Not-phorm

[Ian Batten]

On 19 Mar 2008, at 06:09, Roland Perry wrote:
> In article <EDAAF2C9-CF67-4B82-86CC-A5D610A22F7A@batten.eu.org>, Ian  
> Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> writes
>> You perhaps move in different circles to me, but the set of my  
>> wife's friends who have managed to set up separate accounts for  
>> family members has a cardinality of approximately zero.
>
> It's pretty simple, and here (at last) is a tangible benefit. You  
> don't even have the re-boot when switching users.

I realise that.  But as I say, I suspect I move in different circles.   
I no longer proffer any suggestions to people about computers, because  
(a) they won't listen (b) they don't care and (c) any changes I  
suggest make the machine my problem until the heat death of the  
universe.

The main problem with multiple users is that software installation  
doesn't consistently work right: you install as user X, and then find  
it's installed but broken for user Y --- the classic problem is that  
user Y can't re-install, because it's already installed, but doesn't  
have the right entries in menus and desktop icons.  You and I, of  
course, know how to sort that out.  Additionally, a lot of people want  
a consolidated media library (they don't call it that, but that's what  
they want): multiple users means each user has a photo collection,  
music collection etc, and viewing them all from one point becomes hard.

Even here in Mac Land all isn't perfect.  We all have separate  
accounts, and only mine is an administrator.  However, if we're all  
logged in and fast-user switching, plugging an iPod in is a lottery  
because any one of the running copies of iTunes might grab it.  You  
can only sync one user's library with an AppleTV and making up an iPod  
for Child X combining material from my and Child Y's library requires  
ferreting around in the raw filesystem.

ian