Re: Proof of the Mac's intuitiveness

"Erich Kohl" <synth.virtuoso@xxxxxxxxx> stated in post
hDq8j.70467$RX.26717@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on 12/14/07 12:52 AM:

Snit wrote:

[snip]

From what I have seen of many users, the Start menu is just too much.
It is good for more experienced users, perhaps, but that group could
just as easily use the Mac's Application folder (though you can have
applications in other areas, such as an Applications folder in your
user folder if you like). People tend to try to use the Task bar to
launch items (assuming they have a QuickLaunch toolbar, but then all
too often people hit the same icon to get back to their window...
only to open the application again (or open a new window). There is
another QuickLaunch area in the Start menu... this allows for some
flexibility but also some confusion.

I guess the Start menu does get more complex the deeper you go into it.
Of course, the same thing can be said about other systems as well.

But the "depth" of it is pretty much needed to use it. I can see some
benefit to it - but the cost is pretty steep for far too many people.

What I'm starting to fall in love with on my iMac is the way
applications are installed . . . it almost seems like it's better than
the step-by-step installation method commonly done on Windows.

On the Mac, I like the idea that many (if not all) applications come in
the form of bundled packages. There's no mess. Just copy them into
your Applications folder, and if you use a particular program often
enough, drag and drop the icon on the Dock. Then, when you want to
uninstall, just drag it to the Trash.

Exactly. Sadly it is not all... Adobe apps, for example, act like Windows
apps - scattering files and eschewing the whole package idea.

Still, I've seen people debate about whether or not OS X leaves pieces
or remnants of uninstalled applications lying around (which is typical
with Windows). I'm not sure if the situation is better or worse with
OS X. (But at least there's no DLL Hell.)

Even when you uninstall a Windows app you generally leave behind preferences
in the registry... same idea with .plist files *except* they are easier to
find and remove if you want to. *Some* programs do also leave behind other
items, such as in the Application Support folder. If you are concerned
about such things there are programs like App Zapper to "fully" uninstall
programs - but again unlike the registry having those files still there does
no harm (other than taking a generally very small amount of hard drive
space).

One thing I wish Apple would do is have an advanced option in the Get Info
that let you set programs to keep their prefs (etc.) in their own package.
If you could do that almost all apps would become portable apps - allowing
you to put them in, for example, a thumb drive and keep your preferences
with you as you plug the drive into different computers.

(Obviously this has more to do with the procedural workings of OS X as
opposed to the GUI, but I just happened to feel like mentioning it.)


--
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
--Albert Einstein

.

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