"They didn't force the Windows and they didn't break the doors!"

[claidheamhmor]

I thought this article on things Microsoft can look at in Mac OS X to improve Windows 7 really interesting. Some good stuff there.

7 lessons Windows 7 can learn from OS X
An Apple user's take on what Windows 7 needs to succeed

Windows 7 will run faster than Vista, and it's breaking new ground with support for multi-touch displays, but we can think of seven more simple things that Windows 7 needs to address.

One way to make Windows 7 a hit is to take a look at what Apple has got right (and wrong) with OS X, to see what Microsoft can learn from its experience.

So, here are seven things we'd like to see in Windows 7.

1. Easier product versions

Keep it simple, please Microsoft. Having too many different versions of your product is too confusing for the buying public to understand. Should they go for the Home, the Professional or the Ultimate version?

Vista shipped in six different editions, while OS X 10.5 Leopard came in just one (if you forget the server edition). If Microsoft can at least halve the number of editions in Windows 7 then it will be a huge step in the right direction.

2. New visual hooks

So far Windows 7 looks pretty much like another version of Windows Vista. That's not such a bad thing: each successive version of OS X had a similar look, but subtle things were changed in each version to give it its own unique visual identity. Apple knows the value of a nifty graphic effect. For example, OS X's widgets drop onto Dashboard with a fantastic ripple effect and Time Machine sends you down a 3D time tunnel.

These visual fancies might not be of any real use, but they wow people enough to draw them in, where they get hooked on the other great features of OS X. Microsoft needs to develop a few interesting new visual hooks of its own if Windows 7 is going to land with a bang.

3. Less alerts

Probably the best feature of OS X is that half the time you don't even know its there. OS X has a minimal (if slightly tired looking) interface - there's no imposing Start menu button or task bar, for instance. Instead, there's a simple Dock that's totally customisable and can be hidden if you find it distracting.

OS X doesn't keep bugging you with warning messages, either - Vista's constant warnings and alerts can feel like somebody constantly jabbing you with their finger. The first indications are that Windows 7 is a step in the right direction in this respect, giving you the ability to choose which prompts you'd like to see. Let's hope development continues in this vein, and that we never hear from the likes of that infernal Office paperclip assistant ever again.

4. Invisible security and backup

The key with security in an OS is to make sure it doesn't get in the way of using your computer. Admittedly, this is a harder challenge for Microsoft than for Apple, but there are still some good lessons to learn from Apple's approach to security.

Microsoft: people don't find it helpful when you block a website because its 'security certificate' isn't valid, especially since this seems to apply to most of the non-Microsoft websites on the Internet. It's just annoying and breeds a culture of fear.

Included in security is backup, again an area where Apple is ahead when it shouldn't be. Why is it that Apple can come up with an easy to use backup system like Time Machine while Microsoft can't? Windows 7 needs a proper built-in backup solution.

5. Clear naming

Microsoft needs to stop coming up with dreadful marketing-speak for different parts of its operating system. A good example is "Windows Genuine Advantage" - what on earth is that?

Look at what Apple does - System Preferences is full of obviously named stuff like "Appearance" and "Date and Time". Already Microsoft seems to be making the same mistakes all over again in Windows 7. Windows Security Center is renamed "Windows Solution Center". That might sound more positive, but it's not helpful in telling you what it does.

Another example is Windows 7's "Device Stage". It's some sort of wonder-window for managing any device connected to your computer. The thing is, normal everyday people don't call these things 'devices'. They call them what they are, like cameras or printers.

6. Pain-free registration

Take a look at the difference between registering Windows and registering OS X - Windows registration is a bag of hurt, and inadvertently ends up making you feel like a criminal. You must register to use it, which involves entering deliriously long product codes, then verifying them over the internet, or on the phone. Then if Windows detects your hardware has significantly changed it can lock you out of your own PC! Is there really any need for this? With OS X you don't even need to enter a serial number. There's no need for Microsoft to go to that far, but it could loosen the reigns a little.

7. Proper search

Microsoft really has to get this right in Windows 7. The Spotlight icon on the Leopard menu bar gives users access to a system-wide search that is fast and accurate. It's not flashy, but it just works. As Steve Jobs famously said when he introduced Spotlight, it shouldn't be easier to find a file on the web than it is to find a file on your own computer.

Source: TechRadar

Regarding point 6: I must admit, I've had more issues with this in XP than in Vista. That said, the whole damn activation thing is a pain. (Not as bad as in the Adobe products though, it must be said).

As for 7: I don't know what Spotlight is like, but I've found Vista's search to be pretty decent.

Comments

[lyonza.livejournal.com]

spotlight is a very nifty thing - you can start a search directly on the menu bar without having to open a single thing and is searches the entire computer... it has its drawbacks, but they are few.