Popups are getting more…interesting
Today, Google linked to a site that had changed hands, so I got bait-and-switched to…I don’t even know what, but there was this large popup:
It might’ve been convincing if I wasn’t using Ubuntu (and hadn’t looked at the window decoration or left pane, and was completely ignorant of how anti-virus software worked). So I tried to close it, and got a lot of wonderful error messages:
(Hmm…didn’t really give me a choice there, buddy (I actually just Xed it out)).
So I guess the moral of the story is that Timmy encountered a ridiculous website.
And if you wan’t to get philosophical and/or upset, you could say that it’s for reasons like this that computer-ignorant people shouldn’t use Windows–that could’ve been a mess of nasty viruses. Even a Mac is better*.
*Unrelated: I had the chance to use a Mac for a few hours last week, to use the Internet and also write music in ABC. I won’t say it was unpleasant, but I did have quite a few what the heck? moments. So I remain unconvinced, but I might be beginning to understand why normal people like them.
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I have to say to stand up a little for those of us that are Mac users out there. I have used (and been a support tech for) both Windows and Mac extensively and also have a good deal of experience with Linux (Ubuntu and CentOS in particular) for the servers I manage.
From a usability perspective I have to say that Mac OS X wins out (IMHO) – it provides a cleaner interface that has significant consistency in the user experience and manages usability of system tasks in an easy to use manner. In addition (like Linux) it provides a rock solid OS kernel (it is UNIX) and provides a great development platform with full command line functionality. It also provides complete integration with hardware which removes a lot of inconsistency and instability across systems due to underpowered hardware in incompatible drivers. While both Windows and Linux (especially Ubuntu) are making definite effort in the area of user interface design I feel like they still fall behind Mac at this point (although considering the age of Ubuntu it is making huge strides in the right direction).
Mac also has an advantage over Linux for creatives (such as myself) who need access to commercial professional apps, like Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro, Logic, etc. While Linux provides open source alternatives (such as GIMP and Audacity) they don’t match the maturity and functionality yet. The future will hopefully see further development in this area. The software that Linux does have is becoming easier to access (especially with the easy-to-use package managers) and I see them making a lot of progress in enabling non technical users to find/install programs.
While Mac may have these advantage I am happy to concede that it is not the best choice for everyone. I enjoy using Linux and do so on a daily basis for the servers I manage. In fact, if I were to get a netbook I wouldn’t hesitate at all to put Ubuntu on it. I would highly recommend giving a Mac a shot if given the opportunity – it may not make you change your mind completely, but I think it definitely has advantages once you get used to its usability conventions. Just my 2 cents at least…