Exclusive Deal

While supplies last, save 40% off over 40 iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S cases and chargers as well as Samsung S III cases at Kensington.com. Use coupon code 'SAVE40%' at checkout to receive this exclusive discount.

toggle

AAPL Stock: 445.15 ( + 3.01 )

MacNN News

http://www.macnn.com/articles/01/03/26/humane.interface/

Humane Interface author bashes OS X

updated 12:15 am EST, Mon March 26, 2001

", 0, 0);

News.com has posted a video interview with Jeff Raskin - author of the "Humane Interface" - who says that the new interface isn't an improvement at all. He says that the interface is "pretty much the same," and that the new OS will not last the 15-17 years promised by Jobs because its underpinnings are "20 years old." It should be noted that he has only used the Public Beta of Mac OS X.

by MacNN Staff

Post tools:

TAGS :

industry

toggle

Comments

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 12:31am | report spam | close Reply | delete
?

why does anyone care what jeff raskin has to say? he's got some crazy ideas.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 12:43am | report spam | close Reply | delete
He's Pushing His Book

He is pushing his own book on Interfaces..... He hasn't been involved with the Mac team since the first Macintosh (thats 17 years ago people!!!)......

No one can see the future. Apple didn't seek Jeff out to help with Aqua. Can anyone tell us if his book is selling well?

His comments can be safely viewed as self serving. He's out trying to drum up publicity and heat on his book! Come on! Why would he say that OS X rocks? That would amount to telling everyone that his book is not worth the time away from Aqua to read.

Thank-you for the Macintosh, Jeff. And good luck with those interface ideas......

-Peter

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 01:00am | report spam | close Reply | delete
20 Years?

Mach 3.0 and the Darwin kernel are modern incarnations of a 20 year old concept, yes, but that concept _is_ the future. It's been _evolving_, not aging, and it will continue to do so for another 2. The kernel is designed so that multiple application environments can be layered on top of it (including the 20 year old UNIX layer), and is, as of today, one of the most advanced so far.

LAtes.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 01:11am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Blah blah blah...

Jef Raskin has been milking his involvement with the original Mac project forever - and press pundits perpetually sour on Apple (read: CNET) trot him out every now and then. They get a - sort of - authority for their story, and Raskin gets to push whatever he's doing at the time. It's a great relationship...which spouts nothing but bull****.

Of course, they never mention that Raskin's vision of the Mac didn't include the graphical user interface; he thought of the work Apple had done with the Lisa (upon which Classic Mac OS was based!) as an albatross better left around Steve Jobs' neck. The press loves to emphasize that the larger-than-life Jobs took over the Mac project, but getting Raskin to comment on the future of user interfaces is a colossal joke.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 01:16am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Go way jeff

jef raskin... just go away! your old and your time's up! give up allready!!!

you long lost your 'creative talent'!! thanks for created the original Mac interface, but its soooooooo pre-March 24th!

odd isn't it, that News.com finds the most anti-OS X person to interview? actually, not its not odd, just news.com being itself.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 01:25am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Raskin = Mac computer

Raskin originally conceived of a simple utilitarian computer. Not the Mac OS interface, not the original Macintosh.

What he wanted was more in line with an evolved Apple II-ish computer. Actually, he left Apple and went to Cannon and made "his" computer and it was more or less a flop.

Jef Raskin has no bearing on the Macintosh as a computer or the operating system, which is now Mac OS X.

Mac OS X is not fully fleshed out, it was shipped so that people would see that yes Apple is creating the next Mac OS and its something you can get and use NOW.

OS X is not perfect, its fairly incomplete in places (mostly in the Applications, not the "core" of the OS to any degree) but it can be updated and it WILL be. Just watch.

On OS X the Finder is just another process, it can be radically altered in the future or even replaced. However you cant totally replace the "Desktop" with some other way of doing things, people would not know intuitively how to work the darn thing.

People can "get" the Dock quickly, people can "get" the new Finder quickly. Change is gradual, even when it seems to hit you smack in the face like OS X.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 02:03am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Unix "rock solid"

My issue with the Jeff Raskin interview is his assertion that since Mac OS X's underpinnings are based on 20 year old technology (Unix), the new OS won't last 15-17 years. However,Unix is the granddaddy of all of Operating Systems. There has been no other OS that has matched Unix rock hard stability. On the contrary, since ,Darwin like most distributions of BSD Unix and Linux, are opensourced. As a result, Darwin will (please excuse the pun) evolve. And most importantly, 3rd party coders, recreational coders and the coders from Apple will be the caretakers of that evolution.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 02:36am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Another Interface??

What other interface could replace or be better than Aqua - Windows (press Start to shut down), command line (very intuitive)? Maybe Jeff could start coding our next interface (to replace poor inadequate Aqua). Somehow I don't think he will though.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 06:03am | report spam | close Reply | delete
So What?

So what if Jef Raskin has an agenda? He does have other, valid points. The interface can be better. Whether it is Raskin's vision or not is immaterial.

I thought I was a Mac bigot, but come on. You have to admit some failings of the Mac OS. There are many things to improve and many directions to explore.

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 06:38am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Jeff Raskin is...

AN a****** AND A JEALOUS ONE AT THAT!

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 07:10am | report spam | close Reply | delete
depressing...

i find reading discussion forums like this hugely depressing.
they seem to be mostly populated by bigoted, crazy idiots.
most of you seem to be incapable of even considering the idea that there might be a better way of using a computer than the mac ui. whats even more depressing is the furious reaction from some of you towards anyone who has the _audacity_ to suggest something else.

so much for think different.
Ad hominem attacks, accusations of trying to "push his book" (so what?) and having an "agenda"...

Please take a minute to ask yourself why you are so angry. We are only talking about user interfaces here. Jeff Raskin is a very cool guy with a lot of interesting ideas. His writings are well worth reading and taking some time to consider. You might not agree with everything he says but its definitely not something worth getting angry about and making yourself look really stupid.

-justin

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 08:52am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Granted

Of course the Mac OS can be criticised, but what most people object to is it being criticised incessantly by someone who has as much influence on interfaces as I do.
Everyone's read what he has to say, no-one's particularly interested any more, and would he please now get off the stage?

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 10:16am | report spam | close Reply | delete
whattagoofball

You know, regardless of his experience and expertise, NO competent journalist would attempt to publish a review of any product - and expect to be taken seriously - be it OSX, a Ford, a Chrysler or even a toothbrush having only seen the "prototype".

THAT reflects more on Raskin than anything else (sour grapes aside....)

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 10:27am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Re: So What?

I thought I was a Mac bigot, but come on. You have to admit some failings of the Mac OS. There are many things to improve and many directions to explore.

I have to disagree, Mac OS X is everything I want in an OS. But that doesn't matter, maybe you do have some insight. You have ofcourse made your suggestions on Apple's Mac OS X Feedback page?

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 10:56am | report spam | close Reply | delete
The question isn't

Is there a better way to use a computer, the question is will a sizable majority accept that way. People like Raskin, Bruce Tognazzini, and others have always advocated and designed these so-called "Next Generation" GUIs only to be rejected by the very users they sought to help! It�s almost like the car manufacturers designing those �concept� cars you see in an auto show. They may look spectacular and futuristic, but because of several factors, you will never see these cars built on an assembly line. Even the Mac OS wasn�t initially accepted. First Xerox didn�t understand how the ideas behind the Mac GUI could benefit them, then when Steve Jobs bought out the technology and the programmers at Xerox, the Lisa (The predecessor of the original Macintosh) wasn�t accepted either. That�s why I take Mr. Raskin�s comments with a grain a salt.

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 11:19am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Re:whattagoofball

the differences between beta and final are relatively minor. The fact that raskin may not have seen the final release does not invalidate his view that the macosx ui is "pretty much the same" as previous versions. Windows, mac, kde, gnome ...-- all are similar in that they follow the "desktop" paradigm. Raskin is interested in something radically different.

--justin

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 12:36pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
Justin = Raskin

The fact of the matter is we don't have flying cars yet because it is to big of a paradigm shift for the motoring public.

:-)

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 12:41pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
20 years and counting

Wow is the OSX underpinning are so bad they wont last another 15 years This guy must be sweating bullets over Sun, IBM, and (oh my god) linux. Well you heard it here.. Unix aint gonna cut it cause its old.

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 01:30pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
lotsa reasons

There are lots of reasons why Apple chose Aqua instead of Jef's more radical approach to computing. The biggest is that you can't just abandon your user base! This was obvious to Apple since the time when Rhapsody was about to abandon the Mac OS API! Developers revolted, Apple relented. The same thing happened when Aqua was released to the public, users revolted, Apple relented. Raskin has no economic interest in keeping the current users happy, Apple does!

Worse yet, Raskin's own arguments are out of touch. For example, he speaks of 7 second boot times. Apple's done him one better: why even boot your computer?! Under OS X (OS 'exx' as Raskin calls it) my iMac is usable the instant I wake it up. That's impressive. My PowerBook is exactly the same. The hope is that OS X is stable enough that you no longer have to restart the computer!!! NeXTStations ran weeks and months without being powered off or cycled.

Raskin is an idealist researcher. He's lost touch with the reality of computers. He says there's no technical reason to not having a 7 second boot time. Huh? There are lots of technical reasons for that.

That said, watch the video. He finishes up by saying he still uses Macs at home and they're still the easiest things to use. I think Raskin's got some good ideas, and I'd really like to see his opinions on OS X once he uses the final version. (The final one being the MacWorld NY release this summer, not Public Beta 2. :) )

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 02:17pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
Tired of Raskin already..

Raskin may be a pioneer, but that was years ago. Now he just likes to sit on the sidelines and b****. His desired concept of a computer OS (one that you never see) will never happen, period. That is, until computers can read minds.

Just like the translation of "Utopia" is "nowhere", his ideal OS could be considered "nevergonnahappen"

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 03:19pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
It's spelled "Jef"

Although it sounds strange, his name is actually spelled Jef, not Jeff.

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 03:30pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
didn't he do Eazel?

You know, Eazel.. the most bloated piece of s*** window manager I have EVER seen? Yes. the one that made my dual Pentium III/866 with 512mb RAM and a Voodoo 3 DRAG TO A BLOODY CRAWL.

THAT Eazel. If that's his idea of a usable OS/GUI, then he can piss off.

MacOS X rocks. I installed it on my mom's iMac on Sunday and she sat right down, I let her read the book that came with MacOS X, and she settled right in.
It's not hard to use. Not at all. Those that say it's hard to get used to are simply looking for *something* to whine about.

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 04:07pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
salt lick

Jef's book is a valuable read... but I think his 10 minutes is about up. So the guy who was opposed to the mouse is now opposed to OSX? Whatever...

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/26, 07:13pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
Mac Bigots?

Hardly.

It isn't that noone can criticize Apple. It's just that Jef Raskin has so little authority on the subject. His Macintosh didn't include the GUI, and his constant criticism of Apple is just shameless self-promotion.

He had an association with the Mac project. He didn't figure in the new paradigm it eventually popularized. See the difference? It's not hard to understand.

Are people being "bigots" when they point this out? Get real. It's *you*' who's being too sensitive.

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/27, 10:44am | report spam | close Reply | delete
raskin and jobs

people tend to forget that raskin has no love loss for jobs. the macintosh was originally jeff's project and was slated to be a sub $500 computer with no GUI at all. then jobs, who had been one of the project's biggest detractors, caught a glimpse of the stuff in PARC, namely the duet...which had a GUI and mouse. he then basically took the macintosh project away from raskin, radically changed the design, and kicked off a power struggle which eventually drove raskin from the company. now, years later, they ask him what he thinks of job's latest project....what do you think he's gonna say, "gee, i wish i had thought of that?"

Comment buried. Show

0

Joined:

0

03/27, 01:01pm | report spam | close Reply | delete
Raskin and Jobs 2

And if you've read the Mac Bathroom Reader, Levy has noticed that Jobs may well have used his influence to ensure the Cannon Cat (Rakin's eventual baby) was dead on the doorstop.

And Raskin had a point, he was looking to create a computer that was truly for the "rest of us". The Macintosh that Jobs came out with was a h*** of an innovation, but it could only be sold to "the rest of us with very deep pockets". After all, considering that machines likethe SE/30 sold for over 9,000 dollars on release, it's no suprise that the Mac did not become a family success during it's early history, middle class folks were looking for something they could afford..

Show More Comments

Login Here

OR

Login with Facebook

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

toggle
Network Headlines

MacNN

Electronista

DealNN

Settings

05/24 Apple seeds eighth OS X 10.8.4 beta...

05/24 Motorola appeals dismissal of ITC complaint...

05/24 Apple cuts prices on refurbished iPads...

05/24 Best Buy to start month-long $50 discount...

05/24 Rain continues to cause problems at...

Show All

05/24 Motorola appeals dismissal of ITC complaint...

05/24 Best Buy to start month-long $50 discount...

05/23 AT&T GoPhone may get iPhone, LTE/HSPA...

05/23 Google posts Chrome 28 beta, integrates...

05/23 Google in 'holding pattern' with Apple...

Show All

03/02 Save $330 on refurb. 15.4-inch, 2.4GHz...
03/01 Pre-owned 8GB iPod touch 2G, drops...
02/29 $150 off Nikon Coolpix S80 Compact...
02/28 Plantronics BackBeat 903 Bluetooth...
02/27 Refurb. Seagate 1.5TB GoFlex Portable...

Show All

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

toggle
Most Popular

Most Read

OS X 10.9 to add 'power-user' touches, more iOS features, sources say

Committee attacks Apple for tax loopholes, admits rate issue

New Windows 8 ad lampoons iPad's price, missing features

Nova unveils Mac SuperBundle, includes Parallels 8, more

Changes coming to US AppleCare policies this fall, Apple says

Apple pulls Bang With Friends app after little over one week

NYT: Jobs family more charitable than previously believed

Teen killed during attempted iPad theft; two men arrested

New OS X 'KitM.A' malware discovered, mostly impotent

Kodak unveils new Mac-oriented scanner model

Cook: US-made Mac will be assembled in Texas

Apple launches Father's Day promotions, cleaner look

Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2 fixes Target Disk Mode issue

MacBook Air stock beginning to evaporate ahead of WWDC

Adobe completes Creative Cloud transition, revamps former CS apps

MacNN Sponsor

Recent Reviews

MaxUpgrades MaxConnect for 2006-2008 Mac Pro
Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us wh ...

Brother HL-3170CDW LED Printer
We've mentioned before that we are far from a paperless society. For now, at least, there are tasks that require a piece of paper for ...

HTC One
It is hard to overstate just how critically important the HTC One is to the Taiwanese company�s fortunes. Despite its alarming decline ...

toggle
Most Commented

10 Most Discussed

Senators Levin, McCain accuse Apple of exploiting offshore tax havens - 17 replies

New Windows 8 ad lampoons iPad's price, missing features - 14 replies

Rumor: next iPhone to replace home button with 'touch' surface - 12 replies

Opinion: Is the HTC One the ultimate iPhone switcher? - 11 replies

Yelp fires back at critics claiming review manipulation by sales staff - 10 replies

Air Force estimates savings of $5.7M per year due to iPad use - 10 replies

AT&T Wireless adds $0.61 per month administrative fee to all users - 9 replies

Teen killed during attempted iPad theft; two men arrested - 9 replies

Social researcher claims Apple no longer 'hot' to Gen-Y buyers - 8 replies

Google, Yahoo, Cisco under scrutiny after Apple tax avoidance hearing - 7 replies

Popular News

OS X 10.9 to add 'power-user' touches, mor...
Committee attacks Apple for tax loopholes,...
New Windows 8 ad lampoons iPad's price, mi...
Nova unveils Mac SuperBundle, includes Par...
Changes coming to US AppleCare policies th...
Apple pulls Bang With Friends app after li...

05/24	Apple seeds eighth OS X 10.8.4 beta...
05/24	Motorola appeals dismissal of ITC complaint...
05/24	Apple cuts prices on refurbished iPads...
05/24	Best Buy to start month-long $50 discount...
05/24	Rain continues to cause problems at...

03/02	Save $330 on refurb. 15.4-inch, 2.4GHz...
03/01	Pre-owned 8GB iPod touch 2G, drops...
02/29	$150 off Nikon Coolpix S80 Compact...
02/28	Plantronics BackBeat 903 Bluetooth...
02/27	Refurb. Seagate 1.5TB GoFlex Portable...

Humane Interface author bashes OS X

updated 12:15 am EST, Mon March 26, 2001

Related Articles

Recent Articles

?

He's Pushing His Book

20 Years?

Blah blah blah...

Go way jeff

Raskin = Mac computer

Unix "rock solid"

Another Interface??

So What?

Jeff Raskin is...

depressing...

Granted

whattagoofball

Re: So What?

The question isn't

Re:whattagoofball

Justin = Raskin

20 years and counting

lotsa reasons

Tired of Raskin already..

It's spelled "Jef"

didn't he do Eazel?

salt lick

Mac Bigots?

raskin and jobs

Raskin and Jobs 2

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace