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http://www.macnn.com/articles/03/08/14/techzone.compares/

TechZone compares major desktop OSes

updated 01:55 pm EDT, Thu August 14, 2003

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The TechZone's comprehensive comparison of , and concludes, "As Bruce Tognazzini notes in his discussion of Fitts's Law, it is important to look at the user's productivity, not the computer's. Generally, Mac OS X and Windows XP are far easier to configure than Linux-based systems. And, despite its limitations in a few areas, Mac OS X is arguably the most elegantly implemented and fundamentally usable operating system currently available, despite occasional user interface gaffes."

by MacNN Staff

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08/14, 02:03pm | report spam | close Reply |
Apple Marketing...

Now if only Apple's Marketing Team would take this story and put it into their advertising campaign, perhaps the Average Joe would see a reason to buy Apple, rather than some obscure hidden message to those in the know...

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08/14, 02:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
Arguably!!

Arguably!! Can't this guy make a decision? Or is afraid to lose his PC readers.

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08/14, 02:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
just think...

Just think if Mac OS X conformed to the interface guidelines in "The Humane Interface" by Jef Raskins... but alas, all companies can do is make the interface look shinier, and prettier and not really innovate. I believe it's a conspiracy, by making OS's more processor intensive with fancy visual effects, to force people to upgrade to newer computers. Really, computers made today are all a basic user really needs. The only people who need all the power newly coming off the assembly line are scientists, video editors, 3D renderers, and gamers. Think for a moment we had a fully modern OS with a System 7.5 memory usage and interface...

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08/14, 02:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: Apple Marketing

I agree on the previous post regarding Apple's (lack of) marketing. I think it's a shame that I see more Apple products BY FAR advertised by Volkswagen (the 'pods unite' commercial) than by Apple itself. Anthropomorphic iMacs and 'exploding' G5s are all fine and dandy, but... C'mon Apple! Get that crowbar out and dig into your wallet. Show some THINGS GETTING DONE by the computers THAT JUST WORK... In fact, I think that Apple's catch phrase should be 'It Just Works(tm)'. People have been using that phrase for over a year on forums and such, therefore, it obviously has mass-appeal. Advertise Different(tm), Apple!

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08/14, 03:49pm | report spam | close Reply |
How can one write

"reliable Windows NT/Windows 2000 kernel" with a straight face?

Windows 95, 98, and ME are all immune from the recent worm vulnerabilities that have cost $billions in lost productivity over the last 2 years.

What good is the "reliable NT/2000" kernel if it means even Microsoft's fixes for the products won't protect consumers from harm?

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08/14, 04:05pm | report spam | close Reply |
tog

wasn't involved with the mac's interface till something like 87' can someone confirm?

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08/14, 04:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
build it

If I can't build it, I don't want it. I hate prefabbed computer hardware.... I prefer custom built rigs.

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08/14, 05:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
Raskin

... builds an interface that only Raskin could love.

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08/14, 06:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: build it

"If I can't build it, I don't want it. I hate prefabbed computer hardware.... I prefer custom built rigs"

And this is relevant how? And we care why? The article was comparing different OS's, not the hardware it runs on. Oh wait let me guess, you're not interested in relevance....you're one of the guys around here that comes on the boards to drop one liners about how cool your PC is then run away like the little cowards that you are.

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08/14, 06:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Just think

"Think for a moment we had a fully modern OS with a System 7.5 memory usage and interface..."

LOL. If I am reading this correctly, then that is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. 7.5 a modern OS...LOL...that's a good one.

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08/14, 06:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
7.5?

They released 7.5? Where can I get the upgrade? 7.1+ has been REALLY buggy on my PB100.

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08/14, 07:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
Fitt's Law

This article picks up on Fitt's law and says Windows is better. Hello? Don't think so.

Fitt's law the about the ease of reaching and object is a factor is it's distance from the mouse point and the size of a hitable area.

Let's look:
Menus:
Windows: application attached, v.small hit zone to reach it, possibly closer
Mac: screen attached, infinite hit zone (ie your mouse will never go beyond the top of the screen), possibly a little further away than on windows.
WIN: MAC

Menu selection:
Windows: V. difficult to browse complex menus. Single pixel hit zone border for cascading menu.
Mac: Easy to browse complex menus because of the progressive > shape (referred to as the V shape) hit zone when opening up a cascading menu. E.G. Try moving up slightly when moving right on a progressive menu on windows, you'll lose the menu, on Mac it stays open.
WIN: MAC

Application Launch:
Windows: Start menu changes constantly depending on how frequently you use applications. Start->Programs is too big, often scrolls, hit zones small, often multiply cascaded in menus like Start->Programs->Macromedia->Macromedia Dreamweaver. Not predictable. Quicklaunch icon bar is much better, but applications add themselves and the quicklaunch icon bar by default is very small and will require enlarging.
Mac: Dock moves a lot if windows are minimised, so motor memory is impaired. Programs don't tend to add themselves, and applications folder is, by default, highly predictable. Programs tend not to be multiply cascaded (except MS Office ironically), they have their own icons and do not appear in within folders.
Win: Draw

Trash:
Windows: Icon tends to be in lower right in Windows XP, but not by default. By default it isn't shown.
Mac: Moves A LOT, but is ALWAYS available to ALL applications as it floats in the dock. Therefore can always be found as application windows can not cover it.
Win: MAC

Need I go on. I should really blog this.

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08/14, 08:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
windows is a joke

Unfortunately, most people think of "Usability" as "What I'm familiar with" Despite the oviously inferior interface.

Want to install a printer? Use the Wizard! Want to connect to the internet? Fire up cmd, and type ipconfig /release ipconfig
/renew (or something crazy like that)

Windows just seems to take so many more steps to do anything. Look at Audible.com and see their requirements for PC, then look at Mac. Its a joke. PC advocates please name one task that is easier on a PC than a mac. Please do. And getting the Blaster virus doesn't count.

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08/14, 09:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
Window resizing

Window resizing is the only area where I think wincrap gets it better than OSX. If you have a window that somehow ended up with its bottom right corner off the screen, you have to do all sorts of mousing around to resize it. In some cases it may not even be possible to reach that corner. In wincrap you can resize a window from any edge or corner.

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08/14, 10:23pm | report spam | close Reply |
give this to Karl

thought carl and your dad would like this...

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08/14, 11:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
No kidding...

"Mac OS X is arguably the most elegantly implemented and fundamentally usable operating system currently available."

Well, duh...

Only since 1984.

Been trying to set up a couple of PeeCees, one for CAD, one for Dad.

Can you say FREAKING NIGHTMARE?!?

Oh, and he got the latest worm.

Using Windows makes people MEAN.

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08/15, 01:21am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Re: Just think

"LOL. If I am reading this correctly, then that is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. 7.5 a modern OS...LOL...that's a good one."

No. I think you misread the post. What I took away from the post was... the fancier the user interface becomes, the faster the processor required to display it. And as faster processors are released, companies continue to make the interface fancier, which only requires faster processors still. It's like a dog chasing its tail with the consumer being the dog and the UI being the tail. If you want to keep up, you have to keep shelling out.

In closing he mentioned System 7.5. Imagine for a moment that OS-X didn't exist. Instead, Apple delivered a modern OS (unix, protected memory, multi-threading, etc, etc.) with the simplistic user interface and RAM requirements of System 7.5. What do you think the processor requirements would be for an OS like that? And what about performance? An OS like that would probably run circles around OS-X's Aqua interface on identical machines, much in the same way many have stated OS-9 runs circles around OS-X on their current computers.

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08/15, 03:06am | report spam | close Reply |
Snappier

After this article, my machine is defiinitely sanappier

snap snap snap!

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08/15, 09:30am | report spam | close Reply |
some things are wrong

for one, iChatAV is not "extra cost" it is free and works wonderfully!

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08/15, 10:24am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Re: Just Think

" In closing he mentioned System 7.5. Imagine for a moment that OS-X didn't exist. Instead, Apple delivered a modern OS (unix, protected memory, multi-threading, etc, etc.) with the simplistic user interface and RAM requirements of System 7.5. "

Ok I get that part, but if I wanted that then I would be using some form of Linux. Part of what makes an OS modern is not only it's guts, but it's user interface. I would hardly call the 7.5 UI modern....maybe 5+ years ago, but certainly not now. And I know a lot of people complain, but X for me runs circles around 9 even with the eye candy(TiBook 1 G and soon Dual 2 gig G5). Anyone can feel free to use their 5 year old computer, but just as we all want enhancements to the OS I also want enhancements to my hardware. The two go hand and hand surely(and not necessarily in a bad way like you have tried to infer)and I just happen to be so lucky as to be able to afford the latest and greatest from time to time. The point being that a truly "modern" OS should not have to bend backwards for compatibility sake...that wouldn't make it very modern now would it? Modern to me means current, forward looking and state of the art, not fast on an old computer. If you want that there are plenty of choice out there. OS X is what it was designed to be...a modern OS with a modern architecture and a modern interface to be run the best on modern hardware. Thus a modern OS....and I still laugh to think anyone could think OS 7.5 UI is still modern.

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TechZone compares major desktop OSes

updated 01:55 pm EDT, Thu August 14, 2003

Apple Marketing...

Arguably!!

just think...

RE: Apple Marketing

How can one write

tog

build it

Raskin

Re: build it

Re: Just think

7.5?

Fitt's Law

windows is a joke

Window resizing

give this to Karl

No kidding...

Re: Re: Just think

Snappier

some things are wrong

Re: Re: Just Think

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TechZone compares major desktop OSes

updated 01:55 pm EDT, Thu August 14, 2003

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Apple Marketing...

Arguably!!

just think...

RE: Apple Marketing

How can one write

tog

build it

Raskin

Re: build it

Re: Just think

7.5?

Fitt's Law

windows is a joke

Window resizing

give this to Karl

No kidding...

Re: Re: Just think

Snappier

some things are wrong

Re: Re: Just Think

Login Here

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