Well, my first Mac ...wasn't mine, actually. The story is ....
...snipped.
But you still had to "learn to use it" (the PC was a *constant* struggle ...and
using one wasn't easy being, what with being an "early adopter" in a small rural
community), so I asked him how he'd managed all that (ruefully comparing it with
my plain typewriter "font" printouts). He just grinned, and said "Well, I figure
a computer should be about as hard to use as a telephone."
I've never forgotten his words.
Brandon,
First let me say that this was a GREAT story! Thanks for sharing.
I agree with your friend, and the "as hard to use as a telephone" is one of the things that most impresses me about Mac OS in general. Except for SCSI, which isn't always as easy, Macs are pretty much plug & play - turn it on and it works, just the way it should be. (I think Firewire is MUCH better than SCSI for this reason alone.)
What struck me most from the beginning though - other then thinking that they
were tough little buggers - was the ease of use of the interface: I started with
System 7 (and pretty much "ended" with it, as I still use it), and still regard
it as one of the easiest, best laid-out, most intuitive UI's around. (And this
from someone who made a career or two out helping others with Microsoft
products.)
You didn't have to be a "guru" ...or make a career out fixing the thing ...to be
extremely productive on a Macintosh with System 7. And learning new applications
was so much easier then the "other alternatives". (I still actively collect
vintage Mac software applications.)
You're exactly right - you learn one app, and you know them all. This consistency is the greatest thing about Mac OS, and it is sorely missing from Windows. That consistency is still there in OS X (although it's not consistent with OS 9, it's still internally consistent), and is still missing from XP.
I admire the original all-in-one design for aesthetic reasons ...and for its
small non-obtrusive footprint. It is the "real" Mac to me.
I like all of the Compacts, but my Plus is my favorite. There's just something special about that original form factor, keyboard, and mouse. And the sound that mouse makes when it is clicked - oh, that takes me back.
Some more "eagle trivia": my favorite hard drive sound is the one made by the Macintosh SE's drive. Not the SE/30, but the SE. I'm SURE you guys know what I mean. :)
Eagle
-- Compact Macs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/>.
Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html>
Compact Macs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/compact.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:compact.macs@mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/compact.macs%40mail.maclaunch.com/>
--------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
