Mac OS X from a Software Architect's view

I'm now a Mac user. And I really like it.

As a Software Architect I would like to shout out to everyone who hasn't done it yet: If you design software and especially user interfaces, get familiar with the Mac OS for at least a day. You will throw away all the old concepts you had.

Here's what I learned so far:

• Windows users tend to need to customize everything. Well, only Linux-users really can. And Mac users don't want to. They like it the way it is. Somewhere I read "why do you want to change everything if it is just working fine?" So what do Preferences dialogs look like on a Mac: as empty as possible and just the settings you really need to take care of.

• Dialogs on a Mac do not have OK, Cancel or Apply buttons. Instead the settings are applied real time. Undo capability is not available, so your application should take care of via a menu entry or something. A Live Preview feature like in Office 2007 is becoming very popular and reduces unnecessary clicks enormously. Message Boxes should not have Yes/No. buttons. Nobody likes reading message box texts, so make the buttons say something like "Don't save" or "Replace destination file". Vista will do a much better job here.
  

• Add 3D, fading, glossy, reflection effects where you can. This is the big thing about the Mac. You have seen Front Row. You know the magnify effects of the Dock. You have seen Steve Jobs presentations created with Keynote. That all just looks amazing. Copy it!

Conclusion: I have been testing Vista Beta 2 and Mac OS X in the last two weeks. The Wooow effect on the Mac was much higher.

I got a mac!

I got my MacBook. Isn't it just so sweeeet?!?


Delivery of that little baby took nine mo^H^Hweekdays. Here's the full delivery progress until I could hold it in my hands.

TNT Tracking:
26 May 2006 15:06 Augsburg Delivered
26 May 2006 11:49 Augsburg Out For Delivery
26 May 2006 08:57 Augsburg Import Received
26 May 2006 04:25 Nuernberg Hub Consignment Received At Transit Point
(25 May 2006 was a holiday here)
24 May 2006 22:46 Eindhoven Shipped From Originating Depot
24 May 2006 21:17 Arnhem Hub Consignment Received At Transit Point
24 May 2006 21:16 Arnhem Hub Consignment Passed Through Transit Point

Kuehne+Nagel Tracking: (the dates at the end of the line indicates an estimated time of arrival)
24 May 2006 90 75 truck arrived at final destination CNSHA50 31 May 2006
23 May 2006 86 14 booking slot obtained NLAMS07 24 May 2006
23 May 2006 30 10 departed direct NLAMS07 26 May 2006
23 May 2006 40 69 accept scanned at EDC NLAMS07 30 May 2006
23 May 2006 40 60 Arrived at EDC NLAMS07 31 May 2006
21 May 2006 32 55 flight departed Kuehne & Nagel Shanghai 30 May 2006
21 May 2006 32 05 Flight Booked Kuehne & Nagel Shanghai
(20/21 May 2006 was the weekend)
19 May 2006 30 63 handover at supplier CNSHA50 30 May 2006
19 May 2006 00 04 Picking confirmed, EDI received CNSHA50
19 May 2006 30 61 Consignment Booking received from supplier CNSHA50 30 May 2006

Apple Ordering:
19 May 5:07p Package sent notice
17 May 11:28a Order confirmation notice
17 May 11:07a Online order and order reception notice