forevergeek.com — Chris argues over at restiffbard.com that the fundamental difference between Windows and Mac users lies not so much in the user interface in general, but only certain specific characteristics of the UI. In particular, it's all about the "maximize" button and how it affects the user's work flow. I'm interested to read peoples personal preference.
Sep 21, 2006 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountSep 21, 2006
I spend a lot of time on command lines and switching terminals. I like my GUI interfaces to be full screen. I'm a Linux user of 6 years, computer users of over 20. I know how to multitask. Your statement about being a newb if you run fullscreen is bulls**t.
jcholewaSep 21, 2006
Personally, on FreeBSD, Linux and Windows, I have it set so that double-clicking on the titlebar shades the window (eg, makes everything but the titlebar disappear until un-shaded). I do that far more often than I maximize. There's no single thing that double-clicking the title bad *should* do. The only constant is that it should do something that is a common operation for you, personally, since it's an action on a large piece of screen real estate.I just scored an ancient OS X machine, so we'll see if I can coerce it into my way of thinking. ;)
Closed AccountSep 21, 2006
Well I prefer the task bar approach that windows and kde take. You see each application as a window and each window is on the task bar so you can easily see what is opened and the name of that window that tells you what it is.The drag and drop approach works in windows quite well for me when copying files and folders over by just dragging it down to the task bar, hold it over the window you want to copy it to and a few seconds later that window comes up and then you bring the item to that windows copying the file or folder. And because that task bar is always visible, this works extremely well.For OS X if you try this, if a window is hidden behind, you can't exactly drag to it. You first gotta move it so that it is available then drag to it. Now in windows the task bar is there regardless if your main window is maximized filling the screen so you don't have to make room in the background for the stuff you want to drag and drop to. Windows task bar works regardless. This is why I like the UI windows uses.
babakshiraziSep 21, 2006
Human Interface Guidelines? Those same guidelines that allow 4 different window themes: aqua, brushed metal, grey gradient, and a f**kin' wooden Garage Band?Guidelines my ass. As I said, AmigaOS, BeOS, Windows, Linux, Unix even f**kin' OS/2 could maximize a window. Why can't OS X? Jesus, add another button to do a real maximize.Who wants some half-ass sized window on a 12" iBook?
alej744Sep 22, 2006
"At least an option in System Preferences to switch between Zoom and Maximize?"...and change it to a cool new color such as purple, orange, blue, black, or white?
nathan8225Sep 22, 2006
This is something I have always said. This is the one advantage of PCs over Macs. (and that's not saying much)
d3koySep 26, 2006
I sumitted this really late becasue i wanted it to be the last comment, but no one will read this i bet...YOU ALL JUST HAD A HUGE ARGUEMENT ABOUT THE MAXIMIZE BUTTON ON A MAC AND ON WINDOWS.....WTF???
wintermute1974Oct 3, 2006
Mac fans, I have read the same comment time and time again. It goes like this: "Windows users are stupid. The Mac has no maximize button."Sure, you are used to this behavior, but if you are coming from the Windows world, this is one of the single-most commonly used features and now you are taking it away.Productivity matters, and having switchers mess with the (bottom-right-only) resizer will drive them insane. Why not be nice and have something in the Control Panel (or whatever its called on the Mac) that allows for full-screen behavior? You'll win more converts this way, won't you?Essentially my point is this: If the users WANT something to happen, why say no? Really. It's their machines, right? If they WANT maximized windows, let them. How would this hurt you? We're not talking about taking away your beloved default behavior, just adding something new.
bengaltiggerMar 24, 2007
Question for Steve Jobs & Bill Gates: Why not four buttons? — Minimize, Manual Size, Optimal Size, Maximize.
termy58Jul 18, 2008
Mac fan boys scare me because they believe this is an issue.