I spent 15 years being an unpaid beta tester for Microsoft Windows products(ie: a product user) I could never understand why MS had such a convoluted and strange way of even getting programs to run on its OS platform. Why is it that you can drop an executable file into a Mac folder, double click on it and you are off and running. With an MS .exe you need half a billion support files to get an application running. Why did Microsoft design such a strange and complex system??
Because they hate you 
Seriously, MS designs by committee and Apple by dictatorship. Apple’s apps have the same support files, they just look neater. Apple seems to listen to their customers - sometimes.
Apple has helper files too but they are in the app’s container. Every Mac executable is a folder/container with several subfolders containing support files, localization files, graphics, sound, plugins, libraries . whatever is needed to support that application. That is indeed hidden away, but they’re still there.
Not sure I agree entirely Alexander. An apple App doesnt rely on a plethora of DLLs or what ever the Apple equivalent is. I have never seen a "Dll not registered"error in a Mac
Sure, Apple has “dlls”, which are called dylibs. Just poke into any application with “Show package content”.
That’s because the equivalent of the DLLs are conveniently hidden within the confines of the bundle. Here is an example taken from the Framework folder within iPhoto.app :
AccountConfigurationPlugin.framework
Geode.framework
iLifeAssetManagement.framework
iLifeFaceRecognition.framework
iLifeKit.framework
iLifePageLayout.framework
iLifePhotoStreamConfiguration.framework
iLifeSlideshow.framework
iLifeSQLAccess.framework
MIO.framework
MobileMe.framework
PhotoFoundation.framework
ProKit.framework
ProUtils.framework
ProXTCore.framework
RedRock.framework
Tellus.framework
Tessera.framework
VideoConversionServiceClient.framework
Think .DLL instead of .framework and it looks very much like a Windows program. Apple bright idea to put everything within a folder that looks like a file simply makes that invisible 
Does Apple rely on a file spec to signify the purpose of the hidden file?
Well the DLL architecture is developed for sharing code. If the code is in a DLL, the developer calls that function and everybody’s happy. BUT when common DLL’s get changed by certain parties for better support of their applications there it goes wrong and the DLL ‘hell’ was born .
Microsoft could have implemented stronger rules concerning DLL’s but is Microsoft itself who started off with modifying DLL’s without notice.
Yeah, I got it now complex issue, but a pretty straight forward and logical answer.
Thinking about it further, Beatrix’s first response was probably closer to the truth than I first realised. A member of this committee probably said, "if we make it simple, what is that going to do to our support service’ (no DLL hell).
From what I can see, each of the .framework bundle listed above contains two .plist files which seem to contain informations about what they do.
Good point. Apple did not engage into the OLE path, so the files within the bundle are not called from outside the app, when MS favors a free for all approach wich can be the source for disorder.
So, Microsoft is the Architect of programming anarch and the reason so many programmers are bald??
that should read ‘anarchy’
Apple do sometimes listen to customers and sometimes listen to developers, and so do MS sometimes… However there are plenty of times when both companies don’t listen. Google and Facebook, don’t listen to no man.
And you shouldn’t, they should be neatly continued within the application bundle.[quote=100777:@Chris Benton]So, Microsoft is the Architect of programming anarch and the reason so many programmers are bald??[/quote]
And have long beards… Joking apart, I once met a guy who was employed by Compaq (remember them), to patch their version of Windows to make it more stable and secure. He claimed they paid him silly money, so as far as he’s concerned, he’s happy that MS Windows has a lot of technical issues.
hehe… sometimes my (Windows) customers ask me why I am using a mac as main platform for development or supporting windows based Networks. Then I smile back and answer in most polite manner: “I do not have enough time in supportting both, your issues and mine.” leaving them thinking about twice 
You have seen my previous avatar, haven’t you ? Lost my hair debugging
Microsoft MS-Dos, which all their operating systems descent from, was bought from Seattle Computer System 86-Dos, itself called originally Quick and Dirty Dos…
See 86-DOS - Wikipedia
That probably explains
Easy answer: Because they can.
There are more things that are causing pain too me.
- Registry. It’s an ugly thing
- Overcomplicated msi Installer system
- different versions of the same operating system ( Standard, Pro, Enterprise, in older Versions Home). You have to be prepared that your software runs on all of them.
- Windows desktop and Metro Apps on one system.
As a programmer you have to know a lot about the subtleties and Microsoft has created to much needless complexity in the windows system.
They should have a beer, watch at there system, talk and discuss and then rethink the system to get it a lot easier for developers. As a user, I was satisfied with windows 7.
[quote=100811:@Torsten Gaidies]Windows desktop and Metro Apps on one system.
[/quote]
I will never understand why they had to create a brand new framework to cr@p down a windowless page based barely graphic UI looking as ugly as their phones. All that messy Metro look could have been obtained with a full screen browser and the regular framework, without reinventing the wheel.
Now they have the most impressive installed base or programs using one framework, and they insist on a barely usable environment which does not even permit local installation of any app, even ad hoc. Never mind the appalling MSI installers, if you want Metro, you go through the Windows Store.
I think the don’t-call-it-Metro came from the tablets. Apple basically has 2 operating systems. MS wanted to be more clever and thought only to do one OS. I’ve only worked with Office 2013 on the Windows side and this is awful enough. Too much space around a few controls and quite a few windows haven’t been redesigned. Gag!!!