Computadoras Macintosh

Más Fácil es Mejor

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Paquetes Interactivos S.A. de C.V.

Ing. Pedro Baram K.
Gerente General

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Apple has changed the world and has also changed my life. When I got my first Apple][ back in 1978, I was able to start my own company developing software. I had the idea of going beyond the user friendliness of Apple, by developing Panoramic Menus into my systems to make them easier to use. Then Macintosh arrived: a desktop metaphor, pull down menus, icons, pup ups, check boxes and radio buttons. A graphical interface, intuitive and easy to use. Much more than I ever imagined to bring people and technology together.

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Two revolutions in my professional life. Both brought by the same company. Since then, we keep on getting good things from Apple, like increased capacity and performance, millions of colors, laser printers, networking, remote computing, desktop publishing, multimedia, and internet. Always ahead of everybody else.

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But evolution has made Macintosh computers harder to use. We have lost simplicity. The apple menu includes many items that are not desk accessories. Selecting printers and networking are procedural, and less intuitive that the rest of the interface.

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For example, if a user wants to allow other users to connect to his computer for the first time, he must do the following procedure:

 

1. Enable AppleTalk in the Chooser
2. Give the computer a Network Identity and start File Sharing in the Sharing Setup Control Panel
3. Create a New User and set attributes in the Users & Groups Control Panel (Using also the menu bar)
4. Share the disk or folders and set file sharing attributes using the Sharing function in the Finder menu bar

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This could be simplified if we had all this functions in a single iconized networking window that would allow also to select protocols, visualize and connect to other computers in the network.

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Other possible improvements would be:

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A communications window that would let users define and schedule connections to the Internet or access remote computers and services.

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One single printing window that would allow to visualize all local and shared printers connected (as AppleShare does with servers), and then let the user select one for printing or faxing.

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A configuration window that would allow users to set mouse speed, sound volume, number of colors displayed, CD player and any other required configurations, all at the same time with a graphic interface.

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As with Newton, calendar, agenda and phone book should be linked and included as part of the OS. The phone book could be accessed for dialing, faxing and eMailing.

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A utilities window with upgradable programs that would allow users to optimize system performance and also perform system checking, maintenance and repair of disks and files.

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All elements are there. It is only organizing them in a new and simplified way, with an intuitive high quality graphic interface.

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Now that Apple Computer has acquired Next, Steve Jobs is back, and Rhapsody is in the oven offering modern OS features such as protected memory and pre-emptive multitasking, we should remember that by keeping an easy to use interface, users will learn faster and be more productive. People who have never used a computer before will be less intimidated to use one, and Apple will remain as it is, a leader in the computer industry.

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Sincerely

 

Pedro Baram
Software Developer, Systems Integrator and Apple Evangelist
Paquetes Interactivos, S.A. de C.V.
Mexico City