Why is Windows always harder?
Posted on December 10, 2004
Filed Under /dev/null/ | 53 views |
I’ve pretty much stopped actively Windows-bashing since a) it’s too easy and b) I was getting bored by it. I now use both platforms equally much in the course of a day, Mac on the left side of my desk, PC on my right, and it works just fine.
But today I bash.
When I receive a file via email on my Mac with an extension or filetype that doesn’t map to any known application my Mac tells me so, then gives me the option of popping up a dialog box with a directory listing that lets me select the application I’d like to open that file with. Works pretty nicely, two steps.
Today on the Windows side (XP I might add), I received a file that “does not have a program associated with it for this action”. The alert message then continues:
To create an association, double-click My Computer on your desktop. On the View menu, click Options, and the click File Types. [Ok]
Why does this suck ass by comparison? Let me count the ways:
1. I have to change context. To even begin this process I have to dismiss the action I was originally attempting to execute.
2. I have to change location. To get to the Desktop I need to hide the applications I currently have open.
3. Under Windows XP I don’t have a My Computer on my desktop. Oops, my fault I know. We can’t possibly expect the error message to know about the state of the user’s machine.
4. Ok, found the View menu. It doesn’t have an Options menu item.
5. Hunted through the other menus and found “Folder Options” which leads me to a “File Types” tab… that has absolutely no instructions on how to use this particular function.
6. I’ve done all this, I’ve gotten this far and… what was the file extension of the file again? I’m not sure since the message box didn’t display the name but instead displayed C:\Documents and Settings\thisuser\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OL.... Yeah, it put those elipses there. Try and find the file extension in the message, I dare you.
Alrighty, so I re-up my email app, look at the attached file, take note of the file extension, re-minimize the application, return back to the “File Types” dialog, click the “New” button, enter the file extension, and click “Ok”. Now what?
Now I have to click another button to associate that extension with an application. But wait! Look at that! It finally brings up a list of applications to choose from!
I associate, I click “Ok”, I return back to the application the file is in to start this process all over again with the file type properly associated and…:
THe following files specified on the command line: C:\Documents and Settings\thisuser\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK5D\THE_DOC.sp could not be found and will not be loaded. [Ok]
Ok? Fuck you Windows, I’m forwarding this file to my Mac.