I feel like I've lost my Mac

[MH01]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_NT_3.1

I was able to sign up and get windows 3.1 and windows NT back in the day, I forget if I was invited for win 3.1 but the wiki does show that they had public betas for NT

Just from my memory the Window 7 was by far the biggest and open Beta they did, and unique in the way it was implemented.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ws-7-had-8-million-testers-biggest-beta-ever/

I wish they had it for windows 8, we could have got 8.1 features earlier which greatly improved on 8.

 

[zorinlynx]

My biggest problem from just seeing the Yosemite interface so far (I've not yet used it) is that it seems to look lousy on non-retina displays.

Thing is, I spend most of my computer-using time in front of an iMac that DOESN'T HAVE a retina display and isn't even available brand new with one.

This is a problem that, if you are using a desktop iMac at the moment, you literally cannot even buy your way out of! They should make sure the interface looks good on all displays. Use different fonts and slightly different icons if necessary. The new WiFi icon looks lousy on non-retina too.

 

[creativedogmedia]

I get that it's a beta but surely the folks behind Yosemite (and iOS8) experience the same type of obvious, in your face, bugs. I would think it would benefit Apple much more to eliminate/solve what I'd view as the easy bugs and use betas to really get the less visible (yet still important) issues resolved....Outlook for Mac 2011 won't show...I can click it, the beginning banner starts up and initializes my identity but then blank screen....All of the menu functionality works across the top and those windows even appear...just the main inbox/calendar/contacts section isn't visible. That issue alone is going to prevent me from providing key feedback to apple on how to improve this product.

I rebuilt the database and that didn't solve the issue...still not able to actually get into my inbox.

 

[macpro2000]

I've just finished a TM restore back to Mavericks. The new UI just isn't for me.

Me too. The OP is so right as far as the icons are concerned. They look terrible, like 8 bit.

 

[GlenK]

This may be the first OS I pass on. So far nothing looks that good.

 

[pmz]

The design quality is just so unApple :-(

Considering...THEY MADE IT....and I'm gonna have to go ahead and say... No.

 

[haydn!]

I guess the reason it's going to be the hardest beta to work with is because it's the biggest visual change since Mac OS X was introduced, like what 13 years ago?

And with a visual overhaul like this, you're going to get more of those frustrating bugs that are more 'obvious' to the experience and eye.

 

[Hugh]

I get that it's a beta but surely the folks behind Yosemite (and iOS8) experience the same type of obvious, in your face, bugs. I would think it would benefit Apple much more to eliminate/solve what I'd view as the easy bugs and use betas to really get the less visible (yet still important) issues resolved....Outlook for Mac 2011 won't show...I can click it, the beginning banner starts up and initializes my identity but then blank screen....All of the menu functionality works across the top and those windows even appear...just the main inbox/calendar/contacts section isn't visible. That issue alone is going to prevent me from providing key feedback to apple on how to improve this product.

The problem of Outlook not working isn't an Apple problem, it's Microsoft. Microsoft will have to update Outlook for the newer OS, not the other way around.

 

[mmomega]

Just wondering how many more people will change over as soon as they enable dark mode in the DP's.

This build is "good enough" to test which is why it is being used.
The purpose is to do things you normally do, if it doesn't work then you report it back to Apple for them to make fixes to the problems.

If you aren't going to contribute I don't see why even bother with an OS made for bug testing. Just wait until the GM.

I'm still amazed by the amount of folks (not everyone) that somehow think a beta OS is ready to be their main OS.

You can install OS X on an external USB drive, do that and boot to it, if problems happen, no harm no foul.

 

[bkar89]

I have a 15" rMBP hooked up to a 27" Thunderbolt Display. And i can't really say i notice the any font issues on the thunderbolt display. The Wifi symbol is a bit thin, but the same goes for the retina display.

Only thing that bothers me are some graphical bugs in the UI, but that'll get sorted out.

I like the unity between iOS and OSX now. It'll be even better when the continuity features work.

 

[dBeats]

...
If you aren't going to contribute I don't see why even bother with an OS made for bug testing. Just wait until the GM.

...

You can install OS X on an external USB drive, do that and boot to it, if problems happen, no harm no foul.

Exactly, it's not rocket science. Use an external drive to test, especially DP1s.

Here's what I usually do:

Get my handy USB external drive larger than my internal SSD (thunderbolt also works)
Boot Mac into Recovery mode.
Plug in USB/Thunderbolt drive
Go to disk utilities
Restore my internal drive image TO the external drive (make sure you get the direction correct!!!)
Exit and reboot back to my internal drive
Run DP Installer, select external drive as the target.
30 minutes later I'm running the latest OS on my USB drive while my internal drive is safe and untouched.

 

[TsunamiTheClown]

I'm still amazed by the amount of folks (not everyone) that somehow think a beta OS is ready to be their main OS.

This. Why not just install on a non-critical mac if you just want to kick the tires?

 

[dmccloud]

Ummm no they haven't. They certainly didn't have a public beta for '95 and '98, NT, 2K or XP. It was invitation only.

Microsoft has had public betas since at least Windows XP - they called them Consumer Previews - I know that I got the XP, XP x64, Vista, 7, and 8 betas through that program, and I've never been a TechNet or MSDN subscriber.

 

[mmomega]

Microsoft has had public betas since at least Windows XP - they called them Consumer Previews - I know that I got the XP, XP x64, Vista, 7, and 8 betas through that program, and I've never been a TechNet or MSDN subscriber.

I've been in MSDN since 2000 and I barely can get my hands on my version before it was all over the internet. Win XP was a grand example of an OS that pirates had a final copy of before many people had even heard about it and when the DRM craze really took off. O' Whistler, that was so long ago.

 

[cocky jeremy]

It reminds me of the first iOS 7 betas. Very unstable.

Everything has been pretty good for me so far. A little lag in Spotlight and Safari, and a few glitches, but overall it's been ok.

 

[ErikGrim]

Everything has been pretty good for me so far. A little lag in Spotlight and Safari, and a few glitches, but overall it's been ok.

It’s very very good for a first DP. And all the new visual updates just fades away as you use it. Just as you expect an OS to do.

 

[dmccloud]

It’s very very good for a first DP. And all the new visual updates just fades away as you use it. Just as you expect an OS to do.

This - I found that after the initial adjustment, it feels no different from Mavericks in terms of utility, and the design fades into the background rather than distracting from it.

 

[happyslayer]

I feel like I must be running a whole different beta compared to some of you. I am on a 2013 MBA 11". I was running the latest 10.9.3 developer release. I just downloaded and upgraded to Yosemite the moment it became available. I've had absolutely no problems. I think the icons look good (personal opinion, I know) and the new font looks great. I really have no big problem seeing anything on my screen--maybe it's the retina screens that are hard to see?

My apps all work so far including: Scrivener, MS Office 2011 (including Outlook), iStat Menus, DropBox, iWork, iTunes, Chrome & Firefox. Both my printers (a networked Brother laser and a networked HP AIO) work fine. I am not sure why some of you are having issues. I've not noticed any lag other than it seems the notification center can stutter a tiny bit the first time I slide it open after it sleeps or I restart. Also, I can move my icons around in the dock (somebody earlier said they couldn't.)

Maybe a fresh install would help for those of you having issues? Though, again, I did not do a clean install; I just upgraded what I was on.

My only complaints so far are, the tiny dots that show which apps are open and the SpotLight window appearing in the center of my screen--I liked it better in the corner.

 

[scrmtrey]

I have tried, but the font is tearing itself. Rough edges, like i am using the screen from iphone2g.

Will wait till fall.

 

[soundslikeaudio]

I really hope they make the spotlight position configurable. I do not like having it in the middle, without a doubt this is my biggest complaint about the UI changes.

Overall I really like the UI update. It's been a long time coming, and I feel like a lot of people have been asking for this very thing. I also very much like that it brings Mac OS and iOS closer in terms of UI design. Now if 10.11 can bring the mythical new file system, I think the guy who does the Ars Technica reviews will finally be happy . I feel like if Apple can shock us all with a new programming language, which no one saw coming when they announced Swift, they definitely could have a new file system up their sleeve. And with their huge push into cloud storage with iCloud Drive, they need a new file system now more than ever, for their own use as well as for end users. They're going to need a lot of the data integrity features, etc present in ZFS to ensure both the safety of user's data, and to minimize the bandwidth needs for iCloud drive synchronization. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MacMan988]

I came back to Mavericks. I was also tempted to try the beta but soon realized that it is too buggy to use (I'm fine with using a beta software even through if it has few bugs here and there).

When I launched Yosemite for the first time, Safari and Launch Pad icons were not visible, although I can click to launch them. Fans were screaming and UserEventAgent was at 114%.

Recent Apple software releases (stable) were anyway buggy. So, their beta releases HAS TO BE buggy right? lol