The Network Icon...again

kedakeda
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I've been using X since PB, so I've grown accustom to ignoring the Network icon. We just got a new dual for a DVD station at work and I've just finished showing several people how to use OSX on the machine. Some of these people use Macs and some use Windoze, but they all clicked on the Network Icon and thought they'd find servers there. When I had to explain the 'Connect to Server' thing, they wanted to know why it show up in the Icon.



I know the icon was put there for NetInfo, but, c'mon Apple, this is a mark on the beautiful face of your OS. It just doesn't make sense to most people.



Do you guys think Apple will ever fix this? Do they even think its broken?



I'd like to click on the Icon and see what you do in the 'Connect to Server' window.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    zozo Posts: 3,117member
    <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/"; target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/</a>;



    And yes... I find the Networking aspect of OSX to be quite flimsy, usability wise. There are always "tricks" you have to use to have access to fixed network servers and stuff.



    1 point windoze

    0 OS X
  • Reply 2 of 21
    bradbowerbradbower Posts: 1,068member
    Good idea. Feedback sent.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    Unfortunately, I've sent several feeback messages to Apple on this since PB.



    Do you guys think there are any UI concernse keeping the Connect dialog in play? When the window opens, there are a few more options. I guess the cmd-K window could stay, and control what shows up under the Icon. Or, Network Prefs would be an even better place. Make your setting (including WINS BTW) there and then just click on the Network Icon to browse.



    More feedback is comming Apple's way!
  • Reply 4 of 21
    noseynosey Posts: 307member
    I had someone send me a URL and explain "Just use the connect menu in the finder."



    Open the menu... type the URL and voila! the folder appears. Surfable, accessible and quick...



    Well... relatively quick... mostly just painless in a "I think I will go play with something else on the system while it reads all the files" sort of way...
  • Reply 5 of 21
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    I think this is a case of UI waiting for the technical foundation to be sorted out.



    "Connect to Server" is clearly not ideal. It works, and it's simple enough, but it's not particularly user-friendly. Not great.



    The Network icon was always a NetInfo thing. In the beginning, Apple was pushing NetInfo. Now they've become more realistic and changed their tune. NetInfo is officially "legacy" and in 10.2 LDAP and SAMBA are fully built in.



    My guess is that in 10.3 the UI will catch up to this and *finally* make that Network icon able to dynamically find connected servers and machines on the network.



    Just like it always should have...



    [ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
  • Reply 6 of 21
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    I tried adding the connect icon to the toobar. It does the same thing as pushing cmd-K. It doesn't fix the problem, but is a help. I'm going to tell everyone in my dept about this and add it to the shared Macs.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by Hobbes:

    <strong>The Network icon was always a NetInfo thing. In the beginning, Apple was pushing NetInfo. Now they've become more realistic and changed their tune. NetInfo is officially "legacy" and in 10.2 LDAP and SAMBA are fully built in.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    ?? Apple's new Open Directory relies heavily on NetInfo.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by JLL:

    <strong>



    ?? Apple's new Open Directory relies heavily on NetInfo.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    My misunderstanding: I'm a bit fuzzy on the technical side. Would it be better to say Apple de-emphasized NetInfo, reducing to just another component within Open Directory?



    I assume that Open Directory was introduced in 10.2?



    I just can't believe that the Network icon was intentional UI, as it currently works. It looks like a leftover from something else.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by Hobbes:

    <strong>I just can't believe that the Network icon was intentional UI, as it currently works. It looks like a leftover from something else.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Together with Mac OS X Server it makes perfect sense.



    Perhaps the icon should be hidden when you're not in a NetInfo domain.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    I'd like to see it used for non-NetInfo servers as well rather than see it gone. Realistically, how many of us are going to be on a NetInfo network? We have NT servers here and every place I have worked since college. Apple is pushing the switch campaign, so they should expect switchers to be in a PC-dominated environment.



    BTW, what happens when you are in NetInfo? How is the icon different?
  • Reply 11 of 21
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by JLL:

    <strong>Together with Mac OS X Server it makes perfect sense.



    Perhaps the icon should be hidden when you're not in a NetInfo domain.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Um, yeah, perhaps.



    How many OS X users are in a NetInfo domain?



    And how does it make perfect sense?
  • Reply 12 of 21
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by Keda:

    <strong>BTW, what happens when you are in NetInfo? How is the icon different?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    The icon is not different, but if the user's homedir is placed on a server, the home is in there, and so are servers and sharepoints.



    You can also have Applications and Library folders.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    My pet peeve: FTP in the finder, for the simple reason that it SUCKETH. And now, with Safari unloading the FTP burden on the Finder, many FTP sites will become unreachable for Mac users everywhere. Just some nuisances:



    It does not correctly show subdirectories on some (many?) servers, especially the ones I like to use (and are pasword protected - meaning: it does not show them at all).



    It rides your system like a fat Texan would ride a small dog: overpowering, paralyzing, call it what you will. If I dare to perform a large download or upload to one of my ftp servers (I'm on Asynchronous DSL, with upstream limited to 128 kbps, and downstream limited to 120 KBps, so that shouldn't weigh too much) the finder eats up to 70, with peaks to 90 % of system resources (top in terminal revealed this). This is bullcrap if there ever was bullcrap. (this is a one-year old ibook 600 14", an FTP app like Transmit runs smooth like lukewarm butter over a baby's butt).



    I mean, this for a system that should be easy and unix and all, how hard can it be to implement decently gui-wise, the nice ftp already accessible in the terminal?
  • Reply 14 of 21
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    I took me a while to figure out what you guys were talking about. Upon realization, it just proved your point. The Network icon is currently worse than useless for almost all users. I had subconsciously tried to ignore its existance for all this time. Occaisionally, a friend or colleague will use my machine and click on this icon thinking it might actually have something to do with the network. Then I have to explain how its just a decoy and that they should completely ignore the network icon. Instead, they must memorize the names and procedures of how to find stuff on the network.



    Of course, the Network icon can be configured to do stuff... theoretically. However, 99.99% of users have no idea how to make it do anything whatsoever.

    YMMV



    [ 01-30-2003: Message edited by: dfiler ]</p>
  • Reply 15 of 21
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by dfiler:

    <strong>Instead, they must memorize the names and procedures of how to find stuff on the network.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Choosing Connect to Server is hard?
  • Reply 16 of 21
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    No, it's just harder than it needs to be... which is sort of antithetical to what the Mac should be. :/
  • Reply 17 of 21
    pestobreathpestobreath Posts: 69member
    Choosing "Connect to Server" is easy. Actually connecting to a server can be difficult, especially on Windows networks. I still haven't found any good way to browse domains and network shares (except with Thursby's Dave software). Unless you know the IP number of the server you are connecting to, you're lost in the woods.



    Having said that, I'm not sure that the Network Icon is necessarily the right place for this functionality. Just because it seems intuitive to Windows users doesn't make it the right way to do things. If that was the case, I'd have to hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE to log on to my Mac...
  • Reply 18 of 21
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by JLL:

    <strong>



    Choosing Connect to Server is hard?</strong><hr></blockquote>





    No, it's not, but it's tucked away in the "Go" menu, while the big blue "Network" icon -- which is useless to most OS X users -- sits in the same space as "Computer" which one sees and uses every day.



    Sorry, but this one isn't a shining example of good UI. It's needlessly confusing for new users, and an oddity in everyday use.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    [quote] I'm not sure that the Network Icon is necessarily the right place for this functionality. Just because it seems intuitive to Windows users doesn't make it the right way to do things. <hr></blockquote>



    The majority of people I have shown how to use OSX have been long time Mac users. They were baffled by the non-functioning Network Icon. I started this thread because this recent experience of teaching several people really showed how bad this Icon is. They ALL made the same mistake.



    Thats saying something!



    Anyways, my feedback has been sent and I'm x-ing my fingers that things will change in a near-future release.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Erm, what is the Network icon for anyways?
Sign In or Register to comment.