It’s fair to say that making the task of upgrading to a new operating system easier is a good thing. That’s the lesson Microsoft never seems to learn. It’s not just fiddling with the interface in questionable waysto have new features to boast, but making the migration task difficult for the very customers they want to buy those upgrades.<\/p>\n
So with Windows 7, for example, there are tens of millions of XP users who have to endure clean installs, which really means backing up and restoring your stuff, including apps, as part of the process. The problem with Vista was that a lot of people didn’t want to upgrade (and we all know why). Microsoft is aching for you install Windows 7, so you have the ability to pin document windows on the corners in Windows 7. Or you want to discover the cloud. At least that’s what their ad campaign wants you to believe.<\/p>\n
Now we know that Apple will\u00a0make the Lion upgrade process as seamless as always. I don’t know\u00a0whether any of the original Intel-based Macs, the ones that didn’t\u00a0have 64-bit processors, will be excluded. I kind of feel they’ll be\u00a0allowed to come along for the ride, at least until Lion’s successor\u00a0is released, probably in 2013.<\/p>\n
As you know, I’m not super impressed\u00a0with the Lion preview. Few of the features are must-haves. I’m more\u00a0interested in auto-save and auto-resume rather than an iOS-inspired\u00a0Launchpad, putting all your document and app windows on a single\u00a0screen, or having a full-screen option. I would hope that Apple\u00a0would actually try, for once, to fix the long-standing problems\u00a0that pretty much afflict all graphical operating systems.<\/p>\n
Some of the key\u00a0offenders include the Open and Save dialogs. As I’ve said\u00a0previously, they are not as discoverable as they should be. There\u00a0are many Mac users who continue to double-click a document\u00a0icon even when the proper app is already open. When I suggest using\u00a0Open from the File menu, I hear silence, or watch them stare at me\u00a0as if I’m crazy. It’s not that I’m totally sane, but I’d think that\u00a0a feature that’s been always part and parcel of the Mac OS\u00a0shouldn’t be invisible. Yes, I know Open is easily invoked, but\u00a0when Mac users don’t know it’s there, something is missing, and I’m\u00a0not about to blame the customer. It’s Apple’s responsibility to\u00a0find a better way.<\/p>\n
These days, I am happy to recommend Jon Gotow’s\u00a0solution for the Save dialog counterpart, Default Folder X. It’s\u00a0been around for years in one form or another, and add a number of\u00a0obvious features, such as the ability to rename or delete files,\u00a0not to mention rebounding to the last used file\/folder. It’s a\u00a0great workflow assistant, and power users have embraced it,\u00a0although I think most any Mac user would find things to like. But\u00a0the real problem is that Apple hasn’t paid as much attention to the\u00a0problem as they should, although today’s Open\/Save dialogs are more\u00a0Finder like in operation, and thus somewhat easier to handle.<\/p>\n
To be\u00a0sure, managing your stuff on your Mac can be extremely\u00a0confusing. Yes, Apple has crafted such search schemes as Spotlight\u00a0to help you sort through the mass of files to find the ones you\u00a0need. But that’s a band-aid on an open wound. What about a ground\u00a0up solution? Would a Finder reminiscent of iTunes be the proper\u00a0answer, or can Apple’s brilliant OS engineers start from scratch\u00a0and make what should be a trivial process simple for everyone?<\/p>\n
When\u00a0it comes to printer dialogs, I suppose they are all right, though\u00a0it would be nice to be able to reorder jobs in the print queue with drag and drop,\u00a0although you can, I suppose, put some jobs on hold to give others\u00a0priority, but that’s a clumsy workaround. You could reorder those\u00a0jobs in the Classic Mac OS, as you recall.<\/p>\n
A more powerful Location\u00a0feature would be helpful, so that more of the functions you use on\u00a0your Mac in different environments would be configured, launched or\u00a0otherwise available.<\/p>\n
The other pressing need is a more user-centric\u00a0help menu, one that truly anticipates your needs, rather than\u00a0present a simple browser window where you will, but more often won’t, find\u00a0the information you seek. Of course, when it comes to third-party\u00a0apps, it’s up to the developers to provide the instructions you\u00a0need to make their product run efficiently. Some do it well, others\u00a0don’t seem to care, or maybe they figure their programs are so\u00a0accessible you shouldn’t need any extra help.<\/p>\n
But I’m thinking of a\u00a0help system that would, with your approval of course, guide you to\u00a0better ways to do your work, or help you get out of trouble. I\u00a0don’t mean those annoying dialogs in Windows where you have to\u00a0approve so many basic functions by clicking something in an obtuse\u00a0prompt. I’m not asking Apple to bring back Balloon Help either. I’d\u00a0like to see an ever-present interactive help system that provides\u00a0assistance based on your selected, or perceived, skill level. And,\u00a0yes, it would be readily dismissed (or recalled) if that’s what you\u00a0want.<\/p>\n
Now I realize some of you don’t care about any of this. The\u00a0real issue is whether Apple is willing to rethink how things work,\u00a0rather than just add flashy stuff that will sell upgrades but won’t\u00a0necessarily help you become more efficient and productive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s fair to say that making the task of upgrading to a new operating system easier is a good thing. That’s the lesson Microsoft never seems to learn. It’s not just fiddling with the interface in questionable waysto have new features to boast, but making the migration task difficult for the very customers they want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[12675,12706,12705,8919,513,896,12285,12703,10711,26,627,12597,989,176,12587,4515,12702,12704,464,12701,9674],"class_list":["post-7796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ambrosia-software","tag-app-installation","tag-app-removal","tag-app-store","tag-consumer-reports","tag-disk-image","tag-facetime","tag-install","tag-ipad","tag-iphone","tag-iphone-5","tag-mac-app-store","tag-mac-os","tag-mac-os-x","tag-mac-os-x-lion","tag-macintosh","tag-unified-model","tag-uninstall","tag-verizon-wireless","tag-wireless-partners","tag-wiretap-studio"],"yoast_head":"\n