Chapter 7. Windows and Menus

Every application on OS X has two user interface components: menus and windows. These two elements have been part of the Mac UI since 1984, with the horizontal menu bar being the most recognizable part of the Macintosh interface for all of this time.

The concept of having windows is not unique, or even original, to the Mac user interface, but it was a key selling point for the early models. The Mac interface is an example of a window, icon, menu, pointing device (WIMP) system. The acronym WIMP is not very common anymore, because such systems have become the norm, rather than the exception. It is worth noting, because it highlights the four aspects that were considered important on Mac-like systems: