[Lolo from Paris]

Since Mac OS X was released , we have seen a lot of applications most of them from new Mac developers.
It's great, especially for web apps, a lot of choice is good for Apple and its users...
BUT, none of them or only a few follow Aqua Guide Lines : only one app/icon/package, Quit and Preferences in the Application menu etc.
For example, MacSatellite (which is a great app by the way...) has two Quit, one in App menu and the other one in Edit, one works, the other one doesn't
Most of those apps don't put their support files where they should (user/library/nameoftheapp) but instead they use a folder with sub folders like the old OS 9 way...

So, it's just a message to Mac developers, please do it the Mac way, follow the Guides not like Windows

[honeydew]

It's all part of the transition.. old habits die hard. Mac OS X is unique because suddenly there is a much larger group of potential developers. Traditional Mac programmers can feel at home using the Carbon API, but now we also have Cocoa and BSD. This is huge opportunity for the platform, but in the short term I think we will see many different "styles" of applications. As consumers I think we can vote with our wallets and keep sending feedback to developers. Every little bit helps.

My $0.02

[Lolo from Paris]

Sure. But they should give two different installers, one for OS 9 and another for OS X. The main problem is Carbon apps which use the same installer for both 9 and X.

Anyway, when 10.1 will be there and OS X developers more trained, it will rock especially with drag n drop installers and one icon app

[Molz]

Just for clarity, Applications should put their files in ~/Library/Application Support/ under a directory that is named after the app.

[graphiteman]

I always try to folow the Human Interface Guidelines, no matter what. I even have the book that I purchased!

[IamBob]

Following the guidelines isn't always possible.

I'm writing an app for my parents and have been trying to follow the guidelines (for their benefit) as much as possible. But, when you're not doing something conventional you're bound to step on/over the guidelines. In my case, the buttons are to far apart, widgets to huge and text-on-stripe doesn't "work".

Part of what makes the mac a great platform is the open-ness of the community. If the interface doesn't work as expected, or it doesn't have "style", or..or...it just doesn't fly in this group. We expect perfection from our developers and complain until there's an option, a change, anything.

Quit in the edit menu, no -- bad style. Only one of the Quits working, no -- again, bad style.

These are small complaints but they really matter at the same time. If the developer can't get that right, what condition is the rest of the application in?

[/babbling]