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artguy10

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 12, 2009
47
0
Predictions for Mac OS X v10.7, assuming we don't see Mac OS XI announced next year.

Name: Lion, Lynx, Cougar, or Clouded Leopard

Do you see a visual trend here that reflects actual OS improvements?:
OSXBoxes.png

First box brings major new features, second box improves. Third box brings major new features, fourth box improves. Fifth box brings major new features, sixth box improves. So I'm guessing the seventh box will bring major new features! :cool:

Special feature speculation:
*Unparalleled security thanks to the work by Ivan Krstic
*Facial recognition for security and a more involved user experience
*Blu ray support
*Significantly improved speech recognition to allow more accurate and further-reaching voice control of the computer
*Some major kind of new feature for the desktop, like visually storing groups of windows on the side maybe rather than minimized to the dock
*Boot Camp that lets both OSes be powered on, but one would be sleeping at a time, so you can instantly switch between them without waiting, while getting full hardware support, kind of like account switching is now
*Full support of NTFS and default usage of ZFS
*Windows compatibility layer
*Hulu integration with Front Row
*3G wireless cell network internet access
*iChat that can work with all kinds of different accounts, like Adium, but actually works well with video, and phone out/in calls
*Desktop spaces with unique customizable docks and backgrounds per space
*Calculator integration with Grapher
*More integration of dictionary, iCal and Address book throughout all apps, including Firefox and web apps like Google Docs and Google Calender
*Ability to integrate with and control future home security/climate/entertainment systems

Anything else totally awesome you think we might possibly get for 10.7? Do tell!
 
I'm hoping for a name like Tabby, Calico, or Siamese.

I think Blue Ray can happen, if Jobs changes his views on the licensing. I think 3G support is likely. An Air with built in 3G would be sweet. I'm not so sure about the third party software support. Both Apple and MS seem wary of having built in third party software. That way, they don't have to support it, and can push issues to the software maker.
 
10.7 Wishlist

Ok folks we're on 2 year OS cycles and 10.6 was primarily optimization so Apple needs to start discussions about 10.7 a year from now at WWDC 2010. 10.7 is going to be a full featured release so it's full pop at $129 so it has to have new features.

1. New user interface

Apple will finally update the UI. They will attempt to replace most of the icons and widgets with scalable formats to reduce the amount of distinct files. The UI will have a nice and polished look. Is it Marble? Who knows? But it does lead to the next feature.

2. Resolution Independence

The UI will scale up or down depending on your preference. If you have a 30" monitor running at 25k x 16k you will no longer have to suffer through nano sized text. Graphics will stay sharp at a wide dynamic range of sizes.

3. Global Metadata

Did you like the work you did to input keywords in iPhoto or Aperture? Did you wish you could extend those keywords to 3rd party apps or use the Media Browser to search for files based on keyword. Global Metadata is going to allow you to input your own custom data that will be searchable system wide and will be searchable over a network. The race to the flattest folder structure is on.

4. New filesystem

Apple is either going to replace HFS+ with ZFS or miraculously come up with their own homegrown solution. It'll be fully buzzword compliant with snapshops, modern volume management and variable block size with compression and have clever hooks into the system. It'll be optimized for SSD.

5 Improved notification and Software Update

Not only will Apple feature a new notification system like Growl but they will tie this into Software Update which will finally enable support for 3rd party applications. So basically you will be able to coalesce system and 3rd party updates and download and install in a batch. The nifty part is that say a 3rd party app totally craps out on you ...you have snapshots and can simply "roll back" to the last good version of that app. Apple will also get rid of the need for "helper" apps running and eating up memory and CPU resources. Much like the iPhone there will be a notifcation system that apps tie into reducing the need for apps to run "helper" apps constantly. Instead the app will listen to the notification server and will respond to requests for its services and launch the app or service appropriately.
 
I sure hope they include PPC support. It'll piss me off if I go out and buy a new PowerBook G5 only to find out it's not supported by 10.7.
 
What I would love to see is 10.7 Server to include whatever Apple's answer to Microsoft Exchange will be.

ZFS (or maybe BtrFS) as the standard File System.

Better multitouch support.

Some changes to the interface and, of course, increased snappiness.
 
Gotta second the OP's request for improved Speech Recognition.

I've used recent versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and I was actually impressed with how accurate it was especially after a week of installing custom words.

The killer feature there is linking voice commands to Macros. Now imagine Apple allowing you to link to Applescript and Automator actions. Powerful.

Baremetal Virtualization-

Bootcamp is nice but let me run OS X , Windows and Linux etc on top of something like a low rent ESX.
 
ZFS boot standard across user and server versions.
Blu Ray support (personally don't care but it needs to be done).
Much better Windows support and compatibility in businesses.
iChat to support MSN, Skype plus HD 720p video chat.
New release of iTunes built from the ground up.
Make sure every single app that ships with OS X is Cocoa, 64 bit and fully optimized to take advantage of Grand Central and OpenCL.
Pay Nvidia and ATI a shed load of cash and get some decent graphics drivers.
 
The killer feature there is linking voice commands to Macros. Now imagine Apple allowing you to link to Applescript and Automator actions. Powerful.

Yes, yes, yes.:cool::cool::cool: The WIMP (Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pointing-device) interface is so outdated.:p I already talk to my computer; it'd be nice if it understood what I said.:D
 
Why do I have this feeling that MacOS X 10.6 may be the last major development of the MacOS X line?

I (in my humble opinion!) wouldn't be surprised that Apple will announce the before the end of 2009 the development of MacOS XI 11.0, the first major OS architectural change in the MacOS design since the original MacOS X 10.0 with full ZFS support and the "Marble" interface standard. With beta kits becoming available to developers by WWDC in June 2010....
 
Gotta second the OP's request for improved Speech Recognition.

I've used recent versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and I was actually impressed with how accurate it was especially after a week of installing custom words.

The killer feature there is linking voice commands to Macros. Now imagine Apple allowing you to link to Applescript and Automator actions. Powerful.

Baremetal Virtualization-

Bootcamp is nice but let me run OS X , Windows and Linux etc on top of something like a low rent ESX.

Kinda reminds me of the ability to completely trash your computer quickly by saying something. Wasn't there a conference where a member in the audience shouted a psuedocommand to show the potential problems of catching things as commands that weren't intended to be actioned?

Anyways - as for 10.7 - If Snow Leopard doesn't get it -
ARM support
Then tablet support - the ability to use the OS through a touch only system.
Wish they'd got zcam (project Natal) but we'll see.
Ability to link to wireless hardware accessories that link to iPhone apps, to basically run iPhone apps on your Mac.
Pseudo 3D support maybe for AppleTV
Work on using GPUs
Better integration between iPhone and Mac (apps, remote control, syncing, etc etc).
As mentioned - sensors - like home security or whatever the predominate snesosr system prevails.

(Just wondering - could you hack an automateor voice control? If you could get your speakers output to be picked up by the mic, and basically train the voice recognition software to recognise the built in voices.... build an automation of command to voice to coive recognition to doing what command was input?)
 
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