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> The Apple question "why isn't this easy" is missing from 95% of UX in modern software. I switched to a MacBook at work a few months ago, and it's been an epi

by dghf 6y ago

> The Apple question "why isn't this easy" is missing from 95% of UX in modern software. I switched to a MacBook at work a few months ago, and it's been an epic of frustration and Googling: e.g., 1. I set the keyboard layout to UK PC, but it kept switching back to default. (I was accidentally mashing a keyboard shortcut designed to do just that. I've since disabled it.) 2. Clicking on a link or other web-page element will, occasionally and apparently randomly, take me back a page or two in my history rather than opening the link or activating the element. (At least in Chrome: I've not used another browser on macOS yet.) 3. Command-tabbing to a minimised application does not, as one would naively expect, automatically unminimise it. Instead I'm left staring at an apparently unchanged screen. 4. If I open Finder in a given folder, there is, as best can tell, no easy way to navigate to that folder's parent. Now arguably #1 was the fault of my own ignorance (though some kind of obvious feedback as to what was happening and why would have been nice), and #2 may be down to Google rather than Apple. But #3 and #4 are plain bad design, bordering on user-hostile. So far I'm not seeing that Apple's reputation for superior UX is justified, at least not in laptops.

sjcoles 6y ago
Window switching in OS X is so unintuitive it drives me MAD when you are remoting into a Mac. Finder is just god awful and does all it can to obscure your actual filesystem location but the go to folder (cmd+g?) can get you where you need to go.
bigbizisverywyz 6y ago
for 4. ...as best can tell, no easy way to navigate to that folder's parent You can add a button to the toolbar in Finder (customize it from options) that when dropped down will show the complete path to the current folder as a list. You can use that to move up the tree.
- ricketycricket 6y ago
  You can also cmd + click the current directory name in the menu bar to get the same menu.
- mpcjanssen 6y ago
  Cmd-Up brings you to the parent folder.
blacktriangle 6y ago
The Apple reputation was absolutely justified back in the OS9 era, and the early iPhone as well. However both OS X and iOS7 and beyond were huge steps backwards in usability. At this point I think Apple still deserves their reputation for superior UX, however that's a result of how epically bad Google, MS, and Facebook are at UX, not Apple doing a great job like they used to.

by dghf 6y ago

sjcoles 6y ago

Window switching in OS X is so unintuitive it drives me MAD when you are remoting into a Mac. Finder is just god awful and does all it can to obscure your actual filesystem location but the go to folder (cmd+g?) can get you where you need to go.

bigbizisverywyz 6y ago

for 4. ...as best can tell, no easy way to navigate to that folder's parent You can add a button to the toolbar in Finder (customize it from options) that when dropped down will show the complete path to the current folder as a list. You can use that to move up the tree.

ricketycricket 6y ago
You can also cmd + click the current directory name in the menu bar to get the same menu.
mpcjanssen 6y ago
Cmd-Up brings you to the parent folder.

blacktriangle 6y ago

The Apple reputation was absolutely justified back in the OS9 era, and the early iPhone as well. However both OS X and iOS7 and beyond were huge steps backwards in usability. At this point I think Apple still deserves their reputation for superior UX, however that's a result of how epically bad Google, MS, and Facebook are at UX, not Apple doing a great job like they used to.