I really know why Windows sucks now

In the immortal words of Strapping Young Lad, "Oh my f**king god". I’m cleaning out an old PC to donate to a friend – since moving to Mac I even feel bad giving PCs away to people – and am rediscovering Windows XP.

One of my main tasks is to delete all the unnecessary applications on the computer. Ironically when I moved to OS X I almost panicked at the realisation that there are no uninstallers for OS X applications. Windows users reading this will likely think it ridiculous there are no uninstallers on OS X.

Now I know why OS X doesn’t have them.

I have, say 50 applications that I need to remove. My only choice is to remove them one by one from the hideous "Add & Remove Applications" control panel applet. There’s no multi-select people.

If that wasn’t bad enough, it is SO SLOW. Every one boots up some installshield or other rubbish, prepares its wizard… then you get all these wonderful messages and questions:

• This action will remove application X from your computer. Do you wish to proceed? (YES LEAVE ME ALONE)
• File X is not used by any other applications, would you like to delete it? (WHY WOULD I WANT TO KEEP IT!)
• This software trial has expired! Buy or Exit? (F&%^ YOU I’M UNINSTALLING IT)
• Would you like to Modify, Repair or Remove? (I CHOSE REMOVE!)
• Do you want to completely remove this application and related files from your computer? (COME ON!)
• Uninstall was completed successfully (REQUIRES CLICK ON CLOSE?!!)
• This program is ready to remove BookmarkBridge. Press the Start Button to perform the uninstallation…. I click Start and THEN get another popup "This will start the uninstallation procedure. Do you want to continue?". After it has done it all, I then have to press OK to "The uninstallation has been completed". Beyond a joke.
• Deleting file X… Y… Z (WHO CARES WHAT FILES GO)

And … oh… the slowness of it all. This isn’t a slow PC but it grinds and grinds. InstallShield seem to have a special knack of bringing PCs to their knees with a simple wizard.

Windows users: the difference in the Mac philisophy is very hard to explain when you haven’t migrated to Mac, although in principle it is very simple. All the above messages and questions that make removing these applications a major chore are utterly pointless and the result of people writing applications the way they’ve seen everyone else write them for Windows. Therefore Microsoft set the "standard" by which these applications should behave, and they are ultimately responsible for the pile of crap that you have to deal with day to day.

On Macs, Apple takes a lead and tries to guide developers through the process of developing application "patterns" that don’t cause irritation to the user, do what makes sense, and "just work". This really is the essence of it all: Microsoft are 100% lacking in any concept of usability and aesthetics, and these things really do matter.

Aside from all this application removal pain, all the applications look like crap, by people with no clue that design and function need to work together as a whole to produce a satisfying product. User experience is not about the huge number of menu options you can provide!