Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Apple users who never change the dock

Apple users who never change the dock (Page 2)
Thread Tools
Big Mac
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 01:20 AM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
I'm not saying Windows is easier. I'm just saying that MacOS isn't quite as dead simple as it's painted to be. And, if there weren't all sort of undocumented interactions, there would be no need for the macosxhints.com website.
It's not dead simple. There's nearly nothing in computing that is. Even iOS isn't dead simple - I've had to explain to some people how apps and the Home button work. As for Mac OS X Hints, it doesn't document anything that is basic and essential to the user experience. I doubt there's any hint explaining how a disk image works. You could probably only find something like that in a Macs for Dummies book.

Mac OS X Hints does cover "undocumented interactions," not things an average user would ever need to do. And trust me, there are far more undocumented interactions on Windows than on the Mac, and unfortunately for Windows I haven't found sites as nice as Mac OS X Hints documenting them.

I don't know that I've ever encountered a Windows installer that was compressed in a .rar file that wasn't pirated through Bittorrent.
Strange, I run into them constantly. I'm constantly interacting with WinRAR, and this is for direct downloads from software vendors.

I don't know if you've noticed, but more and more software for MacOS are coming with multiple screens of stupidity in order to get your app installed ... including software from Apple
That's true - there are exceptions where application bundles aren't used, but software in that category is a small minority.

What's more, Windows software doesn't *need* to go through an installer, it's just the way that 99.999% of the software makers decide to go.
99.999% seems pretty necessary. But you're right, not all Windows software uses installers (see next point below), but it's what users expect as the norm on that platform.
No way to claim that, except perhaps to read the first half of this thread. I guarantee you that almost no Windows user is launching the installer every time they want to run the app.
Actually, there is a parallel on the Windows side. I've sometimes chosen to "Run" software that opens up directly instead of opening an installer. Then when I've closed it, I've wondered why I can't find it again. I've realized that by choosing Run in the browser instead of save, I've been running the software in a temp folder that gets deleted, so when it's closed it's gone.

I'll give a little ground by saying that disk images aren't "idiot proof," even though they're really, really simple. If every app did a sanity check to see if it got launched from the disk image and offer to install in the applications folder if it did (like some software apparently does), then it would be idiot proof. But I personally don't need or expect really easy interfaces to be both easy and idiot proof, but that's just me.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
Salty
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 01:50 AM
 
I think it probably would help in system preferences if they offered videos.
     
Spheric Harlot
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 02:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
I'll give a little ground by saying that disk images aren't "idiot proof," even though they're really, really simple. If every app did a sanity check to see if it got launched from the disk image and offer to install in the applications folder if it did (like some software apparently does), then it would be idiot proof. But I personally don't need or expect really easy interfaces to be both easy and idiot proof, but that's just me.
The point isn't whether they're "simple". The point is whether they're DISCOVERABLE, and SELF-EXPLANATORY.

I can't believe you've forgotten how interface works in your relatively short stint on Windows.
     
brassplayersrock²
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 03:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by Salty View Post
I think it probably would help in system preferences if they offered videos.
They do for the external track pad, I think.
     
Spheric Harlot
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 03:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by brassplayersrock² View Post
They do for the external track pad, I think.
They also do for the internal track pad.
     
The Final Dakar
Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jan 17, 2011, 10:06 AM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
They also do for the internal track pad.
lulz
     
 
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:52 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,