Chobit - the videos on Apple.com are actually from an older build... a lot is still being worked out and I suspect the GUI will change a lot from now to the final release.
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Dashboard Exposed
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Widgets are today's DAs
Actually I think Apple took something very old in the Mac OS and updated it. These widgests totally look and feel like as if someone said, "What if we applied Core Image and Expose to those old DAs from the early, early Mac OS?"
Sure Konfab may be similar to this, but you can't lock down Apple and tell them they can't evolve anything in their system if someone else has already made progress in that area.
Just like Watson to Sherlock, Apple would've developed these from evolution of existing features had the other developer not existed.
I think there are many of us who tried Konfab and didn't care for it for a variety of reasons, but are now excited and will probably use the widgets.
atari1356 said:
Actually I think Apple took something very old in the Mac OS and updated it. These widgests totally look and feel like as if someone said, "What if we applied Core Image and Expose to those old DAs from the early, early Mac OS?"
Sure Konfab may be similar to this, but you can't lock down Apple and tell them they can't evolve anything in their system if someone else has already made progress in that area.
Just like Watson to Sherlock, Apple would've developed these from evolution of existing features had the other developer not existed.
I think there are many of us who tried Konfab and didn't care for it for a variety of reasons, but are now excited and will probably use the widgets.
mdriftmeyer said:
I think you are misinformed. Konfabulator is not written in JavaScript itself, it just presents a JavaScript API for widget developers to use. It is the equivalent of the browser, not the JavaScript site. And yes, hypertext existed before the web, but that doesn't make the web any less revolutionary.
It's the combination of an easy API, desktop integration, handy default tools, and the hope of a developer community around widgets that makes it so similar. OpenDoc had some of these features. System 4.2 Desktop Accessories had some. Hypercard had some. But no one brought it all together until Konfabulator.
And now Apple steals it, and-- get this-- announces it at a *developers conference*. How much more tacky and insulting can you get? Do you want to encourage developers or shoot them?
Here's to hoping the Dashboard API is ignored by developers with a concience.
I don't care how "useless" it is, I personally like eye candy and this looks sweet. I think there is enough of a difference between this and konfabulator. I'm looking at dashboard for what IT is, not what it resembles. Because konfab produces javascript widgets does that mean that nobody else should? Why wait around for someone else to maybe produce a killer product, when you have the capabilities and insight to do it right now?
reaper said:Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'll really have any use for these "widgets" that float in some strange "layer" on top of my desktop. Hopefully, Apple will prove me wrong, but since I have no basis for comparison (I have never used konfabulator) I am skeptical for now.
The eye candy does indeed look nice, don't get me wrong (especially that ripple effect) I just hope that form is not getting ahead of function here.
- reaper
From the small demo I have seen the Dashboard appears to have the one feature that keeps me from using Konfabulator. It appears that it will be connected to Expose and have its own key so that if I press said key I will suddenly see all of my "widgets" and choose the one that I want to work with. Currently the only way to do this with Konfabulator is to attach the widgets to the desktop and press F11. The problem with this is that you can not see the stuff under the widgets at that point.
The Dashboard solution appears to solve all of these problems.
One last thing, the widgets that are the actual parts of Konfabulator that the user uses are made by third parties that may or may not support and update them. With Dashboard we will have Apple supported widgets that will continue to work.
Frank
I think that my biggest concern with this whole "dashboard" thing is that it really makes life confusing for newbs.
"Where's my freakin' Address book???"
It could be in the Dock... or in the Apps folder... or just a part of "Dashboard!"
Apple hasn't exactly been consistent with where these little apps should be over the past few OSX revisions. Here's to hoping they actually stick with this system for a while, at least.
"Where's my freakin' Address book???"
It could be in the Dock... or in the Apps folder... or just a part of "Dashboard!"
Apple hasn't exactly been consistent with where these little apps should be over the past few OSX revisions. Here's to hoping they actually stick with this system for a while, at least.
amen on the resource hog post for konfabulator. From the video that I watched, this looks to be a part of expose that I could really use. I didn't buy konfabulator because of the widgets taking up so much screen space. This may just be what I want so I can pull them up whenever I want them
I don't think so....
There is an inherent risk for the developers of Konfabulator and similar enhancements. Windows users will remember WinFax. A useful utility that made a lot of money until Microsoft included faxing in their OS. There is a limited window of opportunity for this type of development and it requires that you always be one step ahead of the OS. Konfabulator's time has come. Move on.
~iGuy
Booga said:
There is an inherent risk for the developers of Konfabulator and similar enhancements. Windows users will remember WinFax. A useful utility that made a lot of money until Microsoft included faxing in their OS. There is a limited window of opportunity for this type of development and it requires that you always be one step ahead of the OS. Konfabulator's time has come. Move on.
~iGuy
This is simplistic
Gee, the WWW is a ripoff of FTP. Why, the ability to transfer files from one computer to another, to view files from remote location</sarcasm off>.
Your comment is stupid. Yes, a clock has been invented but the technique konfabulator used is new. By your logic Java is a ripoff because there has been programming languages before it. I guess people should stop innovating now.. nothing is new. Wow!!.
Gee, the WWW is a ripoff of FTP. Why, the ability to transfer files from one computer to another, to view files from remote location</sarcasm off>.
Your comment is stupid. Yes, a clock has been invented but the technique konfabulator used is new. By your logic Java is a ripoff because there has been programming languages before it. I guess people should stop innovating now.. nothing is new. Wow!!.
narco said:
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Guest
Hmm 1st half of 2005 and is a 64-bit OS, something tell me that we shall see a PB G5 and an iMac G5(if not discontinued) by next year.
Dashboard looks alright nothing wild about it unless I can create and customise the look of the widgets. And creating and personalising my own Apple Widgets would also be neat.
the AddressBook in the widgets, along with the all the other widgets looks ugly.
A simple solution to skins
Dashboard looks alright nothing wild about it unless I can create and customise the look of the widgets. And creating and personalising my own Apple Widgets would also be neat.
the AddressBook in the widgets, along with the all the other widgets looks ugly.
A simple solution to skins
Dashboard is starting to look useful to me, i might actually use the stickies and the calculator if they are so easily accessible instead of their current implentation
I tried konfabulator yesterday after all the talk about it and deleted it pretty quickly. I like quick access to my calculator and my timer (for cooking, etc.) and I keep them in my dock currently, but on an iBook that's a bit of a waste of screen real estate. Konfabulator was the same basic problem. It added yet another menu bar item, unde many apps my menu is already completely full, so that's a waste. I also don't like how they just float around like oddly shaped windows. I know you can set them to different layers, but none of the options seemed to work for me. Having the widgets as a part of exposé seems like a logical, and helpful use for them, and I can't wait for Tiger. Konfabulator may have been viable for me on a desktop with more screen real estate, but I won't have one of those for a few months.
Yes, I'm sure developers saw konfabulator and took ideas from it. Big deal. Konfabulator did the same thing with earlier ideas. Apple's done it before. Every company has done it before. Open Source developers do it all the time, EVERY developer does it all the time.
edit: grammar and clarity
Yes, I'm sure developers saw konfabulator and took ideas from it. Big deal. Konfabulator did the same thing with earlier ideas. Apple's done it before. Every company has done it before. Open Source developers do it all the time, EVERY developer does it all the time.
edit: grammar and clarity
frem001 said:
Just wait till MS puts something like this in Longhorn and calls it "Windows Application Shelf"
Dashboard IS a rip-off
Sorry guys. That's just my gut reaction.
I'm REALLY disappointed, and quite frankly, SHOCKED that Apple blatantly ripped off Konfabulator. They're even calling the apps WIDGETS fer fook's sake. (I don't know the whole story with Watson and Sherlock, but hasn't this happened before?) Unbelievable. I LOVE Apple. I support them 100% in nearly everything they do, but then they turn around and do something so low, like this. I mean, couldn't they have, at the very least, PHONED the developers or something? Offered them jobs? Apple is seen as this great, progressive, friendly underdog of a company. Legally, they probably don't owe anybody anything, but if they want me to think of Apple as a truly great company...They could've handled this a little, well, more friendly.
Maybe I'm overreacting and I'm just failing to see that this is the start of something huge in which EVERYONE starts implementing widgets, changing the way we compute. But right now, I'm not liking the way this smells at all.
Sorry guys. That's just my gut reaction.
I'm REALLY disappointed, and quite frankly, SHOCKED that Apple blatantly ripped off Konfabulator. They're even calling the apps WIDGETS fer fook's sake. (I don't know the whole story with Watson and Sherlock, but hasn't this happened before?) Unbelievable. I LOVE Apple. I support them 100% in nearly everything they do, but then they turn around and do something so low, like this. I mean, couldn't they have, at the very least, PHONED the developers or something? Offered them jobs? Apple is seen as this great, progressive, friendly underdog of a company. Legally, they probably don't owe anybody anything, but if they want me to think of Apple as a truly great company...They could've handled this a little, well, more friendly.
Maybe I'm overreacting and I'm just failing to see that this is the start of something huge in which EVERYONE starts implementing widgets, changing the way we compute. But right now, I'm not liking the way this smells at all.
I could be wrong, but it looks to me like the videos posted on this thread were taken at 640x480 resolution. Just by the looks of the icons, menu bar, and dock. So yeah, the widgets are gonna look huge in this case. I'd expect they'll look nice and tiny on that 30" LCD.bertinman said:
hey cnet has about a 8 minute video of steve up on stage
http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-5250702.html?tag=ne.vid
he shows off a little bit of spotlight and the new ichat.
purty cool.
http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-5250702.html?tag=ne.vid
he shows off a little bit of spotlight and the new ichat.
purty cool.
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The menubar also looks changed it looks like an aqua styled white button, similar to the iPod and iBook casing. Did anyone catch that. Looks sleaker than the current pinstripe.
crazymac said:
I've had that little blue bar going back and forth in my quicktime window for about 5 or 10 minutes now. It's also at the 56k size despite my 3mbit connection. Apple must be trying to save bandwidth, but it doesn't seem to be helping enough. Anyone have luck with it?
wnurse said:
This is where you're wrong. WWW is not a rip-off of FTP and there are a lot of new things.
// narco