OK, I’ll admit it. Those commercials on TV with the young, cool Mac guy and the not-so-cool, (some would say fat – but not me), PC guy might be to blame. And yes, maybe my mid-life crisis is showing. Or maybe it’s because I’m getting tired of waiting for my Windows XP laptop to boot and load all the necessary security add-on software. Or maybe it’s that I’ve given Microsoft enough of my money over the years. Or maybe it’s that I’m so impressed with my first iPod.
But I’m considering buying a Mac for the first time.
Now this may not sound to you like a subject worthy of a blog, but for me it is. You see, not only have I give the good folks in Redmond a ton of money in my life (and career), but I’ve also made a good living for many years by developing software for Windows. I’ve been a loyal defender of the Windows world – despite all it’s warts – and a career-long “eschewer” of the Mac as a plaything for those too cool or obtuse to give in to the pull of gravity.
But I think I want a Mac.
Not for work – yet. But for home. Unless I’m working remotely and need Windows Remote Desktop to get into the office, at home I mostly read and send email, edit photos and rip, organize and burn music.
First, the design of the iMac is very impressive. The large, high-definition screen is reason enough to want one. Add to that the simplicity of the OS, the a attention to how – and for what – most of us use a computer in our daily lives and the argument for the change begins to get legs.
The iMac, (like the iPod and iPhone), is a fine example of outside-in design. Outside-in design first takes into consideration the needs of the the person using the device or system. The relatively large HD screen, relatively small desktop footprint are the most obvious examples. The outside-in approach extends in to the operating system software, where most of the applications that I will use are thoughtfully and conveniently accessible from the desktop. I’ve learned a few things about interface design over the years. 20 years developing software will do that. And let me tell you, the folks at Apple have got interface design nailed.
Don’t take my word for it. Do the research yourself check out some information on excellence in design and then compare the concepts you find with the iPod or iPhone. Then take a look at an iMac the next time you are at the electronics store.
Here are a few good places to start:
- The work of Edward Tufte at www.edwardtufte.com
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
I think I want a Mac
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