ArsTechnica, Siracusa's Definitive Mac OS X 10.3 Review
It's thorough, to say the least:
Mac OS X 10.3 - the definitive Panther review
First question: Didn't one of our own forum members make the humorous alternative title he shows?
His discussion of the interface is pretty well done. He touched on the changes like tabs very well. I will admit, though, that I was surprised he didn't make a bigger fuss about the new "circular slider" control. This widget is interface design at its worst. Apple made a similar blunder back with QuickTime 4's much-dismayed interface. It takes the problems of the "thumb wheel" volume slider and compounds them by making the user move the mouse in an unnatural small circular motion. See an explanation from the Interface Hall of Shame's in-depth article on ReadPlease 2000, a title which uses a similar widget:
I am glad that Siracusa reiterates Apple's need to properly define what brushed metal is supposed to be. Applications like Mellel become unusable and make me sick with their flagrant abuse of metal. UGH.
The explanation of Exposé and window management history is fantastic.
I'm still deciding whether I agree or disagree with his various points about the Finder...
Your thoughts?
Mac OS X 10.3 - the definitive Panther review
First question: Didn't one of our own forum members make the humorous alternative title he shows?
His discussion of the interface is pretty well done. He touched on the changes like tabs very well. I will admit, though, that I was surprised he didn't make a bigger fuss about the new "circular slider" control. This widget is interface design at its worst. Apple made a similar blunder back with QuickTime 4's much-dismayed interface. It takes the problems of the "thumb wheel" volume slider and compounds them by making the user move the mouse in an unnatural small circular motion. See an explanation from the Interface Hall of Shame's in-depth article on ReadPlease 2000, a title which uses a similar widget:
Quote:
The main interface of ReadPlease 2000 also allows the user to change the speed of playback. Unfortunately, rather than using a slider control, the designers selected a shuttle-type control, similar to those found on high-end video equipment. The designer could not have selected a control that would be any more unusable than the shuttle control. The designer was aware that the speed control would be problematic, as indicated in the following statement in the Help file
One thing that will take a bit of getting used to is the Speed control.
The Help file author, however, felt that the only problem was that the speed control has a built-in 3-second delay before the speed is changed. The delay is but a minor problem with the control, especially when one considers that almost all of the controls have a lag. The real problems with the speed control are that:
* it does not provide an indication of the minimum or maximum values
* it does not provide an indication of the current position relative to the minimum and maximum values
* it does not indicate the extent of movement necessary to effect a desired change
* it requires a circular movement of the mouse, something mice are particular ill-equipped to do.
The main interface of ReadPlease 2000 also allows the user to change the speed of playback. Unfortunately, rather than using a slider control, the designers selected a shuttle-type control, similar to those found on high-end video equipment. The designer could not have selected a control that would be any more unusable than the shuttle control. The designer was aware that the speed control would be problematic, as indicated in the following statement in the Help file
One thing that will take a bit of getting used to is the Speed control.
The Help file author, however, felt that the only problem was that the speed control has a built-in 3-second delay before the speed is changed. The delay is but a minor problem with the control, especially when one considers that almost all of the controls have a lag. The real problems with the speed control are that:
* it does not provide an indication of the minimum or maximum values
* it does not provide an indication of the current position relative to the minimum and maximum values
* it does not indicate the extent of movement necessary to effect a desired change
* it requires a circular movement of the mouse, something mice are particular ill-equipped to do.
I am glad that Siracusa reiterates Apple's need to properly define what brushed metal is supposed to be. Applications like Mellel become unusable and make me sick with their flagrant abuse of metal. UGH.
The explanation of Exposé and window management history is fantastic.
I'm still deciding whether I agree or disagree with his various points about the Finder...
Your thoughts?
Comments
Apple pro apps just don't look very Apple-ish at the moment. Final Cut Pro has been under the Apple wind for how long? It should look like an Apple app. Logic Audio should eventually look like an Apple app. I'm guessing the circular slider is destined for Logic and similar apps even though it's an abomination of good OS UI design.
It's sort of like how browser tab advocates just like tabs better without thinking long and hard about the subject. Pros will definitely prefer using traditional knobs instead of linear sliders that would replace them.
And I'm so glad he mentioned the Labels menu. God, who's brilliant idea was adding the need for horizontal motor reflexes in pull-down menus?
Originally posted by Brad
It's thorough, to say the least:
I'm still deciding whether I agree or disagree with his various points about the Finder...
Your thoughts?
The bit about not being able to add folders to the Finder Toolbar, as pointed out already in the Ars discussion, was a mistake. I think he ran into the same problem I did initially, in that it is hella hard to make the Toolbar "open up" to receive a folder and he concluded that it was not possible.
I was hoping he'd get to the bottom of why a 1ghz bandwidth dual 2ghz processor can't resize a window as fast as the user can move a mouse, but he dropped the issue after mentioning it.
Originally posted by lundy
The bit about not being able to add folders to the Finder Toolbar, as pointed out already in the Ars discussion, was a mistake.
Actually, I wasn't referring to that part. Though, I did send off an e-mail to him with a correction when I read that yesterday evening. I think I may have even caught it before the forum guy did.
John Siracusa's Ars Technica Articles
I was hoping he'd get to the bottom of why a 1ghz bandwidth dual 2ghz processor can't resize a window as fast as the user can move a mouse, but he dropped the issue after mentioning it
That's because I just don't know the answer!
As for the circular slider, it can be used for good as well as evil and therefore isn't an inherently bad control. An example of a good use is using it to choose the angle of a text shadow. I do think it is too small in the "small" and "mini" sizes, but users of "pro apps" are apparently willing to deal with that.
Files and folders in the toolbar: I was fooled by the lack of immediate visual feedback that the drag would work. Fixed now.
Originally posted by Brad
His discussion of the interface is pretty well done. He touched on the changes like tabs very well. I will admit, though, that I was surprised he didn't make a bigger fuss about the new "circular slider" control. This widget is interface design at its worst. Apple made a similar blunder back with QuickTime 4's much-dismayed interface. It takes the problems of the "thumb wheel" volume slider and compounds them by making the user move the mouse in an unnatural small circular motion
Just move the mouse away from the knob and the movement you have to make to go a degree gets larger.
In QT4 they made a knob to adjust the sound level. This time it adjusts a degree, which makes much more sense.
I will post my thoughts on the review when (if ever) the site speeds up.
Originally posted by John
That's because I just don't know the answer!
Thanks again John for a great read.
If you get to interview the Finder team, let us know
Some very good parts including and leading up to the Expose pages, the new Finder of course, and some interesting filesystem and under-the-hood stuff.
Very balanced thoughts about the window management thing. Since there is no perfect solution for everyone, it does make it sound like Apple has lots of options or maybe even too many! I do kind of like the idea of expanding Expose to be more like Raskin's "zoom" UI spatial concept, applicable to all windows and apps rather than having a spatial Finder per se. That idea came up elsewhere, just to be clear.
Not as much talk about open/save dialogs and such navigation/file managemnet aspect (do we need these? is a reproduced Finder windows the best solution?), though the whole Fidner spiel takes care of that to a fair extent. I disagree to some extent about the value of the sidebar to the Finder, plus I rather prefer having the toolbar and sidebar divide duties between tools and places respectively. I sometimes wish the Dock were a bit more segregated like this, a la NeXTstep and OpenStep. I also wish the Finder were better equipped at handling batch operations without the need for scripts or folder actions. I still don't think the Finder handles large amounts of info well, speed issues not withstanding.
As far as the wheel widget, it would be ideal if it were accompanied by a text input box, a la Create and a few other apps. As someone else mentioned, as you click and drag the cursor away from the widget, it becomes easier to fine-tune the angle.
I'd love the mini-widgets on my small monitor.
circular control widget for directional shadow is the only sensible interface for that task
(no mention of Textedit now offering this formerly premium textshadow tool)
re: labels on knobs
then we'd have to have the Spinal Tap hack.
(resetting the overlay to read 11 at maximum)
a text entry box would probably require adding a pulldown menu for units (degrees, radians, tufnels)
--
John, one thing you might mention with regard to Improved Font handling in Panther...
not just Fontbook offers feedback on what installed glyphs look like
(although this is improved with double-clickable-prior-to-install previews)
Fontbook offers custom text previews in addition to repertoire and alphabetic,
but the bottom of the edit menu in Finder and Cocoa apps now holds a "Special Characters" palette
More than just Key Caps or an alternative keyboard input method,
at the base of the Special Characters palette is a disclosure triangle for Font Variations which will display your selected glyph in every font on the system in a single panel... great for clients and designers who know the look but can't recall the name of a favourite font.
otherwise, nice review
Originally posted by Brad
First question: Didn't one of our own forum members make the humorous alternative title he shows?
Yup.
What I'd like, is for Apple to nail down the GUI, keep it for a couple of years, make it rock solid, and then concentrate on such things as the Finder.
Originally posted by Kecksy
Well I would join in the discussion, but I've only been able to read four pages of the article. The Ars' site is still being ./ed as mentioned earlier.
Seems OK now. Wow, that was a full-blown slashdotting though - it was D-E-D dead for awhile.
Aiit?
[my eyes are still crossed from reading all that white on black text. What's up with that god-awful color scheme on Ars?]
Originally posted by KANE
It's /. (slashdot), not ./ (dotslash)
Aiit?
Yah... I know. Sorry.
I have just spent a little too much time in a term inviroment. You know... ./ the command... my bad.