It's About Time Launches Hello Tutorials For Mac, The Reinvented OS X Manual
July 10, 2012
It's About Time, creator of Monster Fruit and Hello iPhoto, has released Hello Tutorials for Mac, the completely revamped version of their interactive OS X manual, Learn the Switch to Mac.
Rebuilt from the ground up, Hello Tutorials for Mac is the replacement for Learn the Switch to Mac, and not just an update. When I say that, I mean it's literally a new app in the Mac App Store. The rebirth is part of the company's new "Hello" series, which is designed to reinvent the manual for the digital age.
Even though it still features "Click to Learn," the concept of clicking or tapping on elements to start lessons, Hello Tutorials for Mac is otherwise much cleaner, bolder, and even easier to use. The user interface is as minimal as possible, and works wonderfully in either window or full screen mode.
Similar to Learn the Switch to Mac, the primary area for Hello Tutorials is a virtual OS X desktop with selectable elements. In fact, nearly everything can be clicked or tapped on to bring up the lesson choices. Depending on the item, you'll be able to choose between a basic or advanced lesson, which has the topics clearly listed.
One of the advancements of Hello Tutorials is the "Switcher" toggle. When enabled, basic lessons are prefaced with a brief, usually about one minute in length, Windows comparison video before beginning the video for the OS X feature.
Another big improvement is the that minimalist appearance mentioned earlier. For each video, i.e., lesson, the playback controls appear near the bottom and resemble the simplicity of the iOS interface. The controls will automatically hide after a few moments of mouse or trackpad inactivity.
Not only is each lesson presented in full screen, including just a title bar in windowed mode, every video is encoded in high-definition for the best clarity and, therefore, pleasurable experience. It's a splendid way to take in the step-by-step visual and audio assisted walkthroughs.
Hello Tutorials for Mac is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 or later, and available in the Mac App Store for the introductory price of $2.99. Due to the HD video content, the app download size nears one gigabyte. A free update to Mountain Lion will also be available in the not too distant future.