my comparation with games and their 
> specific interfaces.

It was a silly comparison, for a start your comment was wrong, if you read 
any amount of game reviews you'll see people compain about UIs all the time, 
just the other night I was reading some reviews on Amazon for GTA4 and it 
was full of UI complaints.  Games that run in the desktop environment (like 
minesweeper, poker clients etc) all use the standard Windows UI anyway. 
Some of those that run full-screen provide a separate config app that does 
use the Windows UI to change all the settings.  Those that don't can be 
annoying at times if badly designed - what's your point?  My point is just 
use the Windows GUI and standards, everyone knows how to use it and it's 
easier for you as a programmer - you can't go wrong.

> And lazy people who wish to use it if only it didn't take some learning.

Clever people realise there's no need for it to take as much learning as it 
currently does, and then search for alternatives.

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