

Where Microsoft Has ‘More Taste’ Than Apple - sqba
http://www.cultofmac.com/180084/where-microsoft-has-more-taste-than-apple/

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BasDirks
A shocking example of this trend is of course the new iCal look[0], something
that could not possibly have gotten a yes from a sober Ive or Jobs.

[0]
[http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4d9499e3cadcbb88674...](http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4d9499e3cadcbb8867410000/os-
x-lion-ical-preview.jpg)

~~~
nessus42
Yes, indeed! I don't actually mind most of Apple's skeuomorphs, but the new
iCal just makes me wince every time I see it. It's hideous.

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andy_herbert
I've read and reread more articles like this in the past few years than I care
to count. It seems to be the most popular cause amongst amateur design-
critics, and also has the added benefit of generating provocative article
titles.

I don't think this sensibility is going to go away whilst it still has the
power to make applications more appealing to mere mortals. The fact that the
article uses a picture of the most inoffensive and relevant metaphor to date,
the reel-to-reel tape player in the Podcast app, I believe reflects badly on
the motivations of the article's author.

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simonbarker87
They design it like this so that those less comfortable with tech are not
intimidated by it (which is ultimately where the big money market is right
now).

I had to give my mum literally zero instruction in how to use iCal on her
iPad,she uses outlook at work and still forgets how to do somethings. When I
showed her iCal in lion she said "it looks just like my iPad one - I'll be
fine".

When showing the older generation round Apple stuff I find there is a strong
correlation between how "life like" the app looks and how easy they find it to
get up and running.

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madmax108
First, Seigler says he likes Google's Nexus 7, now CultOfMac saying MS has
better taste than Apple?

Perhaps the Mayans were right after all! :P

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greenyoda
"And [the Microsoft UI uses] not just any typography, but specifically the
typography of Swiss rail travel, which uses the Helvetica face."

Come on, Helvetica is the most widely used font in the world. To suggest that
it conjures up images of Swiss rail travel is a bit of a stretch. It's also
the type face that's used in the NYC subway system.

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Toshio
At the end of the day, this is measured by whether or not the UX triggers an
emotional connection. Maybe the reel-tape thing is a fascinating UI metaphor
to a child BECAUSE he only saw it in old movies.

