Mac OS X default button = 100% CPU usage

[Ken Norris]

Hi Richard,

> Date: Sat, 08 Nov 2003 13:35:29 -0800
> From: Richard Gaskin <ambassador at fourthworld.com>
> Subject: Re: Mac OS X default button = 100% CPU usage
> 
> Ken Norris wrote:
> 
>> Throbbing buttons are kinda cool, too bad they can't figure a way to
>> multitask the things so they don't hog the CPU.
> 
> They have a cool appearance, but are arguably counterproductive in actual
> use (beyond being a CPU hog).
> 
> A default button must be visually distinct enough to make it clear that it
> is the default action for a dialog.  But what Steve & Co. forgot was that
> the most important element in a dialog is the dialog's content, not the
> default button.
---------
Yep. I must say, as a non-professional, I absolutely agree with that.
There's already too much going on in a 'post modern' OS for my poor brain
anyhow.

Actually, I had this vision of working in Panther where there was an
unbelieveable amount of distractive stuff going on. Trying to decide a chess
move under the clock, cut a business deal, scan lists of stock quotes, watch
a ball game, discipline my children, with 30 or 40 windows open, and watch
cartoon animations (the dock?), all while landing an airplane in a 50 mph
crosswind.

...and then, everything stops and I have the throbbing button. Mesmerized, I
lose the chess game by default, the business deal goes South, the stock
quote list freezes on stuff I never heard of, I miss the Home run, the kids
broke three cut crystal wine goblets and are bleeding, there are still 30 or
40 windows open, the cartoons aren't as cute as they were a minute ago, and
my 747 takes out the tower and 4 city blocks (but who cares?).

Coming to my senses, I eventually click the button. Now...what the heck did
that dialog box say? I wished I had the alert voice on, darn it.

Ken N.