Switching from PC to Mac

Software February 12, 2008

It's no secret that the Windows OS interface is quite different than the Mac OS one, however much Vista tries to look similar. I recently convinced various members of my family to get iMacs and make the PC to Mac switch. The main reason, I said, was that the interface was just easier to use.

Much to my surprise, however, I continually hear complaints from them that the mac is "overcomplicated" and "un-intuitive," words that go against what the Apple Human Interface Guidelines try to convey. This puzzles me greatly. Clearly I and most all Mac users find the interface to be very intuitive and easy to use. So why then are my family members having problems? Is it because they're of an older generation? No, I think the answer lies in the fact that they've grown accustomed to Windows for as long as they've been computing.

The Mac interface claims to be intuitive because it mimics the real world and the user's mental model. We've grown very accustomed to Windows interface standards, however, because it's been the dominant operating system for the last decade. Their interface doesn't always mimic the real world, so when we think of "intuitive" on the Mac interface, we're thinking of what the PC would do. One of my family members expected something that would happen on a PC but not a Mac and was confused when it didn't work. Going against the mental model of expectation? For sure.

I was a PC user until mine crashed and I had to use my new MacBook Pro while it was getting fixed. Of course, it was hard to get used to the new interface, but I made a real effort and by the time my PC was fixed, I didn't need it anymore.

But just because I have an interest in learning new things and have an ability to understand things quickly doesn’t mean everyone is like me. So how do we fix this problem? Surely using the Mac more and more will cause a predictable adjustment, but even so – how do we get people to stop thinking like Windows and start thinking Real World and Mac?

Obviously the first thing to notice on the Mac interface is there's no start menu or bottom bar. Instead, we have a dock that displays images instead of text to signify an application. Technically, our brains should be able to recognize an image faster than reading text, so this is, in fact, a good idea (plus it saves space). Most everything on the Mac is icon-based while the PC is text-based. Thus, people are used to reading the description of something to tell what it does rather than recognize an icon. This in itself is a big switch.

Now, it's true that having no "start" button does leave us a bit confused on where to go. Using the Finder is something to get used to, but then we run into a large difference when dealing with windows.

Probably one of the biggest differences between the two interfaces is the fact that windows on the Mac are separated from the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.). Thus, PC users are likely to look for these buttons within the window rather than at the top of the screen. Additionally, closing a window doesn’t close the program – it just closes the particular window instance. On the PC, closing the window closes the program. This, again is something to get used to, I suppose.

Thing about Macs – they only show you what you need to know. On PCs you'll probably run into a bunch of files and folders that you won't care about along with error messages and whatnot that display things you won't understand. The Mac puts all this behind the scenes so you're left only with what you really care about in the foreground. That cleans up your interface for you. Now it's just a matter of understanding the basics of windows and icons.

Thoughts?

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