One thing I definitely think is important about Dpaint (and to a much lesser extent the PAINT program that comes with windows) is that it's easy to use and fun. That's one area Mac is kicking Windows arse. Anyone with a Mac can play with Garageband, the DVD authoring tools, and so on--it's easy and fun. Windows Office is NOT fun; it's strictly business. Don't get me wrong--that's important, but it's not necessarily the most stimulating and doesn't encourage you to experiment. I do think the ribbon of 2007 helped with the problem a bit, but I'd still appreciate a more layered interface. Sadly, Linux has also been a loser in this regard; GIMP is certainly no easier to use than Photoshop, and Open Office doesn't in any way strike me as more aesthetically pleasing or creatively stimulating as MS Office.

Then again, I know a lot of people avoid the more simplistic versions of stuff like Photoshop (Elements, etc.) and either download illegal pro stuff (Pro Tools, Photoshop, etc.) or actually ante up for it. Since some of those programs cost as much as a complete system, I'm guessing many home users go with the first option.

Dpaint IV seemed to offer the best mix of features with accessibility; anything more and it'd be too complex for the hobbyist to tinker with. I have Photoshop on my Mac and have never been tempted to play around with it, but I have spent hours with Garageband. On the Amiga I had a similar experience with Sonix and DMCS; lousy for "real" use, of course, but a fun way to introduce the system's capabilities and get you invested enough to bother learning the less-fun programs like MED. Hell, there's probably thousands (millions?) of graphic artists who got their first taste with Mario Paint.

I think there's a market for more of these creative apps that blend gaming and productivity. I've seen it done successfully with music (Instant Music) and graphics (Mario Paint), but have yet to see it applied to word processing or spreadsheets. Hell, it seems easy enough to make a fun game that has you working with spreadsheets.

I recently saw a blend of the two (spreadsheet & word processing) that really interested me, but I promised I wouldn't talk about it. ;-)

How can we make word processors more fun???