on 12/7/02 01:55, Shawn King at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> Well, I don't know about this, but the thing that bothers me is that I >> don't have a clue how OS X works and where everything is. I hope this will >> come in time. > > Just like your knowledge of OS 9 and 8 and 7, et al, it will.
I don't think OS X will *ever* be as accessible as the previous Mac OSes were -- to the general computing public that is. No longer is 90% of the OS contained in a single file, and no longer can you modify every element of the OS without having explicit knowledge of how to do so (a good thing IMNSHO). The Mac OS 1-9 was great from a user POV because we could move things around at will, and customize at will, BUT, it was a horrible OS from a programmer's POV. Both because you had to deal with so many different possibilities (rather than handing those duties off to the OS), and because the APIs were so unlike those used in other OSes (yes, we've seen some awesome software on the Mac, but we've also missed out). The OS was a hack-job that had evolved from System 1 right through to Mac OS 9.2.2. Granted the only code retained from the original System is probably the Calculator (has it seen *any* code and/or GUI changes since 1983? (C) 1983, 1991 and 1994 and version is 7.5. But, the code that exists unfortunately has to provide backwards compatibility with the vast majority of the old calls and traps, and itself is incapable of doing such things as multi-tasking (how often have I had to wait for an app to get done its job... waiting for an app to open comes to mind :( :( :( or protected memory. If you want to know how OS X works you'll have to learn how a UNIX works -- OS X *is* a 100% UNIX with all the trimmings. But, if all you need to do is *use* it, then learn how your home directory works, and how OS X applications differ from OS 9 applications (negligibly). What happens in /bin, /etc, /sbin, etc. is effectively none of your business (provided you want to keep your computer running & you don't understand OS programming) -- those areas are strictly off-limits. Apple now has as much of a black-box policy as Winblows for 95% of the users, BUT for the 5% who are inclined to learn UNIX OS X is by far the most open, accessible and customizable of all the consumer OSes. I fall under the 95% category who simply use their computer (I'm slowly learning UNIX commands but not for anything serious) and I restrict my activities to my home directory. I love the fact that I never have to worry about rogue applications installing "illicit" extensions (without my express permission), rogue applications corrupting the OS itself, and rogue applications crashing other properly behaving apps. >> The other thing is in OSes 7-9 I sort of knew how to fix everything >> that could happen and now I'm told you can't really copy your whole >> hard drive in case of a hard disk crash. > > But, how did you "knew how to fix everything" in OS 7-9? You learned it. > Just like you will with OS X, if you so choose. PS you can technically copy your whole HD, but the only important stuff is found in your User directory. The OS itself can be reinstalled and you can simply copy your User directory back. My complaints for OS X: I ranted and griped about OS X when it initially came out (because I thought that their "final" release was still beta quality and the GUI (most notably the Dock) was hideously designed). Most of my complaints about OS X 10.0.0->10.0.4 were fixed with OS X 10.1 but the Dock still suffers from a few problems (that can be fixed, but Apple should provide the fixes). I need to apply a patch to get the dock to snap to the top of the screen since I like it on the side (I use it in a way similar to the way you use the OS 9 Application Switcher). The other problems that OS X suffers from are all those things Apple didn't bring over from OS 9 & 3rd party programmers have demonstrated that the functionality exists in OS X itself (with one exception) -- Apple simply hasn't enabled it. The application switcher menu is perhaps the biggest omission (the Dock is simply not a good switcher on its own... sometimes it works, but if I want to see what apps are open it's HORRIBLE). If I didn't have ASM and TinkerTool I don't think OS X would've become my default OS (the stability & multitasking is great but the GUI experience is what makes or breaks the Mac for me -- if I just wanted stability & multitasking I would've jumped ship to Winblows NT or 2000 long ago -- even Windows 95 has better multi-tasking and crash recovery (I won't necessarily say stability) than OS 9.2.2 (released 6 years later)). PS TinkerTool 2.2 has some great features. The most notable are: (1) you can change the default screen snapshot format (from TIFF to JPEG, PNG or PICT), (2) you can change the position *and* placement of the Dock, and (3) you can make the icons of hidden apps transparent in the dock. ASM 2.0.2 adds the Application Switcher Menu (desperately needed) to OS X and also allows you to setup an application profile that hides or shows the dock depending on the app (e.g. I hide the dock automatically now in M$ Excel and Photoshop). TinkerTool only changes preferences for functions that OS X already has built-in. There is no reason that Apple shouldn't provide an interface to the options that TinkerTool does, especially when the Dock is still of limited functionality in the default install. The biggest unfixed complaint (aside from Replace All) I have about OS X is that the F-keys (except for F12) are utterly useless. I have no use for all the crap that Apple has assigned to F1-F6, and the only time I use F-keys for anything but launching apps in Classic (before that addition to Mac OS I *never* used F-keys) is in Windows to Alt-F4 or Ctrl-F4 (but most Winblows apps also support ctrl-q and ctrl-w now). Grumble. OS X is cool for its stability but Apple still has some useless elements to the GUI that really need fixing and/or they need to allow users the choice to EASILY replace them (e.g. the next-to-useless Dock). Eric, the curmudgeon. PS The Dock is potentially useful but it is so limited in that it is designed for the lowest common denominator. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? 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