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Why Mac OS X’s UI is Fundamentally Superior to Windows


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If only Apple would deal with the multiple screen problem of the menu being on only the master screen, while the app is on the slave screen. I suppose their argument is buy a 27" screen, then you shouldn't need multiple screens.

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an interesting detailed look at why OS X has a better UI than windows

 

My pet peeve with SL is that I can't have two copies of Firefox running at the same time, I do

a lot of research and detailed comparisons. Unlike Windows, SL requires a new FF Profile. The

reason provided by the guy in your link about ram doesn't hold water anymore. Each Win copy of

Firefox can have several tabs open in several different copies which can be previewed in the Dock.

I'll give an example. Suppose you are replying to a post on this forum and you want to provide a link

to an authority. If you go do a SL google search and then come back, your reply has been erased.

That doesn't happen if you can open a separate Win copy of FF to do the google search -> then link,

into the still existing reply.

 

 

"The situation isn't as straightforward on Windows where typically each window usually represents an entire application. If a user wants to load two documents simultaneously the absence of a single effective method means Windows applications rely on an assortment of behaviors. Notepad pictured above uses the simplest method. To open multiple notepad documents you must launch multiple copies of the application. While this works for small, lightweight applications, it's not as suitable for larger memory intensive programs. This policy also forces the user to quit the entire application when closing the window of a document."

 

I've certainly had multiple copies of Word open and each one closes independently of the others. The

most charitable description of the author's paragraph above, is that it is ignorant, perhaps true at one

time. I'm hoping somebody can correct me about enabling multiple copies of Firefox running in SL.

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My pet peeve with SL is that I can't have two copies of Firefox running at the same time, I do

a lot of research and detailed comparisons. Unlike Windows, SL requires a new FF Profile. The

reason provided by the guy in your link about ram doesn't hold water anymore. Each Win copy of

Firefox can have several tabs open in several different copies which can be previewed in the Dock.

I'll give an example. Suppose you are replying to a post on this forum and you want to provide a link

to an authority. If you go do a SL google search and then come back, your reply has been erased.

That doesn't happen if you can open a separate Win copy of FF to do the google search -> then link,

into the still existing reply.

 

Have you considered pressing ⌘T, making your Google search and then go back to the tab with your reply? Or ⌘W, which would be what you call "opening a new copy", as this is what Firefox on Windows does when you click the Firefox icon.

Making comparisons in different windows rather than different tabs is pretty inconvenient, though.

Tabbed Browsing - Firefox Help

"The situation isn't as straightforward on Windows where typically each window usually represents an entire application. If a user wants to load two documents simultaneously the absence of a single effective method means Windows applications rely on an assortment of behaviors. Notepad pictured above uses the simplest method. To open multiple notepad documents you must launch multiple copies of the application. While this works for small, lightweight applications, it's not as suitable for larger memory intensive programs. This policy also forces the user to quit the entire application when closing the window of a document."

 

I've certainly had multiple copies of Word open and each one closes independently of the others. The

most charitable description of the author's paragraph above, is that it is ignorant, perhaps true at one

time.

 

What he means is probably that every time you open a new Notepad window, the whole applications loads, and as you close it, all the initialization for the application goes to waist. On Mac OS X, TextEdit stays open, requiring only minimal initialization when you open a new document, as the main application is still loaded into RAM.

 

Oh, and you might want to consider less usage of the term "ignorant" when being clueless about certain specifics yourself.

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I somewhat find such comparisons alike subjective and pointless. I use both Win7 and Snow Leopard. Although I boot into MacOS more often than I do in Win7, I have to say the improvement of Win7 over the predecessors, especially in the UI department has earned itself a respectable position in OS usability. When in Win7 I would miss the expose from mac and hate the inconsistent control panel organization, but for the most part I could navigate around quite smoothly (a LOT smoother than xp and vista). Very often, after I have done what I need to do under Win7, I would actually feel lazy to boot back to MacOS and feel quite comfortable with windows.

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Have you considered pressing ⌘T, making your Google search and then go back to the tab with your reply? Or ⌘W, which would be what you call "opening a new copy", as this is what Firefox on Windows does when you click the Firefox icon.

Making comparisons in different windows rather than different tabs is pretty inconvenient, though.

Tabbed Browsing - Firefox Help

 

Mulcyber: On SL, ⌘W closed the copy of FF which was reading your post and opened a fresh FF window. So I had to navigate back to this page. Windows can run multiple instances of FF, each

with several tabs. Because you haven't found a use for it doesn't mean professionals haven't.

 

What he means is probably that every time you open a new Notepad window, the whole applications loads, and as you close it, all the initialization for the application goes to waist. On Mac OS X, TextEdit stays open, requiring only minimal initialization when you open a new document, as the main application is still loaded into RAM.

 

Oh, and you might want to consider less usage of the term "ignorant" when being clueless about certain specifics yourself.

 

Nearly all of that is completely imaginary, you are the one who is ignorant of how Windows works.

You can write and save in Notepads and minimize. Then start/open a new document with it/them again. I don't like having to close programs twice, talking about wasted keystrokes and mouse clicks.

There is a smattering of truth to what you say about ram, but nowadays people have 4GB+ and it just doesn't matter. I think you are the one clueless about what works best when designing webpages (comparing source code for errors) , and there are other such technical detailed comparisons, where you don't want to go back and forth between tabs comparing sections. I did make an error in my post. Today, I was able to run Safari and Firefox in different windows, I don't know why it didn't work before. Quite a few of his criticisms about extra clicks were true. But they are inconveniences which can be fixed pretty quickly. So Mac is easier for the new user but Mac has lost its edge in video editing = (and other) professional use. Did you know that most programs made for comparing differences in code run two windows next to each other at the same time? One thing I like about SL is the screen capture utility.

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I have used both mac and pc's since the 1980's and will continue to use both.

It's like meat and potatoes,they compliment each other.

There are programs/hacks/cracks for the pc that just aren't available for the mac.

The mac seems to be safer for internet cruising,altho the latest firefox has bugs.

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I have used both mac and pc's since the 1980's and will continue to use both.

It's like meat and potatoes,they compliment each other.

There are programs/hacks/cracks for the pc that just aren't available for the mac.

The mac seems to be safer for internet cruising,altho the latest firefox has bugs.

 

I'm kinda in the same boat with you there. I use both Windows and OS X. I dabble with Linux but I don't have much of a use for it.

 

When it comes to the GUI both main OSes have strong points and weak points. Neither OS is better than the other, in my usage schemes that is.

 

The one main thing I give with OS X is the menu bar. Now it isn't perfect, not by a long shot but I like menus always in one spot when apps using the same type of menus labels are used. What would be better is if the menu would, for dual screens, move between the two screens, depending on where the active window is housed, but that is because I dual screen. lol

 

Apple restricts more than it should and MS doesn't restrict where it should. lol Personally, for OS X I use FinderPop to make the most of my system and on Windows I use QTTabbar.

 

In the end, I just say everyone should learn to use it all and problems go away! lol

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Windows is more user friendly when installing programs.

It will put the program in the proper place and make a shortcut

on the desktop.With osx, you have to drag n drop to the app folder

or shortcut to the app folder then make an alias to the program on the desktop.

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I agree, Linux is the most advanced of all. Look here f.ex.

 

 

I use it since i lost all data back on Windows 98. Nowadays I also run

all my Windows apps with WINE. I only started to dabble with osx86 as

i need to test my cross platform apps.

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