Been a while again

So in the month since I last posted, I quit driving to work again. While walking the 1.5-ish miles to and from the bus stop, of late I've been thinking about what makes computers hard or easy to use, and the nature of options.

I've mentioned before that I've switched from Linux and Windows to Mac OS X at home. Something that I've heard, and may or may not be true, is that interfaces that have one way to do things are easier for people to learn and use than interfaces which have two ways. My favorite example of this is using a computer and closing an application. In Windows, there are an incredible number of options. How about a list:

On the main menu, File->Exit.
Ctrl+Q. (Only works sometimes.)
Double click the system menu.
Single click the system menu, then pick Close.
Alt+F, Alt+X.
Alt+F, X (Is it unfair to list this one? I don't think so.)
Alt, F, X (I'm adding this one because it still confuses me sometimes.)
Right click on the Titlebar, then pick Close.
Right click on the application in the Taskbar, then pick Close.
Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Task Manager, select the application, click "End Application".
Alt+Space, C.
Alt, Space, C.
Alt+F4.
Click the "X" button on the Titlebar.

I'd bet that there are some I've forgotten. There are also some that I've left out, like using a "kill" utility, or finding the process in the Task Manager's process list and killing that. Or turning off the computer. Or asking the program to save the file you just spent three hours working on since the last save point.

Anyhow, let's compare this to the list for the Mac:

Main Menu->File->Quit
Cmd+Q
Click the Red button on the window. (Really, this only closes the window, not the application. But sometimes the app quits too.)
Right-click on the Dock, Quit.
Slow-click on the Dock, Quit.

So, what's my point? Well, maybe that the Dock is causing Mac OS to degrade toward Windows' difficult to use status. Nearly half of my identified methods are through the Dock, and are pretty much gratuitous.

I've taught a few people how to use a computer, from the "when you move the mouse (this thing) it moves the cursor on the screen (like this)..." stage. Without exception, having lots of ways to do the same thing adds confusion. Never have I heard anyone say "boy, holding down the Alt key to access the menus is a pain!" Usually more interesting is "How can I get back the file I just wrote over?"

Punchline: Lots of choice makes confusion. Having one way makes it easier to learn. Does it make it easier to use? That might be an open question.

Next time: Customization--Even worse than choices?
Current book: Umberto Eco's Baudilino.
Last DVD: Twin Peaks Season 1, Disk 4