One of the great things about the Mac is just how simple it is to install most applications--just drag-and-drop the application from the mounted disk image into the Applications folder (or destination of your choice), and you're done.

More complex programs, such as VMware's Fusion or drivers for printers, mice, and graphics tablets, require the use of installer program. Typically the installer will also request your administrative password, as the program needs to place some files in system-owned folders. Still, even if you have to use the installer, I've always thought installing software on the Mac was about as easy as it could possibly be.

At least, I thought that until just recently. An iChat session with a friend of mine who's a recent Windows convert, however, has convinced me that even something that appears simple can trip up those new to the Mac platform--especially when the application developers make assumptions about a user's knowledge level.

My friend contacted me on iChat because he was having difficulty installing the just-released Firefox 3.0. He had downloaded the disk image and mounted it, but was then stuck. He knew he had to copy the program to his hard drive, but he couldn't really see how to do that. "What's so tough?," you're thinking. "Just drag-and-drop the application to the folder."

In this case, the thing that tripped up my friend was the design of the disk image--when developers create a disk image, they're able to create a background image, and precisely position their programs on that background, making things look very professional.

Now, if you've been on the Mac for a while, the above image is most likely perfectly clear to you--just click-and-drag on the left-hand Firefox icon, and drop it on the convenient alias to the Applications folder on the right-hand side. But consider if you knew nothing of the Mac. My friend said he was confused by the imagery. The icon was so well integrated into the background that he thought it was a picture demonstrating what he needed to do, not the actual program sitting there ready for him to drag-and-drop.

Contrast this with the experience on his Windows machine. After downloading Firefox 3, he found a Firefox Setup 3.0 icon on his desktop; when double-clicked, it launched the Firefox installer.

For more Mac news, visit Macworld. Story copyright Mac Publishing, LLC.

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