I’m interrupting my workflow on the Tobacco Ebook project to talk about some issues I am having with the tech.
In my post, “It’s the Little Things,” from August 8th, I established that I am not a Mac.
Over the last several weeks, I have spent a considerable amount of time using a cute little MacBook Air. I’ve been familiarizing myself with a program called iBooks Author – a program that can only be used on an Apple product – as indicated in its name. I’m having more problems just figuring out how to download items and use Word on a Mac, that… hours later – I’m writing a blog about it.
Luckily, I have a lot of friends and colleagues who are Mac people. Today I have figured out how to track my downloads, save them in one easy step, and even how to change my scrolling options! I feel so accomplished! Sheepishly however, I did have to use my PC to figure out how to download a word document from sharepoint onto my own computer.
Which leads me to an interesting observation: When there are the EXACT SAME buttons available in the exact same places on both PC and Mac, I can’t see them on the Mac. It’s like I have some weird Mac blindness. This makes me wonder a lot about interface studies in my own discipline of rhetoric and composition – which may even lead to a paper.
Even frustration can lead to some pretty cool ideas and innovations, it seems.
I totally hear where you are coming from, Valerie. I am also not a Mac person and hats off to your rigorous efforts as you explore its seemingly alien world.
This is a really interesting question you pose about what people “see” as they work in different environments. I feel this is something we should be aware of as we are working on designing our wide range of projects as SIFs. Whether its Mac vs PC or someone who has the iphone6 vs someone who has technology access only when they’re at a lab on campus-we should be mindful of everyone’s “sight”. Maybe it would be worth the effort of a short lit review as SIF projects move forward with interface design?
Thanks, Amber! I love this idea – and I think it could make a pretty great article… interested??