Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 01:18:45 +0100 From: Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be> To: "Jeremy C. Reed" <reed@reedmedia.net>, freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: OS-X question(WAS:GUI question.) Message-ID: <p0510140fb8a5bc92819a@[10.0.1.26]> In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.43.0203011432131.2796-100000@pilchuck.reedmedia.net> References: <Pine.LNX.4.43.0203011432131.2796-100000@pilchuck.reedmedia.net>
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At 2:41 PM -0800 2002/03/01, Jeremy C. Reed wrote: > "Ease of use" is subjective. Can you (or others) share some examples of > features or common steps/tasks that represent ease of use on a Macintosh? > (And maybe the differences between it and doing it under X11 with a > bloated window manager?) Sorry, I don't use bloated window managers under X11, and I don't use Microsoft OSes. As I said before, I was converted to the "one true faith" in 1984, so I may not be the best person to compare the various interfaces. > I know the new Mac OS looks pretty -- but what type of features makes it > easier to use? (Not counting the ability to use standard Unix tools.) I'd say the Apple-enforced consistency is probably one of the most important things. This is enhanced by the Apple-provided libraries that you are largely forced to use. On Microsoft OSes, A lot of programs will ape the way that Microsoft does things, but they end up having to reverse-engineer the private custom APIs built into the OS & applications, and then when these private custom APIs are summarily changed, they are in serious trouble -- remember "Windows ain't done 'til Lotus don't run"? Well, this kind of thing is so very real. Just wait until your favourite program is the next Lotus. With the magic of Google, I have turned up some interesting links: http://slencyclopedia.berlios.de/gui.html http://eupedia.org/gui.html http://www.rahul.net/kenton/xsites.html > I am curious, because I've been using Macs off-and-on since 1985(?) > including a couple years in journalism school. I haven't really noticed > anything that makes it (Mac OS) easier for me. In fact, the GUI-itself > seems little more difficult than Windows 98. That's because Microsoft has copied virtually everything they have from Apple, the only problem is that they've taken all these bits, thrown them in a blender, and then randomly pulled out the parts they liked. The problem is that they also threw away the hardest and most important part of all the work Apple did -- their strict Human Interface Guidelines. Withough the Macintosh HIG, everything else is pretty meaningless. -- Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles@skynet.be> Do you hate Microsoft? Do you hate Outlook? Then visit the Anti-Outlook page at <http://www.rodos.net/outlook/>; and see how much fun you can have. "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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