Reverse Switchin, Episode 2: The Computer for the Rest of Us

Now that I have this pristine OS on an equally pristine Toshiba tablet PC, I'm ready to work. Ok, I'm still procrastinating on the DVD reader...it just seems like it has to be harder than I'd like it to be. Let's leave that for episode 3.

Today, I'm sorta amazed that whenever I login into the machine (and I've done it a lot), the OS tries to talk to me.

"Would you like to know more about the table features?"

"You are now connected to wireless station ."

"Have you signed up for MS Passport yet?"

And it goes on. The thing really wants to be my friend. Or, at least, it's trying to guide novice users in using the system. I'm not a novice, so these messages mostly annoy me. But I realize that they may be useful for people using computers for the first time or infrequently or you get the idea.

I started my Mac to get a feel for this. OS X booted up and just sat there looking at me. No chit-chat, no "wanna get to know me," nothing but the Finder staring at me. As I said, I know what to do next, but others might not be as lucky (or unlucky since I only know what to do because I spend so many @$*&% hours in front of computers).

The argument has always been that Macs are easier to use. I'm sure that's the case in a lot of situations. For instance, I tried to add a new user on XP. I finally worked it out, but it wasn't as obvious as the same task under OS X. I can try to summarize what I mean if people start getting religious. Basically, XP's add user thing seems to default to giving permissions to existing users. I think I had to click on some advanced button to actually add a new user. I didn't think that was so advanced (granting permissions, on the other hand...).

Back to the real story. OS X sits there, XP tries to guide users. I had to wonder if the claims are wrong...sorta seems like Microsoft has thought about the fact that huge chunks of their users aren't computer savvy and need some assistance. That seems like a good thing (despite the fact that I don't find these dialogues useful). I've watched people go from Windows to Mac OS and just start back at it because it doesn't give all the guidance.

Take it for what it's worth. Just seemed interesting that one reason I use Macs is cause I believe they're easier to use. Strikes me that may not be the case for everyone.

Now back to the DVD reader...