Apple and M$ are creating UIs for dummies. None of the new 'features' in Lion really help the power user. It's all eye candy and pillows for iOS users. Same thing with this ribbon interface: its for people who can't figure out how to use menus or remember command keys. Apple wants to take away our access to the file system and sell all software through a bubble gum machine (with prices to match). Welcome to the brave new world of lowest common denominator computing. Its colorful and shiny but it makes me a little ill.
Apple and M$ are creating UIs for dummies. None of the new 'features' in Lion really help the power user. It's all eye candy and pillows for iOS users. Same thing with this ribbon interface: its for people who can't figure out how to use menus or remember command keys. Apple wants to take away our access to the file system and sell all software through a bubble gum machine (with prices to match). Welcome to the brave new world of lowest common denominator computing. Its colorful and shiny but it makes me a little ill.
Microsoft aren't designing so much for "dummies" or even the techno-illiterate (although they do reap the benefits).
They are designing for people that see computers as a tool rather than a hobby, that care more about the destination than the journey.
One of the worlds leading geneticists is out there at the moment, writing up a paper that's going to land them a nobel prize. Do you really think they want to spend time tweaking their settings or trying to eek a bit of extra performance from their PC?
You are (like me) a power user, and like it or not we have been marginalized.
At Microsoft the days of engineers coding UI's for power users is well and truly gone.
Finally, if you haven't, you need to bite the bullet and buy a Magic Trackpad if you're using a desktop. Learn the gestures, especially the three-finger side-to-side gestures and the swipe-up/down gestures used to bring up MC and the application window view.
To each their own. I gladly sacrificed three finger swipe to use three fingers to drag (and draw/select/etc) without having ever to physically depress the magic trackpad "button" (these options are mutually exclusive in Lion's preferences).
And I REALLY REALLY miss the ability to activate expose on all 16 desktops at once. With MC, Expose is enabled only on the currently selected Desktop (yes, you can Ctrl+left/right to move between Desktops while MC is enabled to find hidden windows on each Desktop, but this is much less useful than seeing ALL windows on ALL Desktops in Snow Leopard when Expose is enabled while Spaces is also enabled). Not to mention MC turns the act of moving a window from one space to another into a ( potentially ) multi-step affair since you can no longer directly drag windows between the miniaturized representations of the desktops while MC is enabled. Or the irksome 1 second delay after switching desktops while they switch from the sneaky static image to realtime (hopefully this is just a temporary hack on Apple's part). I'm sure they'll improve all this with time though. Sorry for the mini-rant :-)
It may be hard to change old habit, but the notion of micro managing photos is flawed and without merit. With database-based photo management software like iPhoto, you can always recreate physical folder structure if so desired (e.g., for migrating to another software), but it makes a lot more sense to let it manage using more meaningful metaphors such as albums, events, and projects.
I'm all for photo management software but I don't think the software should take over your pictures. In iPhoto things like people and description tags aren't written to the files meta-data. So in the event you lose your database, you will have to retag them. I also hear moving them around is a pain. Something about having to pull them out of iPhoto to the Finder before you can copy them, maybe you can clarify. Windows Live Photo Gallery doesn't make you import your pictures, it leaves them be in the folders they are in and when you tag the pictures, the tags will be retained even if you move them to a different computer. It's also nice because if you go to a folder in Windows Explorer and type someones name in the search, if they are tagged in any of the pictures, they will show in the results, same for description tags
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Why should cut, copy, and paste be different from move to and copy to? Move to and copy to can be designed to move or copy files and folders to anywhere you want. Ditto for open and edit (hold down drop down arrow to open in alternate apps, for instance).
When you think about a user using touch it makes more sense. If you have two windows open you can easily tap "select all", "copy", then "paste" in the other window. If you have just the one windows open you can simply tap "select all", "copy to" then select the folder you want to move it to. The ribbon also makes it relatively easy for novice users complete a task that would require explaining. Like my first example above. Tell someone to select all the items and move them to the documents folder in the Finder. Instead of seeing the clearly labeled buttons. They will have to start drilling through the menu bar (or click and drag, but they're likely to not know to do that), navigate to the documents folder, and drag and drop.
Why should cut, copy, and paste be different from move to and copy to? Move to and copy to can be designed to move or copy files and folders to anywhere you want. Ditto for open and edit (hold down drop down arrow to open in alternate apps, for instance).
If you want to move a file then you want to move it. Cut/copy/paste accomplishes the same goal but is less intuitive. Most people who move from Windows to Mac seem to struggle with this because its not just different from Windows its also frankly less intuitive. Its not an obstacle that cannot be overcome but its puzzling to many how Apple could have such an awkward method of manging files when most everything else is so much more intuitive.
In general, Finder has never been a strong point of OSX IMO. It works but there are other aspects of OSX that make it shine and make it superior to Windows and Linux.
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Originally Posted by filburt
. But Explorer is a relatively simple app. Having redundant features on its ribbon, and in seemingly random order (most used functions should appear first) is irrational and often hinders usability than helping.
This. I don't know why MS would muck up WE. Its one of the few areas of Windows that works well for what its intended use is. Making it more complicated makes it worse IMO.
In general, Finder has never been a strong point of OSX IMO. It works but there are other aspects of OSX that make it shine and make it superior to Windows and Linux.
IMHO, the strongest piece of Finder is that pretty much everything is controllable through AppleScript. Everything in OS X is an object within a hierarchy of objects and this allows for some surprisingly powerful user engagement. It's quite easy, for example, to write a Service in Automator that runs an AppleScript which allows you to right-click on a file and move it 8 levels deep into your Dropbox folder, or assign metadata to it so it's picked up by a Smart Folder, or both. Admittedly (and sadly) most folks don't delve much into this.
Yes, that's a feature that's been sorely lacking in MacOS since the beginning. However, it's never been a real issue because windows don't pop open in MacOS out-of-bounds where the resize handle in the corner isn't accessible.
I like to move windows around and that's when this feature is missing for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave
"Maximize" is a crutch that's long been present in Windows. MacOS was designed as a true GUI environment where you work with several open windows simultaneously, enhancing productivity. For example, a common activity is dragging and dropping information from one app to another, like dragging a picture from Photoshop to Word.
Drag and drop works just as well in Windows - i use it occasionally as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave
Although Apple pioneered multi-screen desktops in 1987, the single menu bar remained on the primary monitor so users could count on it being in the same place. Under MacOS this made sense. When Apple switched to MacOS X, they had the opportunity to use window bound menus present in each window. They went out of their way to re-create the unified menu bar at the top of the screen. I think it was a foolish mistake. MacOS X was so radically different anyway, introducing window bound menus would not have been a big deal to Mac users, and they could have placed Finder functions into Finder windows and a single icon in the Dock. Oh well.
I found some 3rd party utility to address that: it creates a clone menu on the secondary monitor. Works well, except after I reboot my Mac it is deactivated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave
I see what you're saying. Many users won't know what the icon means. They'll figure it out though...
Sure, but "don't make me think" is a golden rule of usability. And if Apple is using verbal indicator for the password error, why not be consistant with the caps locked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave
The comment about "Mac keeps resetting my user name" makes no sense. When you create a user account, the username is not ever going to automatically change. It will only change if you change it.
Not sure why it's happening: my IT support guy said "Macs do that". But the issue related perhaps to some 3rd party security software.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mytdave
MacOS has a feature called "Smart Folders" that are basically containers for custom search criteria. You create one that 'pins' lets say, all documents that contain the words "smarty pants". Could be hundreds of documents, neatly accessible from one folder in the sidebar.
I have to look into Smart Folders. I guess it is similar to libraries but usability is not quite as obvious to me. I'd like to be able to create Smart Folders with drag and drop, rather then search, perhaps it's possible.
I'd absolutely love to know where in the heck you think there's an insult in there.
Sorry, "name calling" was the wrong phrase to use... I was referring to the patronizing language of the last line you had used, and maybe the "Oh yea?" comment.
Oh, and CultOfMac mentioned that the buttons on the new Windows Explorer, according to Microsoft's own research, will be used by less than 50% of users. And they're still putting them on there.
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Originally Posted by Zaim2
Research on Windows 7 button usage contains no information about buttons they've added in Windows 8?
Shocking!
Actually, (s)he's right - someone from MS specifically said that since so few people use the buttons in the ribbon now, they want to add more features to it to increase it's usage. Typical Microshafting, forcing people to do things their way rather than catering to their customers.
Comments
Are you high and drunk? Office 2011 is more usable than 04 and 08 with their terrible floating bars. It is also more powerful than iWork.
I'm neither. But I do regret buying the MS suite of anti-productivity applications.
Apple and M$ are creating UIs for dummies. None of the new 'features' in Lion really help the power user. It's all eye candy and pillows for iOS users. Same thing with this ribbon interface: its for people who can't figure out how to use menus or remember command keys. Apple wants to take away our access to the file system and sell all software through a bubble gum machine (with prices to match). Welcome to the brave new world of lowest common denominator computing. Its colorful and shiny but it makes me a little ill.
Microsoft aren't designing so much for "dummies" or even the techno-illiterate (although they do reap the benefits).
They are designing for people that see computers as a tool rather than a hobby, that care more about the destination than the journey.
One of the worlds leading geneticists is out there at the moment, writing up a paper that's going to land them a nobel prize. Do you really think they want to spend time tweaking their settings or trying to eek a bit of extra performance from their PC?
You are (like me) a power user, and like it or not we have been marginalized.
At Microsoft the days of engineers coding UI's for power users is well and truly gone.
Finally, if you haven't, you need to bite the bullet and buy a Magic Trackpad if you're using a desktop. Learn the gestures, especially the three-finger side-to-side gestures and the swipe-up/down gestures used to bring up MC and the application window view.
To each their own. I gladly sacrificed three finger swipe to use three fingers to drag (and draw/select/etc) without having ever to physically depress the magic trackpad "button" (these options are mutually exclusive in Lion's preferences).
And I REALLY REALLY miss the ability to activate expose on all 16 desktops at once. With MC, Expose is enabled only on the currently selected Desktop (yes, you can Ctrl+left/right to move between Desktops while MC is enabled to find hidden windows on each Desktop, but this is much less useful than seeing ALL windows on ALL Desktops in Snow Leopard when Expose is enabled while Spaces is also enabled). Not to mention MC turns the act of moving a window from one space to another into a ( potentially ) multi-step affair since you can no longer directly drag windows between the miniaturized representations of the desktops while MC is enabled. Or the irksome 1 second delay after switching desktops while they switch from the sneaky static image to realtime (hopefully this is just a temporary hack on Apple's part). I'm sure they'll improve all this with time though. Sorry for the mini-rant :-)
It may be hard to change old habit, but the notion of micro managing photos is flawed and without merit. With database-based photo management software like iPhoto, you can always recreate physical folder structure if so desired (e.g., for migrating to another software), but it makes a lot more sense to let it manage using more meaningful metaphors such as albums, events, and projects.
I'm all for photo management software but I don't think the software should take over your pictures. In iPhoto things like people and description tags aren't written to the files meta-data. So in the event you lose your database, you will have to retag them. I also hear moving them around is a pain. Something about having to pull them out of iPhoto to the Finder before you can copy them, maybe you can clarify. Windows Live Photo Gallery doesn't make you import your pictures, it leaves them be in the folders they are in and when you tag the pictures, the tags will be retained even if you move them to a different computer. It's also nice because if you go to a folder in Windows Explorer and type someones name in the search, if they are tagged in any of the pictures, they will show in the results, same for description tags
Why should cut, copy, and paste be different from move to and copy to? Move to and copy to can be designed to move or copy files and folders to anywhere you want. Ditto for open and edit (hold down drop down arrow to open in alternate apps, for instance).
When you think about a user using touch it makes more sense. If you have two windows open you can easily tap "select all", "copy", then "paste" in the other window. If you have just the one windows open you can simply tap "select all", "copy to" then select the folder you want to move it to. The ribbon also makes it relatively easy for novice users complete a task that would require explaining. Like my first example above. Tell someone to select all the items and move them to the documents folder in the Finder. Instead of seeing the clearly labeled buttons. They will have to start drilling through the menu bar (or click and drag, but they're likely to not know to do that), navigate to the documents folder, and drag and drop.
Why should cut, copy, and paste be different from move to and copy to? Move to and copy to can be designed to move or copy files and folders to anywhere you want. Ditto for open and edit (hold down drop down arrow to open in alternate apps, for instance).
If you want to move a file then you want to move it. Cut/copy/paste accomplishes the same goal but is less intuitive. Most people who move from Windows to Mac seem to struggle with this because its not just different from Windows its also frankly less intuitive. Its not an obstacle that cannot be overcome but its puzzling to many how Apple could have such an awkward method of manging files when most everything else is so much more intuitive.
In general, Finder has never been a strong point of OSX IMO. It works but there are other aspects of OSX that make it shine and make it superior to Windows and Linux.
. But Explorer is a relatively simple app. Having redundant features on its ribbon, and in seemingly random order (most used functions should appear first) is irrational and often hinders usability than helping.
This. I don't know why MS would muck up WE. Its one of the few areas of Windows that works well for what its intended use is. Making it more complicated makes it worse IMO.
In general, Finder has never been a strong point of OSX IMO. It works but there are other aspects of OSX that make it shine and make it superior to Windows and Linux.
IMHO, the strongest piece of Finder is that pretty much everything is controllable through AppleScript. Everything in OS X is an object within a hierarchy of objects and this allows for some surprisingly powerful user engagement. It's quite easy, for example, to write a Service in Automator that runs an AppleScript which allows you to right-click on a file and move it 8 levels deep into your Dropbox folder, or assign metadata to it so it's picked up by a Smart Folder, or both. Admittedly (and sadly) most folks don't delve much into this.
Yes, that's a feature that's been sorely lacking in MacOS since the beginning. However, it's never been a real issue because windows don't pop open in MacOS out-of-bounds where the resize handle in the corner isn't accessible.
I like to move windows around and that's when this feature is missing for me.
"Maximize" is a crutch that's long been present in Windows. MacOS was designed as a true GUI environment where you work with several open windows simultaneously, enhancing productivity. For example, a common activity is dragging and dropping information from one app to another, like dragging a picture from Photoshop to Word.
Drag and drop works just as well in Windows - i use it occasionally as well.
Although Apple pioneered multi-screen desktops in 1987, the single menu bar remained on the primary monitor so users could count on it being in the same place. Under MacOS this made sense. When Apple switched to MacOS X, they had the opportunity to use window bound menus present in each window. They went out of their way to re-create the unified menu bar at the top of the screen. I think it was a foolish mistake. MacOS X was so radically different anyway, introducing window bound menus would not have been a big deal to Mac users, and they could have placed Finder functions into Finder windows and a single icon in the Dock. Oh well.
I found some 3rd party utility to address that: it creates a clone menu on the secondary monitor. Works well, except after I reboot my Mac it is deactivated.
I see what you're saying. Many users won't know what the icon means. They'll figure it out though...
Sure, but "don't make me think" is a golden rule of usability. And if Apple is using verbal indicator for the password error, why not be consistant with the caps locked.
The comment about "Mac keeps resetting my user name" makes no sense. When you create a user account, the username is not ever going to automatically change. It will only change if you change it.
Not sure why it's happening: my IT support guy said "Macs do that". But the issue related perhaps to some 3rd party security software.
MacOS has a feature called "Smart Folders" that are basically containers for custom search criteria. You create one that 'pins' lets say, all documents that contain the words "smarty pants". Could be hundreds of documents, neatly accessible from one folder in the sidebar.
I have to look into Smart Folders. I guess it is similar to libraries but usability is not quite as obvious to me. I'd like to be able to create Smart Folders with drag and drop, rather then search, perhaps it's possible.
I'd absolutely love to know where in the heck you think there's an insult in there.
Sorry, "name calling" was the wrong phrase to use... I was referring to the patronizing language of the last line you had used, and maybe the "Oh yea?" comment.
Extrememly stupid article.
Oh, and CultOfMac mentioned that the buttons on the new Windows Explorer, according to Microsoft's own research, will be used by less than 50% of users. And they're still putting them on there.
Research on Windows 7 button usage contains no information about buttons they've added in Windows 8?
Shocking!
Actually, (s)he's right - someone from MS specifically said that since so few people use the buttons in the ribbon now, they want to add more features to it to increase it's usage. Typical Microshafting, forcing people to do things their way rather than catering to their customers.
Typical Microshafting, forcing people to do things their way rather than catering to their customers.
? And Apple does?
Also, he.