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Zarf in Mac OS X Land
baruz writes "Andrew Plotkin (aka Zarf), award-winning interactive fiction author and Mac and Unix programmer, has not-so-recently posted a secret diary of his experiences installing and using Mac oh ess ex."
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I'd just like to point out that I've had an install of OS X since the public beta release, and NEVER have I sent information in to Apple.
Another "journalist" complained about this then X first came out.
It's quite simple: when running then installer fill in the info, then when it asks if you have an internet connection, say no. When it asks if you want to register with Apple, say "later."
After it boots, go set up your Networking preferences, etc.
No info sent to Apple. I mean, how dumb do you gotta be to not realise that you dont HAVE to send anything in?!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
There's an incredibly fast Sherlock replacement called Locator (freeware) which puts a GUI on the OS X locate database. Searches in Locator take all of a second or two. Plus no channels, no big GUI overhead, just hella fast searches. Plus if you use a program called Keyboard Maestro in it's free form you can reassign Command+F to point to Locator instead of Sherlock. Speed speed speed!
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. - Anais Nin
There are many quantitative methods of proving that customisability is not a feature of good UI design in most cases. The best way would be to get a large random sampling of people and let them use a program, half with customisability enabled and half with it disabled. After a few months give them a task and see which group finishes it first. When this kind of test is performed it consistently finds that a well designed interface which is not customisable is better than the customisable interface.
There is no reason that the UI could not be shipped exactly as it is, defaulting to that scheme for most users while allowing power users to change things to their liking.
There's no reason why it can't be done but there is a very good reason why it should - it's bad design. In fact, it's bad design on two very basic counts. The first is the fact that when you customise a good interface you invariably make it less productive and just don't realise it. Secondly, it is extremely poor user interface design to have two modes - one for new users and one for power users.
Computers should be flexible and shouldn't needlessly constrain you, however you are much better off taking the time to relearn a few habits to become more productive, even if you feel constrained while you are relearning.
Basically, go away and read the book then you have something to argue. Right now you're spouting off with no evidence to back yourself up. Not everything is as it first appears.