Before OS/X, renaming groups of files on a Mac was beyond tedious. And backups of the system were amazingly easy on the old MacOS; copying a certain set of files was it. No backup program, just copy and voila! Backed up system. I fell in love with that feature.

As to installers, going from Wintel Windows PCs to Mac was a bit unnerving … but once I got used to it (especially in MacOS) the Windows way appeared to suck. And once I moved from Slackware to Ubuntu, the installs were far easier. My only problem is when you go to load some program, you should be given the info about drivespace and what this will use, clearly and loudly.

Personally I think OS/X is ugly as &*() BUT it is beautifully consistent; My iPhone s pretty, but except for the actual icons themselves, it looks just like any other iPhone. I can’t change layout or colors or … or … Since I like to personalize the machines I use, I’m either going to make my own Linux based phone device or go with Android if that appears too costly. Consistent is good for learning, after that consistence for the sake of consistency sucks (to me.)

For anyone reading this and contemplating paying the premium for a new machine, unless it’s a do-or-die don’t waste your money. Somebody somewhere has a deal you just can’t pass up. I’m always checking newspaper ads, craigslist, and even ebay for those bargains. Don’t be afraid to offer less than someone is asking and, as always, know what you’re buying and what it’s REALLY worth. To wit, you can buy a brand new full-feature laptop today from Newegg or Best Buy for UNDER $350.00 so don’t let someone snooker you into paying too much for their old, out-of-warranty machine.

And as always, your mileage may vary, buyer be aware and beware…

As for price, it looks like Apple just lowered them on their laptops.

To me, it is more intuitive to simply drag an application from a disk image into an “Applications” folder instead of placing files all over my machine, and not giving a through indication of what files were placed where. Anyway, I didn’t and don’t want to argue about whether one method is better than the other, but you have stated that the method of installing applications on a Mac is not intuitive before, and I just disagree, but maybe that is just my preference for using Mac OS X. :)

I did my own search for unbiased views but couldn’t find any that came even close to unbiased. Obviously there are some things that will irk me that don’t irk others and some things that will impress me that won’t impress others, but at the moment (and this could change—I hope it does, actually) this is probably the most unbiased view of Macs you’re going to find on the internet.

Nevertheless, I don’t see how bias shows through in my list of counterintuitive things about OS X. I’m pointing out inconsistent or unpredictable behavior (Cmd-C working to copy both text and files but Cmd-X working only to cut text and not files), or things you would not be able to figure out on your own. I don’t use an installer file in Linux. I use the package manager. That is far more intuitive than either the setup.exe or the application.dmg. You go to Applications and see Add/Remove and get a list of applications you can add or remove. With a white disk on the desktop, I have no idea what to do with that. In fact, I had to do a Google search in order to figure out how to install applications in OS X.

There are counterintuitive things about Linux and Windows as well, of course. Why does the Start menu in Windows have Shut Down in it? Why does Windows have a Control Panel icon for Add or Remove applications when it’s used only to remove applications? Why in Gnome does Control-Q quit most applications but you have to use Control-W to close the Nautilus file manager? For the Gnome panel, what’s the point of having to manually lock and unlock applets if you can’t even drag the unlocked applets without right-clicking them first?

Yes, I am human. But I am a human who regularly uses Mac OS X, Windows, and Ubuntu Linux. I don’t bag on any operating system (and I’m one of the few people I know who refrains in this respect). I prefer Linux personally, but I like Windows and Mac OS X, too. I’m in as good a position as anyone to say what’s intuitive or counterintuitive (although it’s almost a moot point because familiarity trumps intuitiveness anyway).

What you may perceive as bias may have to do with how much time I spend on certain aspects of Macs and OS X. I’m not approaching this in a vacuum. I’m mainly trying to dispel myths about Macs (both positive and negative). Even though there are a lot of things I like about OS X’s interface, the myth is that it’s intuitive and easier to use, so that’s why I spent more time explaining what’s counterintuitive about it. Likewise, there is a myth that Macs are overpriced PCs that have nothing more to offer, which is why I spent time explaining some of the physical design elements in exterior hardware that make Macs appealing to people. At the same time, I’m trying to counter the notion that Macs have superior interior hardware (which, as you can see from the other comments, is still a persistent myth).

Thanks for a good read.

I’m writing this from a PC built around an MSI MS-9105 motherboard (dual Tualatin PIII-S CPUs — VERY obscure!), built up with parts that are 8-10 years old.

One of the most amazing things about Ubuntu is that it seems no matter what collection of hardware you pop the LiveCD into, it somehow knows how to run it. Without ever downloading (or worse, searching for) a driver…

I work as a teacher and I have an interest in learning centres and libraries. On a recent visit, I saw a library that had 20 iMacs in use as student machines for Internet and use for assignments. The rationale was simple: yes, they are more expensive, but they can dual boot into Mac OS and Windows and the Mac OS side gives the art and design students access to their specialised software, and they take up less space than a CPU and monitor.

One day. we will have ubuntustudio there instead, but that could be a longish time coming.