10.3 features

[shakespeare]

What sorts of features do we want to see in 10.3? I'd like to start drooling.

[FredAkbar]

Well one thing that people have been talking about is support for the 970 chip...so now you can go drool about that too ;) .

Personally, there's nothing really major that I am hoping for--just little features here and there to make things easier. But I'm sure Apple will out-do my humble hopes and give us some great new stuff with 10.3. That's basically all I can say for now.

--Fred

[Freg3000]

I know the general opinion about when 10.3 is coming out is sometime in the fall, like Jaguar did. If this is true, when is the first time we'll hear from Apple. Like, when did Apple first acknowledge Jaguar's coming, and would this give us further evidence as to when 10.3 should be announced?

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by Freg3000
I know the general opinion about when 10.3 is coming out is sometime in the fall, like Jaguar did. If this is true, when is the first time we'll hear from Apple. Like, when did Apple first acknowledge Jaguar's coming, and would this give us further evidence as to when 10.3 should be announced?
Jaguar got its big unveiling at the less than impressive MWNY back in July. Considering the fact that Apple's participation in this year's summer expo is still in question, I'd just expect a general announcement through Apple.com sometime this summer (June, July, August, depending on the release month).

Anyway, as features go, here's just a few things on my mind:
- I'd really like Apple to make Developers able to create full menu bar menus. I'm not a developer, but I do use Konfabulator, and would love to be able to move its menu bar icon to the right of the time. I don't know if Apple will do this, but I'd like it.
- I hope we see iTunes 4 before 10.3, I just don't want to have to wait that long.
- I don't know what it'll be, but Apple will probably include some kind of seemingly useless but cool feature al la Inkwell.

[RBMaraman]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
Considering the fact that Apple's participation in this year's summer expo is still in question.


Actually, it's not in question. Apple will be participating in this year's MacWorld New York, but they won't be participating in MacWorld Boston in the summer of 2004.

As for 10.3 features, I'd really like to see:
1. iChat 2.
2. New version of Mail.
3. iCal 2.

[cubist]

I'd like to see something to make Applescript falling-off-a-log easy. Applescript Studio ain't it. Script Editor is too hard. I want something to whip up simple database apps in minutes, and have them be able to read, insert and modify records in iCal and Address Book. It should have forms and views.

[Adurbe]

It may seem obvious but for me I'd like to see speed :-)

also apple will undouptedly include x11 into the OS

[nuckinfutz]

10.3 Would Rock if it had.

Totally revamped Cocoa Finder.

New Filesystem with a built in Database and outstand Metadata support.

Kernel Clustering with no need for special versions of applications to take advantage.

Outstanding Audio with support for Dolby Digital, DTS, MLP(DVD-Audio) mLAN, SACD with SPDIF outs.

Quartz Extreme 2- More components of the GUI offloaded to AGP card.

Themes- Offer and API for easy and safe Theming(fat chance I know)

Virtual Desktops for multiple family households using the same 'puter.

[mnkeybsness]

Originally posted by cubist
I'd like to see something to make Applescript falling-off-a-log easy. Applescript Studio ain't it. Script Editor is too hard. I want something to whip up simple database apps in minutes, and have them be able to read, insert and modify records in iCal and Address Book. It should have forms and views.

once you learn the applescript language that kind of stuff shouldn't be too trivial...just like programming in ANY language...don't be so lazy

[Chomolungma]

remember System 9 and previous systems, where you can label folders (i.e. color code folder icons). It is such a convenient tool for my work. Paying Label X, $10 for this feature? Give me a break!:mad:

[Bear]

Actually for a fall release, most of the feature decisions would have been made for 10.3 already.

Where the unknowns are is a small project that squeeks in. Or a project that can't be complete in time. In general a feature that falls off will probably make it into a point release soon afterwards.

However, this thread makes for a good general OS X feature wishlist. And we know Apple reads the rumor sites.

[Bear]

Originally posted by Chomolungma
remember System 9 and previous systems, where you can label folders (i.e. color code folder icons). It is such a convenient tool for my work. Paying Label X, $10 for this feature? Give me a break!:mad:
You're right that this feature should be there. However $10 is not a bad price if you need the feature.

Somewhere else I read 10.3 should have the label feature back in. I guess we'll know in a few months.

[mac15]

Heres a list of a features here as discussed on funmac.com forums which we obtained from a source (http://www.funmac.com/showthread.php?threadid=964)

[samsflagdrummer]

All I really want is speedier access to any/everything and compatibility with the 970. Windows emulation would not be bad either (at all) as long as they include DirectX so we can play windows games. Also I think they should somehow incorporate all the iLife apps into the OS a little more, and maybe into one single iLife app.

[FattyMembrane]

Originally posted by mac15
Heres a list of a features here as discussed on funmac.com forums which we obtained from a source (http://www.funmac.com/showthread.php?threadid=964)
most of that list sounds like pure speculation. if we assume that 10.3 will arrive in late august/early september, that gives us about 6 months. safari will probably be at 1.0 by then, certainly not 2.0. although i'm sure webcore will be more integrated (sherlock/helpviewer), safari is a seperate application and can't get much more integrated (they can add features to communicate to other iapps, but that's about it). QuickTime 6.5 is a pure stab in the dark (notice that there are no features listed) based on the assumption that quicktime will be at a higher version number 6 months from now (not too hard to figure out). x11 is only at .2 and most end users (consumers) don't have any need for x11 software at the moment. this will come into play when it's complete, as transparent use of x apps is more feasable and you can just download an app and double click it, but not this soon. Bochs is slow, really slow, it's a long shot that apple will include windows emulation (far from impossible though) but if they do, i really doubt that it will be bochs (and please, nobody bring up wine).

third party software update, updated ichat, and cocoa finder rumors have been making the rounds for a while and are highly probable. also likely are the Junkyard file recovery technology, improvements to the bsd core (unfortunately,i think it will be based on freebsd 4.5, not 5.0), and improvements to rendezvous/bluetooth/wifi (via ip-over-firewire etc.).

there is another thread on this topic here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16836&highlight=10.3

[Bear]

Originally posted by samsflagdrummer
...
Also I think they should somehow incorporate all the iLife apps into the OS a little more, and maybe into one single iLife app.
NO! NO! NO!

Making iLife one big application would have a log of negative effects.
Require more memory to run.
Makes debugging of problems harder.
Utilizes system resources that other applications might put to better use.
If there is a problem and you need to restart iLife, you could lose everything you were working on.
Updates to larger programs take longer to get out the door.
With the size iLife would be, almost every update would wind up being a paid update.

I run iTunes almost constantly. However, I don't use the other iLife apps that much.

Better integration between the iLife apps and the iApps in general wouldn't be that bad. However, if the integration gets too high, you're going to run into having to upgrade all your iLife apps at the same time.

Ever see what happens on a windows box if Internet Explorer crashes? You pretty much have to restart the system to make it usable again.

[Adurbe]

I agree fully with bear that ilife should be seperate apps in order to save resources

however I disagree with fatty over x11, I think we the consumers do need x11. The ability to run open office for example has saved me a fortune! :D :D
It means I dont have to BUY M$ office, I am a CompSci student and for me every quid counts....
(for those that dont know 'quid' is slang for £1)

Another example is 'Gimp' which is cheaper then photoshop, lets face it I dont NEED all of photoshop to edit a simple picture..... ;)

[howard]

i want itunes 4 with support for everything, and some features to be added

1. playcount in the browse windows that adds the total for the albumns. and also the total for the artist

2. i want it to add up all the times for each song and calculate how much time you've listened to itunes and such and such a song...lots of details!!!


basically i want tons of statistics!! i love statistics!!!!

is there anyway you could do these sorts of things with applescript or some sort of program?? i'm not very knowledgable about that sort of thing

[lyoung-aptos]

I would like to see a screen locking function (maybe in conjunction with the Virtual Desktop). It would allow the screen to be preserved without having to log off to avoid the system from being used by non-authorized users.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by lyoung-aptos
I would like to see a screen locking function (maybe in conjunction with the Virtual Desktop). It would allow the screen to be preserved without having to log off to avoid the system from being used by non-authorized users.

ala the energy saver password option?

[FattyMembrane]

Originally posted by Adurbe
I disagree with fatty over x11, I think we the consumers do need x11. The ability to run open office for example has saved me a fortune! Another example is 'Gimp' which is cheaper then photoshop
i agree that there is a definite consumer base for x11 tools, i'm running x11 and the gimp too :). but anyone who has installed either xdarwin/applex11, fink, the gimp, and other tools is a more advanced user than a lot of the mac public. fairly soon, it will be pretty easy to download x11 apps as a self contained package that can be double clicked like any other application and launch x11 (oroborusx kind of does this). this is the kind of simplicity most users need. i have no doubt that apple will integrate x11 once their implimentation is complete and allow transparent functioning of x apps, similar to the way java is handled. i would really like this to happen in 10.3, but given the state of the project right now, it may not happen that soon.

one feature that may be very likely is a new filesystem. apple recently hired the guy who designed the BFS (the filesystem from the BeOS) and microsoft is touting it's fabulous sql based filesystem (wasn't that huge worm a few weeks ago due to xp sql?). i think it's likely to see a new fs with the fragmentation resistancy of UFS, the journaling, databasing, and speed capabilities of the BFS and the metadata support of HFS+.

[me_94501]

Originally posted by lyoung-aptos
I would like to see a screen locking function (maybe in conjunction with the Virtual Desktop). It would allow the screen to be preserved without having to log off to avoid the system from being used by non-authorized users.
Oh, but you can! Here's how:
1) Launch Keychain Access.
2) From the view menu, select "Show Status in Menu Bar" A small padlock will appear on the right side of the menu bar. Through the menu, you can lock the screen (it will turn on your screen saver and ask for your username password when you try to wake it) and lock/unlock your keychain.

[Jaykay]

Originally posted by me_94501
Oh, but you can! Here's how:
1) Launch Keychain Access.
2) From the view menu, select "Show Status in Menu Bar" A small padlock will appear on the right side of the menu bar. Through the menu, you can lock the screen (it will turn on your screen saver and ask for your username password when you try to wake it) and lock/unlock your keychain.

Hey i hadnt thought of that, nice one, thanks.

[FelixDerKater]

It would be nice if the "Record" function in Script Editor would work with the Finder.

[iJon]

but windows has something that you guys arent mentioning. in windows you can log off and keep other programs running. the mac you can lock the screen, but thats it. i dont use that feature at all on my xp machine, but im sure if i had multiple people using it i would.

iJon

[Sol]

10.3 should have networking over FireWire, a feature that was briefly possible last year until Apple pulled the application from its servers.

Network rendering should be a no-brainer for any application that renders media (XGrid maybe?).

I would expect Apple to include a simple audio-recording application since there are only 3rd-party solutions for this at present.

DVD Player should be completely re-written. With the current incarnation it is not possible to drag the video window over to a second monitor (despite this being possible with the OS 9 version). Surround sound should also be decoded by this application and it would not be a bad idea to include an efficient EQ as well (don't write to me about Audio Hijack, it has a 1 second delay).

iTunes is also long overdue for MP4 compatibility.

I would also like to see an iVideo or something like that. This imaginary application would rip video from DVDs as easilly as iTunes rips Audio CDs. Macrovision piracy-protection be damned, I pay for all my DVDs.

QuickTime should be able to output most formats through a connected camera. I know an application called MovieOut can do this but the performance would be a lot better if QuickTime had this feature built-in.

We have a Classic layer, we have X11, why not have a layer for x86? With Virtual PC now a property of Microsoft it would be in Apple's best interests to offer optimised Windows compatibility for those applications that have no Mac versions. A lot of people need to use specific accounting software for example and I am sure any recent Mac can handle those through emulation.

A better Dock. The current version needs 3rd party utilities to change its colour, shadow, outline etc. Shrunk windows from applications should not take another spot on the Dock, they should go on top of that application's original icon. More animations would also go down well. Rather than bouncing, the icons should be rotating.

Finder sounds - they give the computer so much more personality.

As stated above by other posters, Finder labels should make a return. This was a feature of the OS 9 Finder that I really apprecieted and it should have been part of OS X from the beginning.

Anyway, those are my suggestions on how to make the best OS even better. I sure hope Apple is listening.

[iJon]

Originally posted by Sol
10.3 should have networking over FireWire, a feature that was briefly possible last year until Apple pulled the application from its servers.

its still up, i just went and downloaded it.

iJon

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Sol
10.3 should have networking over FireWire, a feature that was briefly possible last year until Apple pulled the application from its servers.

Why would you want to network over firewire? Last time I checked 800Mb/s is still slower then 1Gb/s.

[jimjiminyjim]

Originally posted by FelixDerKater
It would be nice if the "Record" function in Script Editor would work with the Finder.

That would make syncronization of my address book and iCal between my home mac and work mac a lot easier (without a shareware or .Mac cost).

And audio support, where is the audio support? Time stamps, please (refer to Wildcat Canyon's software's reason for discontinued development of Mac software: http://www.wildcat.com/Site/Autoscore/AutoscoreMacDisc.htm

[idkew]

Originally posted by nuckinfutz
10.3 Would Rock if it had.

Virtual Desktops for multiple family households using the same 'puter.


just have each home user have their own user on the computer. then they have all their OWN preferences, desktops....

[MacBandit]

I personally want OSX to remember my open folders, windows, and apps. When I logout or shutdown. That way when I login or startup I can go right back to where I left off. Also it would be nice to have the ability to leave an app running while you logoff to let another user use the computer.

[idkew]

Originally posted by MacBandit
I personally want OSX to remember my open folders, windows, and apps. When I logout or shutdown. That way when I login or startup I can go right back to where I left off. Also it would be nice to have the ability to leave an app running while you logoff to let another user use the computer.


agreed. that should be a feature.

[nuckinfutz]

Originally posted by MacBandit
Why would you want to network over firewire? Last time I checked 800Mb/s is still slower then 1Gb/s.

Tis True but not every Mac has Gigabit Ethernet nor the option.

Apple will avoid and PC Emulation like the plague. It's a lose/lose situation. Even if you implement it well enough you've just burdened your Tech Support now with supporting another OS...one which is tough enough on dedicated hardware.

For 10.3 Apple needs to.

Fix the Finder. It needs to be faster and more cohesive. Spatial characterstics need improvement.

Look to a new FS. I love the idea of integrating a Database into the Filesystem for fast lookups. Apple should beat Microsoft to the punch on this just like Quartz Extreme.

Fix the backend of the iApps. It's distressing that the iApps seem so small but their performance leaves alot to be desired. Something behind the scenes needs to be optimized.

Revamp Applescript. What a terrific Technology Apple has and is neglecting. The promise of hitting a record button and recording scripts is a Holy Grail. Applescript should be as pervasive as Apple can make it .

Audio- Coreaudio has given the Mac new Audio life. Let's extend that to consumer audio as well. License DD and DTS. Rewrite DVD Player to support these and output multichannel audio via FW800.

[Kwyjibo]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
- I'd really like Apple to make Developers able to create full menu bar menus. I'm not a developer, but I do use Konfabulator, and would love to be able to move its menu bar icon to the right of the time. I don't know if Apple will do this, but I'd like it.

all oyu need to do is hold down control and drag it to whereever you want :)

[shakespeare]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
all oyu need to do is hold down control and drag it to whereever you want :)

Ummm....

That's not quite so. Apple's menu bar items you can move by command-dragging them (not control-dragging), but since Konfabulator isn't really a menu bar item, it doesn't work like that.

What were you imagining?

[jimjiminyjim]

The print manager drives me nuts. Why, when the majority of macintosh users have only one printer (sure, I'm guessing, but it's probably true...)must the print manager require you to double click "which" printer you are using? From an intuitive company, that is quite counter-productive. Not very good for the average user.

My suggestion: Instant access to "Hold Jobs, Start Jobs, Delete, Resume, etc." when you have only one printer (or only one printer plugged in).

[shakespeare]

Another utility application which gets on my nerves is the Help Center. I haven't heard people complain about it lately, but it's just as bad as it ever was, and it prevents me from wanting to read applications' help files, even if I need the assistance.