An obvious difference between Mac and Windows applications.
It is common knowledge that Apple pays close attention to design of their hardware as well as software. Mac OS X Leopard is by far a better designed OS than Vista ever will be. Apple’s iLife suite has no competition and the Mac desktops and laptops are the best designed in the world. And don’t mistake design to be ‘eye candy’.
“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like,” Jobs told the Times. “That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Now here’s the thing. The third party applications for the Mac also kick the shit out of their Windows counterparts in design and functionality. Developers of Mac applications generally pay a lot of attention to the design and aesthetics of the application. Whereas in the Windows world, it is features features features.
Let’s take a look at some of the best apps in Windows and their mac counterparts. You be the judge. Mind you, I have not scourged the net finding the ugliest Windows apps and placed them against the pretty ones. I have tried my best to find the ‘best windows apps’ and compared them to what I feel are the best mac equivalents. Also, be sure to visit the respective websites. Mac app developers websites are 10 times cooler than their ugly cousins.
Windows: SmartFTP
All that I’ve said is clear in this example. Just look at that Windows app. It is so ugly! You can’t figure out where to login, where your files are, what the server is doing. Just blocks of areas placed together.
Mac: Flow
The difference is obvious! On starting up, you are presented with a login screen. Very pleasing colours are used. Everything is clear.
Once logged in, the application interface is so clean. This is the way an FTP app should be. You know where you are, you know what each file is. You press Spacebar and it instantly Quicklook’s that file. And look at this gorgeous transfers view!
The guys at ExtendMac software actually added this to Flow’s homepage:
User Interface: We have an obsession with pixels. As a side effect, every pixel in Flow is simply lickable. Go ahead, lick away. Just be sure to clean the screen afterwards.
Windows: CoffeeCup HTML
I tried hard to find good apps for Windows, but this one seems to be the most recommended one. I’m pretty sure there has to be something better than this. Look at those countless number of buttons! What do they mean? Is this what ‘features’ means?
Mac: Coda
This is the best application out there. Hands down. Winner of last year’s Apple Design Awards for Best Mac application, this one is a stunner. The design is so streamlined, you can just work with you documents. Plus, its got some killer features I've not seen on any other application. Those little stickies are shortcuts to your sites. Just hit one and it takes you back to your work, with all the documents previously opened. The day I used Coda I completely stopped using my previous app, Dreamweaver.
Windows: UltraEdit: Here’s one extra for kickers. What the hell are these guys thinking!
Windows: uTorrent
On Windows, this one is the king. I use it myself for downloading purposes. In all respects, it is a very good torrent client and the design is not too bad. Ugly, but functional to say the least.
Mac: Transmission
Suddenly you realise how cluttered uTorrent actually is. Transmission automatically resizes the window to fit your torrents, has a clean interface, and adds your download speed badge on the dock icon! You need more details? Hit the inspector. Need it when its there, not needed when its not. And I have no ‘functionality’ issues with Transmission. It has got all the features I need. And mind you, Transmission is an Open Source app.
Mac: Picturesque
There is no Windows counterpart for this one. This is a batch image resizer, and can add all kinds of smoking hot effects to your images with just a few clicks.
Here are some more Mac apps that just kick ass:
iBank. Winner of Apple Design Awards 2007. Wow! Banking never looked so good.
NetNewsFire
Times RSS reader
Screenflow
So what do you think? Convinced yet? Or did I somehow miss out on a well designed Windows app?
“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like,” Jobs told the Times. “That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Now here’s the thing. The third party applications for the Mac also kick the shit out of their Windows counterparts in design and functionality. Developers of Mac applications generally pay a lot of attention to the design and aesthetics of the application. Whereas in the Windows world, it is features features features.
Let’s take a look at some of the best apps in Windows and their mac counterparts. You be the judge. Mind you, I have not scourged the net finding the ugliest Windows apps and placed them against the pretty ones. I have tried my best to find the ‘best windows apps’ and compared them to what I feel are the best mac equivalents. Also, be sure to visit the respective websites. Mac app developers websites are 10 times cooler than their ugly cousins.
FTP
Windows: SmartFTP
All that I’ve said is clear in this example. Just look at that Windows app. It is so ugly! You can’t figure out where to login, where your files are, what the server is doing. Just blocks of areas placed together.
Mac: Flow
The difference is obvious! On starting up, you are presented with a login screen. Very pleasing colours are used. Everything is clear.
Once logged in, the application interface is so clean. This is the way an FTP app should be. You know where you are, you know what each file is. You press Spacebar and it instantly Quicklook’s that file. And look at this gorgeous transfers view!
The guys at ExtendMac software actually added this to Flow’s homepage:
User Interface: We have an obsession with pixels. As a side effect, every pixel in Flow is simply lickable. Go ahead, lick away. Just be sure to clean the screen afterwards.
HTML/CSS Editor
Windows: CoffeeCup HTML
I tried hard to find good apps for Windows, but this one seems to be the most recommended one. I’m pretty sure there has to be something better than this. Look at those countless number of buttons! What do they mean? Is this what ‘features’ means?
Mac: Coda
This is the best application out there. Hands down. Winner of last year’s Apple Design Awards for Best Mac application, this one is a stunner. The design is so streamlined, you can just work with you documents. Plus, its got some killer features I've not seen on any other application. Those little stickies are shortcuts to your sites. Just hit one and it takes you back to your work, with all the documents previously opened. The day I used Coda I completely stopped using my previous app, Dreamweaver.
Windows: UltraEdit: Here’s one extra for kickers. What the hell are these guys thinking!
Torrent client
Windows: uTorrent
On Windows, this one is the king. I use it myself for downloading purposes. In all respects, it is a very good torrent client and the design is not too bad. Ugly, but functional to say the least.
Mac: Transmission
Suddenly you realise how cluttered uTorrent actually is. Transmission automatically resizes the window to fit your torrents, has a clean interface, and adds your download speed badge on the dock icon! You need more details? Hit the inspector. Need it when its there, not needed when its not. And I have no ‘functionality’ issues with Transmission. It has got all the features I need. And mind you, Transmission is an Open Source app.
Image Something Tool.
Mac: Picturesque
There is no Windows counterpart for this one. This is a batch image resizer, and can add all kinds of smoking hot effects to your images with just a few clicks.
Here are some more Mac apps that just kick ass:
iBank. Winner of Apple Design Awards 2007. Wow! Banking never looked so good.
NetNewsFire
Times RSS reader
Screenflow
So what do you think? Convinced yet? Or did I somehow miss out on a well designed Windows app?
Friday, May 23, 2008
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