New Mac User 1st Impressions of OS X

[volvoben]

When I switched to a motorola phone from a nokia, i was all depressed that i had to learn a new mini OS. but in reality, I was learning to learn, which is far more important than knowledge. Perhaps something we should consider is that in today's world, you must be able and willing to learn new user interfaces rather often. Even if you stick with windows or macOS forever, things still change. figuring out a phone menu, an mp3 player, gps, pda or computer OS is a skill that's worth practicing a bit. You should still choose the option you prefer, but at least having the ability to figure out a totally new interface is very valuable professionally as well as personally. In 15 years it will only be more important, just think of all the new interfaces you'll have to learn with new OSs, phones and devices which don't even exist yet. I really think flexibility is really key, until of course in 2042 when everything on earth adopts Apple's MacOS 39.6 "Sasquatch".

On the issue of full-screen though, I really think it's valuable. I work in lightroom, photoshop or firefox about 90% of the time. I see no reason to waste space around the application. If I'm viewing a webpage I want to see all of it that I can. It's not like I can fit in another window in the 2" of space around the firefox window, it's just wasted. If i want to see the desktop i can hit f12, or to drag something to it there's a spot to either side of the dock. I never want to drag around windows, it's just not convenient. Many programs would be useless in full screen, isquint or toast for example just don't need more space because they can't really use it, but the programs i use to do most of my work benefit greatly. My girlfriend who has used macOS longer than i have hates maximizing...I just think a bunch of windows tossed around is disorganized and distracting. Also, virtual desktops will make it much easier for mac users to maximize their windows and even more easily switch between them. sidenote: photoshop CS3's maximized view mode is GREAT!!!

The dock is the best system for keeping track of open programs and windows i've encountered, and the menubar is just another reason MacOS is a more 'organic' or unified experience, the only annoyance i've had with it is with multiple monitors (also a problem for windows of course), but you can switch it back and forth quite easily.

 

[dpaanlka]

I like everything you hate, and like everything you like as well.

 

[TechHistorian]

I find it amusing that so many switchers are complaining about Apple's "poor design." AFAIK, Apple is the only mass computer/software manufacturer ever to specifically emphasize human factors engineering in its interface and software. From the inception of the Mac, Apple put great emphasis on interface consistency. Anybody who ever read Inside Macintosh knows this. This consistency, along with the integration between hardware and software, is what makes the Mac OS "just work."

 

[Curren~Sea]

Why is this distraction reason for the screen maximizing coming up again and again?

If you can't focus go do something about it, don't cater to your disabilities and especially don't blame others for them.

Maximizing is a preference, not a disability. Perhaps you are unable to see that.

 

[elppa]

I've only ever used a Mac for something like 8 years now.

Before that I hadn't really used a computer for any sustained period.

I recently installed XP on my MacBook And I hate everything about Windows from the OK Cancel Apply (what's the difference between ok and apply?), to the ridiculously long lists of preferences and check-boxes where you can't find anything you want to change anyway, to all those stupid bubbles that pop up ad nauseam, to the way it handles removable media, to the way every seemingly simple task gets funnelled into a wizard so you end up reading and clicking twice as much as you need to, to the way it handles search with that preposterous dog, to the way you can't do proper drag and drop with spring loaded folders, to the system tray with all the icons popping in and out seemingly randomly, to the way the task bar sometimes shows apps and sometimes show windows.

But some of that could be because I am not familiar with it. It is very easy to get comfortable to what you are used to.

 

[jeremy.king]

Why is this distraction reason for the screen maximizing coming up again and again?

Windows switchers...

I think its a funny gripe...So funny that the OS they are coming from should probably be renamed to Microsoft Window since it seems multitasking (i.e. more than one window in view) is too distracting

 

[matttrick]

Windows switchers...

I think its a funny gripe...So funny that the OS they are coming from should probably be renamed to Microsoft Window since it seems multitasking (i.e. more than one window in view) is too distracting

holy crap, no. i like to focus on one thing at a time sometimes. is it that hard to comprehend? sometimes i use lots of windows at once, for example when programming. sometimes just one. like web browsing. how dumb can a person be to generalize so much just to make your flimsy point seem more solid.

 

[Skrilla™]

holy crap, no. i like to focus on one thing at a time sometimes. is it that hard to comprehend? sometimes i use lots of windows at once, for example when programming. sometimes just one. like web browsing. how dumb can a person be to generalize so much just to make your flimsy point seem more solid.

I agree with you 100%

For those who do not know, applications in Windows do not have to be maximized to work correctly!

In fact Windows has a very handy feature that can put 2 Windows side by side with one click, each using half the screen, horizontally or vertically!

 

[dpaanlka]

holy crap, no. i like to focus on one thing at a time sometimes. is it that hard to comprehend? sometimes i use lots of windows at once, for example when programming. sometimes just one. like web browsing. how dumb can a person be to generalize so much just to make your flimsy point seem more solid.

Thats what "hide others" is for. "Using just one window" and "maximizing" are different. The green zoom button on Mac windows is for smart resizing of the window - it resizes to exactly the size you need to see the content of a page. Making it wider isn't going to give you any more information.

It's not a preference - it's a bad habit that Windows users have been trained to do.

 

[Skrilla™]

it resizes to exactly the size you need to see the content of a page.

rubish! the OS can't read my mind

 

[matttrick]

Thats what "hide others" is for. "Using just one window" and "maximizing" are different. The green zoom button on Mac windows is for smart resizing of the window - it resizes to exactly the size you need to see the content of a page. Making it wider isn't going to give you any more information.

It's not a preference - it's a bad habit that Windows users have been trained to do.

not really. then i am also seeing whatever is under the window. maybe you like to work ontop of a stack of papers on your desk but i like having the sheet of paper im working on in front of me, and everything else out of the way. same idea.

it is a preference, a bad habit is a mac user who thinks the mac way is the only way.

when you develop software, if you have a brain, you are supposed to be open to the idea of people having preferences of doing things different ways. sure you dont always have the time to get the feature in, it doesnt mean it is a bad feature.

 

[dpaanlka]

rubish! the OS can't read my mind

No, it reads the page you are looking at and resizes to exactly the size the Window needs to be.

not really. then i am also seeing whatever is under the window. maybe you like to work ontop of a stack of papers on your desk but i like having the sheet of paper im working on in front of me, and everything else out of the way. same idea.

No, a better analogy is I refuse to work on anything other than a huge piece of paper that exactly covers up the entire surface of my desk, and sits atop a bunch of other huge pieces of paper that are below it, and in order to see any of the other pages, I have to keep shuffling their location within the stack.

You're basically saying you're unable to multitask, and/or are easily distracted by other information being given to you that you aren't interested in at the time. Those are your problems, not deficiencies of the Mac OS. It's not your fault though, you've been trained to work that way by Windows, and that is understandable.

it is a preference, a bad habit is a mac user who thinks the mac way is the only way.

The Mac way is efficiency. The Windows way is inefficiency and wastefulness. One is better than the other.

 

[ksgant]

I think what everyone needs to do is take a step back and realize that no OS can be all things to all people.

I like the way OS X behaves and I like the interface and it's the best one I personally have used (along with NeXTStep). Is everything perfect for me? No, but there's nothing out there that's "perfect".

Bringing up that Apple uses human interface design and all that is fine, but still, if someone doesn't like it, they don't like it. Are they wrong for not liking it? Are the people who would rather have the maximize button go full screen wrong? Of course not. We're talking about personal preferences here. There is no "right" or "wrong". You like what you like.

And remember, if you DON'T like an OS, no one is forcing you to use it. There are always alternatives. Good thing about the Intel Macs, you can just about run anything you want on them now.

Don't get so worked up...they're just computers.

 

[dpaanlka]

Are the people who would rather have the maximize button go full screen wrong? Of course not.

No... they are not *wrong* for being used to that. But intelligent-resize is a better way, and saying Apple should replace intelligent-resize with mindless-maximize so that Windows users aren't scared away is ludicrous.

 

[matttrick]

No, it reads the page you are looking at and resizes to exactly the size the Window needs to be.



No, a better analogy is I refuse to work on anything other than a huge piece of paper that exactly covers up the entire surface of my desk, and sits atop a bunch of other huge pieces of paper that are below it, and in order to see any of the other pages, I have to keep shuffling their location within the stack.

You're basically saying you're unable to multitask, and/or are easily distracted by other information being given to you that you aren't interested in at the time. Those are your problems, not deficiencies of the Mac OS. It's not your fault though, you've been trained to work that way by Windows, and that is understandable.



The Mac way is efficiency. The Windows way is inefficiency and wastefulness. One is better than the other.

if my desk had icons on it, maybe that would make sense.

stop putting words in my mouth, its the sign of a terrible debater. i never said that at all, i can multitask just fine but when i am focusing on one thing i prefer not to have others. yeah i cant multitask but im a programmer. you have no clue what you are talking about. how many people do you know who program/debug in assembly with one window open? duh..

but i can see from your argument that you are incredibly biased so your argument holds little water anyhow. there is nothing more or less efficient about sometimes wanting a window taking up your screen.

 

[matttrick]

No... they are not *wrong* for being used to that. But intelligent-resize is a better way, and saying Apple should replace intelligent-resize with mindless-maximize so that Windows users aren't scared away is ludicrous.

who said that? there should be an option. intelligent resize is not better. prove that it is. thats right you cant because it is opinion and preference.

 

[Curren~Sea]

blah blah blah...

Now you are making me laugh. It humors me to know that a person with such a condescending attitude clearly does not understand a very simple and basic fundamental of the human mind. Here it is: People learn, act, and communicate differently. Pretty amazing, don't you think!

If you were an educator (which I hope you are not), then some of your students might do well and others not. And you would have no idea why. It is because people respond better to different modalities. There is no right or wrong, of course. And the better job we can do to match a person's preference, the better they will respond.

You obviously have a brain in there somewhere. I suggest you open it.

 

[Skrilla™]

not really. then i am also seeing whatever is under the window. maybe you like to work ontop of a stack of papers on your desk but i like having the sheet of paper im working on in front of me, and everything else out of the way. same idea.

it is a preference, a bad habit is a mac user who thinks the mac way is the only way.

when you develop software, if you have a brain, you are supposed to be open to the idea of people having preferences of doing things different ways. sure you dont always have the time to get the feature in, it doesnt mean it is a bad feature.

very well said matttrick

dpaanlka =

 

[dpaanlka]

if my desk had icons on it, maybe that would make sense.

So you're saying your desk does not have any pens, pencils, staplers, lamps, paperclips, binders, pencil sharpeners, a coffee maker, a flower vase, a wastebasket somewhere nearby, or ANYTHING of that sort at all? It's literally a flat surface with four legs with nothing on it at all?

That's a very productive sounding desk.

stop putting words in my mouth, its the sign of a terrible debater. i never said that at all, i can multitask just fine but when i am focusing on one thing i prefer not to have others. yeah i cant multitask but im a programmer. you have no clue what you are talking about. how many people do you know who program/debug in assembly with one window open? duh..

You just gave me lots of nonsense reasons why maximizing something makes the most sense, when I just countered your analogy with a better analogy. Yes, I'm aware it's your preference. You prefer to do something one way, when there is a clearly better way to do things.

but i can see from your argument that you are incredibly biased so your argument holds little water anyhow. there is nothing more or less efficient about sometimes wanting a window taking up your screen.

Well, you're just plain wrong. There is plenty less efficient about, say, a 30" Cinema Display with a maximized web browser window displaying a 700-pixel wide web site.

Now you are making me laugh. It humors me to know that a person with such a condescending attitude clearly does not understand a very simple and basic fundamental of the human mind. Here it is: People learn, act, and communicate differently. Pretty amazing, don't you think!

Yes, lots of people learn the wrong way. That really isn't that amazing at all, actually.

If you were an educator (which I hope you are not), then some of your students might do well and others not. And you would have no idea why. It is because people respond better to different modalities. There is no right or wrong, of course. And the better job we can do to match a person's preference, the better they will respond.

If a student came into my class insisting that 4 + 4 = 19 and absolutely refused to believe anything other than that because it was their preference, I would sadly have to give them an F.

Yadda yadda yadda...

Sorry, I just never subscribed to this mantra. I won't tell people they're opinions are right just because they are their opinions. You're free to believe whatever you want, but I firmly believe all you maximizers are 100% wrong.

 

[matttrick]

So you're saying your desk does not have any pens, pencils, staplers, lamps, paperclips, binders, pencil sharpeners, a coffee maker, a flower vase, a wastebasket somewhere nearby, or ANYTHING of that sort at all? It's literally a flat surface with four legs with nothing on it at all?

That's a very productive sounding desk.



You just gave me lots of nonsense reasons why maximizing something makes the most sense, when I just countered your analogy with a better analogy. Yes, I'm aware it's your preference. You prefer to do something one way, when there is a clearly better way to do things.



Well, you're just plain wrong. There is plenty less efficient about, say, a 30" Cinema Display with a maximized web browser window displaying a 700-pixel wide web site.

not underneath my papers, no it doesnt. besides this whole analogy is unneeded. i happen to like my web browser, for example, to take up the screen. it allows me to focus more.

no, it isnt less efficient because it doesnt do anything counter productive to have blank space around the area. you want to focus on one thing you want to focus on one thing. if you dont thats cool too. it has nothing to do with efficiency.

 

[dpaanlka]

no, it isnt less efficient because it doesnt do anything counter productive to have blank space around the area. you want to focus on one thing you want to focus on one thing. if you dont thats cool too. it has nothing to do with efficiency.

But you're assuming that you'll never need to see, say, your desktop. What if you suddenly decided that you really liked a picture on a web site and wanted to save it to your hard drive or some other folder or drive on your desktop? Well, too bad, because your window is maximized.

And I can reverse your argument on yourself, saying I can't see how you're "more focused" with your entire screen being white space.

And all this maximize garbage came up because the OP said he hates the way the Mac OS fit-to-content zooming resizing button thing works, implying he would rather have this "fixed" so that it works just like Windows (maximize everything!!!). So yes, somebody did say that.

 

[apachie2k]

ha! what if apple put an extra button to maximize the screen, not replace, or remove, but add another button, so that there is 4 little buttons, would that be so terrible?? i can't see that it would really distroy the whole GUI of mac os x...

 

[dpaanlka]

i can't see that it would really distroy the whole GUI of mac os x...

I do - four buttons up there? Honestly now that would look stupid. The only thing I could possibly see (and some programs used to work this way like Netscape) would be some sort of key command for you people that absolutely need it maximized. Like holding down option while hitting the zoom button. This way it is still not the default action, so people have to work slightly harder to get their beloved maximizing, while slowly training people to use the windows the correct way, and so people who already do use windows the correct way won't even notice anything is different.

 

[matttrick]

But you're assuming that you'll never need to see, say, your desktop. What if you suddenly decided that you really liked a picture on a web site and wanted to save it to your hard drive or some other folder or drive on your desktop? Well, too bad, because your window is maximized.

And all this maximize garbage came up because the OP said he hates the way the Mac OS fit-to-content zooming resizing button thing works, implying he would rather have this "fixed" so that it works just like Windows (maximize everything!!!). So yes, somebody did say that.

ok like its hard to press a button to minimize everything or just show the desktop? and btw, not everyone has a 30" monitor. i happen to have a notebook and content doesnt always show fully in the window. but you want to apply a universal standard.

yeah the OP said that but the person you replied to didnt. and seriously, whining about an extra little button (that YOU would NEVER have to press) is about the worst argument ive ever heard, and ive been to gamespot.com's system wars forums.

 

[Skrilla™]

And all this maximize garbage came up because the OP said he hates the way the Mac OS fit-to-content zooming resizing button thing works, implying he would rather have this "fixed" so that it works just like Windows (maximize everything!!!). So yes, somebody did say that.

I would rather be able to maximize everything than be able to maximize nothing. Press the maximize button to maximize, press again to go to content zoom, is it really that difficult?