How the Mac Desktop Got Complicated
As we’ve seen, increasing complexity is the leitmotif in the history of the Mac’s mouse and keyboard interfaces, so there’s no reason to suspect that the Mac desktop interface would not sing the same tune.
The Mac desktop was designed as a graphic metaphor for an actual desktop, one where you could open folders, take out documents to work on, or drag them into the Trash, which you could find sitting right on the desktop as was customary…yes, that’s right, even at the beginning the desktop metaphor was a little strained, and that strain only got worse as the years progressed.
The Task Trouble
The original Mac could run only one app at a time—along with itty-bitty-mini apps known as Desk Accessories, like the ...
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