[sword-devel] Mac build

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

Quoting Greg Hellings <greg.hellings at gmail.com>:

>
>> 4) IMHO, the layout does not at all look like a Mac application. It should
>> have a Mac look and feel. Especially since the download is 38M. That is
>> pretty big for a the Bible programs available on the Mac. Some of it has a
>> Mac look and feel (e.g. tabs) but much of it doesn't (the same can probably
>> be said of BibleDesktop). (Acceptance by Mac users will determine whether
>> this is a big deal.)
>
> Yeah... I've thought that myself.  It's very much a Linux/Windows app,
> and without labels accompanying the images on the icon bar, it can be
> even more counter intuitive.  And rearranging the entire app to be
> more Mac-like is probably not what the rest of the BibleTime team has
> in mind. ;)

>> I did not look into the app to see what worked and what did not. I'm not
>> familiar with BT and at first glance it was not obvious how to use it. I
>> couldn't figure out how to select a passage from an installed Bible. If it
>> were obvious/intuitive, I would have poked around a bit. I think a Mac user
>> expects that the application will help them in the most simplest manner to
>> install a Bible and to use it. Simplicity of first use is a rule on the Mac.
>> Depth is generally hidden for those that want it and dig for it.
>
> BibleTime is not terribly intuitive, I will admit that.  But it's made
> big strides since I first used it back in the 1.4 or so range.  It may
> never be as intuitive as MacSword to a new Mac user, but in similar
> vein, I find most Mac-native applications so simple that they're more
> or less not intuitive.  This app may find a home among those who are
> more comfortable with the complication of apps from the Windows and
> Linux family and are looking for a Mac Bible software.  Of course,
> plus all that self-promoting about being the best free Bible software
> and so on... ;P

For me the order of importance is 1. Linux/*nix, 2. Windows and 3.  
Mac. It's just impossible to design a "native" Mac interface with a  
cross-platform toolkit, at least if we don't start again from scratch.  
BibleTime on Mac is at least at the moment meant for those who want to  
use one app on several platforms.

There's still much to improve in intuitiveness and first-time  
helpfullness. If people give good hints about usability for specific  
situations they may be integrated. And there's nothing wrong in taking  
BibleTime to direction towards Mac-likeness as long as it doesn't make  
it strange to Linux and Windows users.

--Eeli Kaikkonen