ellisgodard.blogspot.com/2009/07/unclutter-start-menu.html

Its definitely down to the user as regards the general neatness of any tech set up! The machie is very rarely at fault, and more times than no its how well the user knows their machine and how to get the very best out of it anyway with the least amount of cables dangling out of the back (and cables in the right slots….)

I work Windows support for a large university. A few years ago, when several offices were moved across town, we had to move over 100 PCs — with the towers, monitors, speakers, sub-woofer boxes, and all the cables that go with that.

Having owned an iMac at the time, I tried to convince my boss that we should switch the desktops to some kind of all-in-one device, whether it be an iMac running Windows, a Gateway One, Dell One, etc.

For some strange reason, he — and many of my co-workers — are opposed to the idea. The logistics of an all-in-one desktop computer are just so much simpler, that I think that any corporate IT department that still uses towers must be run by myopic fools (including my own).

Also, I used to do computer support for people at home. I never ceased to be amazed — and frustrated — at the type of furniture that had so many side and back panels that (1) I couldn’t reach components under the desk, (2) required six to ten feet to run a two foot cable, and (3) often left no slack in said cables to work with. Moving computers even a few inches under those desks was often 10 times more difficult than it should have been.

Not to mention the amount of dust and lint that components on the floor — including the CPU tower — collect.

The all-in-ones aren’t cheap. But if cost isn’t a factor, the only reason not to get an all-in-one is if you’re the type of person who enjoys periodically upgrading the components in your computer.

But I find it’s not necessary most of the time, because I can use OpenOffice to work on PC documents anyway, so I rarely fire up the Windows desktop. I just like working on the Mac when I’m at home, and no virus worries either.

In comparison when I setup my sisters new iMac a few days before I took it out of the box, plugged in the keyboard and mains lead and she was away !

As I often say “Once you go Mac there is no going back !”

CHeers

I do not think that uncluttering is in any way a Mac thing — if you pop by MacNN Forums and look at pictures of people’s setups, you’ll see that tidy workspaces are a rarity.

That there are more pictures containing Macs is just a self-selection bias.

“oh and, macs have some of the highest hardware failure rates.”

This is the first time I’ve heard this. What’s your source? Annual surveys of customer satisfaction have recently put Apple at the top of the heap.

I’ve owned Apple computers since 1982 and had one hardware failure around 1994 when the fan on the power supply went out. The local Apple dealer replaced it under warranty in less than a day with a smile. That’s one hardware failure in 25 years of continuous usage practicing law.

Once I got more accustomed to using Mac, it is much more intuitive in the interface. I love design, clean lines and simplicity. That is why I love the MacBook that I bought. The attention to design is noticed from the moment you open the box. The styrofoam that it was packaged in was like a work of art. No endless books & leaflets from third-party software vendors or cables out the wazoo! I can take it anywhere because it is light and has everything that I need.

I have always been neat & organized to a fault. I was the kid who declined an afternoon of play outside with the neighbors so I could organize the pantry. To me, my MacBook fits that lifestyle of organization that I have. It may not be for everyone but neither is organizing your spices alphabetically! Call me trendy… whatever.

The one glaring downside, COST. While I consider myself to also be thrifty and NEVER buy anything that isn’t on sale… I will pick quality over quantity any day!

1) Better tools. Macs have, by default, very easy to use “smart folders” that allow for some amazing de-cluttering techniques. There are even better add-on programs like Hazel for fully automating your workflow, and Quicksilver for launching any application (or even a single document) very quickly with only a few keystrokes. No need to have application icons cluttering up your desktop (and with Quicksilver, no need for even the Dock.)

2) Packages. In Windows, when you install a program, you usually get a folder, with a whole bunch of sub-folders, and a plethora of files that you have no idea what they are or what the do. The one important file (the .exe) is in there somewhere…On a Mac, all those necessary files and folders are tidied up into a package, so each application “appears” to be just a single tidy icon.

3) Workflow. This actually ties very closely to #1 above, and I guarantee there will be plenty of Windows users who will disagree, but this is from quite a bit of personal (anecdotal) evidence: Mac users tend to work more efficiently and have more clearly defined workflows. I say this as a long time Windows users (and DOS before that) who’s been a hybrid (both OS’s) user for many years, and made the switch permanently (except for firing up Windows at work to change some permissions in Active Directory or to check a web app in IE/Win) to Mac OS a year and a half ago. I’ve noticed that pretty much *all* of my Mac using friends have workflows, while very few of my Windows friends do…Look at the laptop (or desktop) of any of my Windows using friends, and you’ll see a desktop *full* of documents, folders, application shortcuts, etc. with little to no organization whatsoever.

Now, for the poster who said this: “Maybe a bit too much so though (come on, 1 button mouse?).” C’mon…Macs haven’t shipped with a 1 button mouse for a long time. All Mac desktops ship with the Mighty Mouse, which is a multi button mouse (4). And the notebooks have right-click enabled by default (2 fingers on the trackpad + click the button = right-click.) Try to keep up there, champ…Your arguments are old and tired.

Mind, since the PC at work is networked, there aren’t any files stored locally. The only things on it are all the applications, and I must say Windows is pretty crap at how it stores and maintains applications. All those files splattered all over the place, with no user control! It’s just asking for trouble.

As for the general ‘being uncluttered’ argument, one of the biggest selling points to my parents of the iMac was, as my Dad put it, “None of those silly litle boxes all over the place with the wires everywhere”.

In response to Becca a few posts up, there’s no difference between keeping a PC organized and keeping a Mac organized. You pick a place to store your files, and you put them all there. Don’t let yourself throw something on the desktop just because that was the default location – put in the slight extra effort and the clutter will never happen in the first place.

I’ve used Macs quite a bit and still prefer Windows. Yeah, OSX has a nice shiny interface and makes many things very easy to do. But I don’t want a nice shiny interface – I don’t even want to notice my interface. It’s something that needs to be there, but it ought to stay out of my way and let me get on with things, not keep jumping up and telling me how pretty it is.