I admit that learning a new operating system is not for luddites. Apple's OS X is not that hard to learn, but it is different enough to confuse people coming over from the Windows world (i.e. me). For example, I miss not being able to get to the menu words by using "ALT" or a similar keyboard equivalent. There is a workaround (turn on "full keyboard access") but it isn't as quick as the Windows method.
Some things about OS X that confuse me appear to result from better user-design. I don't know if this is an example (because I'm not sure yet exactly what happened) but last night when I was importing photos from my Zip drives into my new Powerbook I noticed something wierd.
I began by copying the photos to the desktop so I could find them easily. Also, I wasn't sure where OS X wants me to keep things so I figured I'd put them on the desktop for starters. After copying the files to the desktop I fired up iPhoto and "imported" the photos. Then I checked in the iPhoto folder to see if, during the import process, it physically copied the photos to that location. It hadn't. And I couldn't find copies of the files in other directories within iPhoto so I concluded that the files hadn't been moved from the desktop.
Well, I decided to move the desktop files after the import to see if iPhoto would freak out about the files not being where they used to be. Nope. No problemo. I guess iPhoto must have put the files somewhere where they belong during the import process.
The bottom line is that moving the file on the desktop didn't cause any problems. And the import function in iPhoto is solid. The thing that is confusing me is my desire to know where the files are, which is a tendency I carry over from Windows.
If I really wanted to know I could've searched from the root directory and OS X would've told me right away. Anyway, I guess I don't really care where iPhoto put the files as long as I can find them if I need to, and--more importantly--as long as the computer doesn't get destabalized by my inept file management.
So what's the moral? One might say the moral is don't put yourself through the agony of learning a new operating system. Just stick with Windows. Good idea.
Except maybe that strategy has a limited lifespan.
I understand that Bill Gates has said that Longhorn (the code name for the new Windows Operating System dues out in 2005) is radically different and will cause many users dismay. Hey, so what? Sometimes you have to rewrite the rules to make an OS better. That's what you have to do if you want to innovate, and make things radically better.
And let's see now. Which company was first to revamp their OS? Apple or Microsoft?
2:04:11 PM 
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