[ZeroGravitas]

As a long time Mac OS X user I recall the general feeling was that the Mac OS X window controls where a big step back from Mac OS 9. Most felt that they put all 3 controls on the same side (rather than put the dangerous close button on the opposite side) for purely aesthetic reasons i.e. so they could use the traffic light metaphor. Which is a bit cheesy when you think about it.

[jacobolus]

Bruce “Tog” Tognazzini covered this complaint in 2000, in a quite excellently detailed look at the usability of the new OS X controls.

http://www.asktog.com/columns/034OSX-FirstLook.html

search for "gumdrops"

> People with experience with Windows know how easy it is to hit the wrong control and accidentally close down the whole application when setting it aside was the goal. Apple has actually provided some pretty decent spacing in these controls, in addition to enlarging their size. I wouldn't expect the kind of error rates from this that people have been predicting, although the original scheme of having "dangerous" on one side of the title bar and "benign" on the other made a lot more sense.

I think the key complaint at the time was:

> The button sequence is also a problem, in that it clashes badly with both the current layout and with Windows. This will also be a problem.

Plus ça change....