Tag Archives: Mac OS X

Ubuntu thinks the HUD is the future of the menu.

Link

Reply

Ubuntu proposes to introduce the HUD or “the future of the menu“.

Mac OS X introduced Application switching with trackpad gestures a couple of years ago, so between that and Spotlight, I never use the Cmd-Tab or Dock and I rarely use the menu bar either in OSX (Less said about Windows here the better).

But, Mac OS X has had system wide user configurable commands for a number of versions now – so what is this really going to offer aside from removing the menu bar? Which full screen mode in OS X already removes.

I think it’s an interesting idea, but for discoverability sake what are they proposing to replace it with? Or are all Ubuntu users already 100% familiar with available commands in a static environment where new applications almost never get added?

It’s starting to remind me of the command line, and the reason widely used modern Operating Systems have GUI’s in the first place.

Amazon: Doubling down on Kindle for Mac?

Link

Reply

At Amazon.com, if you look hard enough, you can get a Kindle for Mac application which includes links into their store using your Browser. With Amazon’s syncing, getting books you purchase into your app is pretty straightforward and you’re into reading quick smart.

So why oh why do they have an inferior version on the Mac AppStore? One which lacks the obvious call to action button: “Shop in Kindle Store”.

If the reason is some weird Apple iOS style content selling restriction, then I can’t understand why Amazon are even using the Mac AppStore for distribution. It’s fine for some small developer who doesn’t have the funds to manage their own distribution, but this is Amazon. You know, the guys who own EC2 and AWS?

Even if we imagine this is where Apple want to take third party application software installation on Mac OS X - and that seems like an illogical path, despite its success on the iOS – there appears to be no benefit to Amazon confusing the hell out of users with separate software distributions.

I say to Amazon: improve user experience, walk away from the AppStore. In fact I wonder why you aren’t already over the horizon.