Being a user also of OS'es like Linux, AmigaOS and other small hobby OS'es that have some kind of a GUI or desktop, comparing those against MacOSX is hardly describable without going into depths on the origins on OSX and talking about NeXTSTEP.
The astronomical difference is one of the reasons why potential switchers usually have to try OSX before they are convinced to switch, rather than just look at screenshots to be convinced.
Why should anyone at Apple worry about guidelines, when everyone else hardly can keep up? Everyone else are scooting off in all directions.
I think the OSX GUI can almost keep itself aligned, because there hasn't been anyone coming up and producing a better solution for GUI programming on OSX as opposed to other OS'es. There hasn't been a third party solution available that made you say "Well, Cocoa certainly sucks compared to this new thing that looks completely different."
Most of the time you can tell whether a program is built under one framework or another and if there is too much difference, it adds up to a disjointed experience.
How many GUI systems do we have on Linux now? There are even 4 different solutions for AmigaOS, with it's current microscopic userbase. This is part of what prevents proper guidelines to exist there at all beyond menu placement and basic window management.
It really makes OSX looks superclean and extremely well ordered, even if OSX users might think that iTunes 7 scrollbars are the end of the world.
by Henrik — Nov 02
The astronomical difference is one of the reasons why potential switchers usually have to try OSX before they are convinced to switch, rather than just look at screenshots to be convinced.
Why should anyone at Apple worry about guidelines, when everyone else hardly can keep up? Everyone else are scooting off in all directions.
I think the OSX GUI can almost keep itself aligned, because there hasn't been anyone coming up and producing a better solution for GUI programming on OSX as opposed to other OS'es. There hasn't been a third party solution available that made you say "Well, Cocoa certainly sucks compared to this new thing that looks completely different."
Most of the time you can tell whether a program is built under one framework or another and if there is too much difference, it adds up to a disjointed experience.
How many GUI systems do we have on Linux now? There are even 4 different solutions for AmigaOS, with it's current microscopic userbase. This is part of what prevents proper guidelines to exist there at all beyond menu placement and basic window management.
It really makes OSX looks superclean and extremely well ordered, even if OSX users might think that iTunes 7 scrollbars are the end of the world.