I just ordered Windows XP from the Microsoft Software Center. It’s simple, you just order what you need and immediately you can download it… or so I thought. What I got was a 400KB Windows executable. What am I supposed to do with that? I’m not running Windows since I was just buying it, hello? I had to ask my colleague to run it on his machine and all it does is download an image of the Windows install disc.

Ironic?

In my last article I mentioned how Mac applications tend to be more straight to the point. Tonight when I was reading through the updated HIG from Apple I stumbled upon this.

“During the design process, if you discover problems with your product design, you might consider applying the 80 percent solution—that is, designing your software to meet the needs of at least 80 percent of your users. This type of design typically favors simpler, more elegant approaches to problems.

If you try to design for the 20 percent of your target audience who are power users, your design may not be usable by the other 80 percent of users. Even though that smaller group of power users is likely to have good ideas for features, the majority of your user base may not think in the same way.”

Pretty much says it all.

Just updated Peel. Somehow a little bug that made the “Add to iTunes” function useless slipped into last build. More strangely nobody complained until just a few days ago.

I’ve also implemented a better registration method that only requires one click from the user. Since launching Peel I’ve been getting about one email a week from people who can’t register. Most of the time it’s because the they didn’t realize that the key needs a correct name and email to work. I’ve tried to guide them through the process as thorough as I can but sometimes that doesn’t cut it so I end up doing it manually and sending them the necessary files. I’m hoping my new registration method will solve this once and for all.

Fixed

• Adding songs manually to iTunes doesn’t work
• Sometimes HTML-tags slipped into the name (if no ID3 tag was found)

Added

• Better tag support. Now supports ID3v1 tags
• “One click” registration method

Head over to getpeel.com and grab the new version.

I switched to Mac about two years ago, mainly because I didn’t see any progress in the Windows world. It used to be exciting to be a Windows user and I remember waiting for the next release of Windows just like a little boy waiting for christmas. I often installed beta versions of Windows only to try out all the new exciting features.

Eventually it all faded away, Vista had been in the makings for about seven years and there was just nothing to get excited about anymore. I slowly realized that if I wanted new features and a better experience I had to make a change. However, I postponed it in 2003 when I needed a new laptop. I was beginning my first semester in computer science and somehow thought that I wouldn’t be able to do all my assignments on a Mac.

I finally switched in 2006 and it only took me a few days to realize that I was wrong. I didn’t need Windows at all.

Back on topic. When I was a Windows user I didn’t buy software. That’s right, I have never bought software for Windows. I didn’t even think about it before I switched. I’m not going to try to excuse myself. I know it’s wrong, illegal and all that but that’s not really the subject of this article. (We had a fairly good academy deal at my university so I got all the tools I needed for my projects.)

However, I had already bought a Mac application before I switched. (Money very well spent on TextMate). With that said, since I jumped over, I’ve bought every software I need and I’m going to list the reasons that I think made me start buying software.

• Mac software is in general better designed, more fun to use, more straight to the point and not bloated with features you don’t need.

• It’s almost always very fairly priced. You can get quality software for as little as 15$. That’s nothing, even if I only use it once it has already saved me money.

• Mac developers are often in a small team so they can give a personal service and really listen to their users. This also means that they can make changes and fill requests more quickly and easily. This is described in details in Getting Real by 37signals.

I believe that if Windows software was better designed, less bloated and fairly priced I wouldn’t have to admit that I didn’t pay for all the software I used when I was a Windows user.