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From: Thomas R. Kettler on 10 Feb 2010 07:23
In article <4b724da1$0$5845$c39e29d6(a)unlimited.newshosting.com>,
David Rogoff <david(a)therogoffs.com> wrote:

> On 2010-02-09 20:28:42 -0800, nospam said:
>
> > In article <4b7222e6$0$14762$c37e2936(a)unlimited.newshosting.com>, David
> > Rogoff <david(a)therogoffs.com> wrote:
> >
> >> It's hard
> >> to believe that an entire window system, which prides itself on ease of
> >> use, doesn't seem to have had any human factors analysis.
> >
> > it does. you're just used to something different.
>
> I thought someone would say that. Yes, I know some things seem dumb
> because I'm used to how Windows does it. However, it's a fact that the
> way OS/X requires clicking on a window to change focus before one can
> click on items in that window means you have to click a lot more times
> to do the same thing in OS/X, which is bad design.

No. The idea that touching the mouse would make one window become active
versus another is stupid. After all, someone could inadvertently bump
the mouse, and, consequently, that would result in a different window
becoming active which wasn't the intent of the user.

BTW, you don't need to click on a particular window to make it active.
If you have multiple windows in the same application open, just choose
the one you want from the Windows Menu in the Menu Bar at the very top.

If the window is one from a different application, just choose the app
from the Dock.
--
Remove blown from email address to reply.
From: Barry Margolin on 10 Feb 2010 12:02
In article <michelle-27CB7A.09540410022010(a)nothing.attdns.com>,
Michelle Steiner <michelle(a)michelle.org> wrote:

> In article <4b724da1$0$5845$c39e29d6(a)unlimited.newshosting.com>,
> David Rogoff <david(a)therogoffs.com> wrote:
>
> > I thought someone would say that. Yes, I know some things seem dumb
> > because I'm used to how Windows does it. However, it's a fact that the
> > way OS/X requires clicking on a window to change focus before one can
> > click on items in that window means you have to click a lot more times
> > to do the same thing in OS/X, which is bad design.
>
> Actually, OS X doesn't require that; it's a matter of application design.
> Some apps do that, and some don't.

Is one or the other method recommended by Apple's human interface
guidelines?

>
> Personally, I'd rather have to make that extra click or two than find
> myself triggering a button or link because I didn't pay attention to where
> I clicked in a window to bring it to the front.

Yeah, I find it very annoying when I'm just trying to select the
application, and a checkbox gets changed as a side effect.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar(a)alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
From: Jim Gibson on 10 Feb 2010 12:57
In article <tkettler-A9C354.07232910022010(a)nothing.attdns.com>, Thomas
R. Kettler <tkettler(a)blownfuse.net> wrote:

> BTW, you don't need to click on a particular window to make it active.
> If you have multiple windows in the same application open, just choose
> the one you want from the Windows Menu in the Menu Bar at the very top.
>
> If the window is one from a different application, just choose the app
> from the Dock.

In addition, you can use Command-Tab to cycle through applications, and
Command-` to cycle through the windows of a single application.

--
Jim Gibson
From: Frank P. Eigler on 10 Feb 2010 12:13
Thomas R. Kettler (tkettler(a)blownfuse.net) wrote:

: BTW, you don't need to click on a particular window to make it active.
: If you have multiple windows in the same application open, just choose
: the one you want from the Windows Menu in the Menu Bar at the very top.

And for those who prefer to keep their hands on the keyboard -
use Cmd-Tilde ...

: If the window is one from a different application, just choose the app
: from the Dock.

.... or use Cmd-Tab

--
Non Illegitimi Carborundum
From: David Rogoff on 10 Feb 2010 14:11
On 2010-02-10 09:57:21 -0800, Jim Gibson said:

> In article <tkettler-A9C354.07232910022010(a)nothing.attdns.com>, Thomas
> R. Kettler <tkettler(a)blownfuse.net> wrote:
>
>> BTW, you don't need to click on a particular window to make it active.
>> If you have multiple windows in the same application open, just choose
>> the one you want from the Windows Menu in the Menu Bar at the very top.
>>
>> If the window is one from a different application, just choose the app
>> from the Dock.
>
> In addition, you can use Command-Tab to cycle through applications, and
> Command-` to cycle through the windows of a single application.

Yeah - the cmd-tab functionality of OS/X is another thing that makes no
sense to me. Why would I want to switch to an app but not display any
of its windows??? I would argue that the Window functionality is much
more useful. Like the clicking-for-focus, this seems to be an area
where Apple went for elegance and logic in design vs useability.

Anyway, Expose pretty much makes this moot.

David


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