Re: [Usability] New way of accessing software (WAS: Re: Big Panelmenus (32x32))

[Alan <alan ufies org>]

> him, because he had to use different means to install an app (there are 5
> ways to do that on Macs, with .sit, bin, hqx, dmg etc), different means to
> load an app (go to Finder, navigate to /Applications, find your app) and
> different means to uninstall it (most of the time by trashing the dir).
> Coming to think about it, yes, it is a simple procedure. But it is not a
> uniformed procedure. Therefore, it is not an obvious one, and anything that
> it is not obvious to the user, is falling in the category of a bad design.

While I'm a osx newbie I don't agree completely.... There are 5 ways to
*download* an app.  To install there are two that I've seen, drag an
icon to the hard drive and run an installer program.  I don't think that
the fact you can download a sit/bin/hqx/dmg file really affects the
user, because osx is smart enough to do the "right thing" all the time
(for me anyway) and I never really cared what format it was in because
99% of the time I got an icon on the desktop, or a folder opened for me,
to drag the app icon from into the hard drive.

Similar for the ways of launching an app.  There are multiple ways of
*navigating* to your app (find, app folder, hd and navigate, etc), but
to launch an app there really is only double click on it or run it with
file->open.  I guess you can also include the command line as a way of
lauching, but that doesn't really affect "normal" users I don't think.

This is just a nit-pick of course, and has nothing to do with GNOME :)

Regards,

alan

-- 
Alan <alan ufies org> - http://arcterex.net
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