Dashboard Feature Eliminated in macOS Catalina

[farewelwilliams]

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I really doubt that. Apple rarely backpedals on anything, and when it does it's because of a HUGE outcry.

I don't think this qualifies.

can't make a huge outcry if people are still using Dashboard. and not really backpedaling but rather improving it.

regardless, i highly doubt that notification center widgets will stay like their current form for the next 5-10 years. it'll get updated.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

can't make a huge outcry if people are still using Dashboard. and not really backpedaling but rather improving it.

regardless, i highly doubt that notification center widgets will stay like their current form for the next 5-10 years. it'll get updated.

They are eliminating the Dashboard (in favor of Notification Center, maybe?). Bringing it back would be a backpedal.

I figure that I'm in the minority here regarding the feature, so raising hell over it is kinda useless. Letting go of things you like in Apple devices is an Apple staple.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I thought they stopped supporting QuickTime years ago?

It’s still on the Mac tho.

 

[bgiuriceo]

I use it every day with a swipe. It would be a big productivity loss for me. Maybe a different container other than notifications would work, tied to the standard Apple apps would work but it's dissapointing to see it go.

 

[Micky Do]

How many do you count? 50 on this board? How much does that translate in actual percentage among all macOS? Your meaning of "plenty" doesn't really translate to anything concrete.

Dashboard was disabled by default back in 2014. Millions of new users have been added to the macOS install base since then. Most developers have stopped supporting dashboard widgets in favor of today widgets.
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i don't doubt the screen real estate of dashboard allows for more information. but the lack of discoverability for new users and the lack of updates by most dashboard developers highly suggest that most users have moved on to the today widgets.
[doublepost=1559760477][/doublepost]

You argue that I'm using my own "confirmation bias", yet you list out your own single experience and use it as the opinion for "what is best for the rest of us".

Wow.

BTW, I'm not the one assuming what is best for everyone. Apple is.

Correct that millions of new users of MacOS are probably not even aware of Dashboard's existence, but still no evidence that only a very small number of long time Mac users make use of it. Here on this thread we have plenty of comments and opinions from but a few of those who do find Dashboard useful.

My use of "plenty" is an opinion based on evidence I see on this thread and my experience. It is not intended to be concrete. You are indeed using your own "confirmation basis" and ignoring the experience of others to give your opinion on what you feel "is best for the rest of us".

 

[donpromillo]

I hope nothing else besides 32-bit apps, iTunes, and Dashboard gets on the chopping block. I still use Automator for example.

It is relatively quiet about Automator updates lately... likely that Shortcuts app might replacing Automator in the future.
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They are eliminating the Dashboard (in favor of Notification Center, maybe?). Bringing it back would be a backpedal.

... imagine Notification center as full screen and adjusted opacity ;-)

 

[merelo]

That's sad, I have a button that shows or hides files and folders

 

[ignatius345]

You skipped the part about future updates. Apple can change it in the future. Who knows, maybe swiping in the notification center presents a full screen overview of your notifications and all of your widgets.

If you're gonna start throwing pie in the sky "future updates" around, sure! And maybe there'll be a hologram projector so Notification Center can hover in space above your monitor. Who knows!

The point here is that Dashboard has provided a ton of useful real estate which can be invoked very very quickly by adding a layer above what you're working on, instead of an awkward little strip off to the side.

 

[farewelwilliams]

If you're gonna start throwing pie in the sky "future updates" around, sure! And maybe there'll be a hologram projector so Notification Center can hover in space above your monitor. Who knows!

The point here is that Dashboard has provided a ton of useful real estate which can be invoked very very quickly by adding a layer above what you're working on, instead of an awkward little strip off to the side.

Apple gave you 5 years to ditch it. It was super obvious it's going away. You're acting like this is a surprise action by Apple.
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Correct that millions of new users of MacOS are probably not even aware of Dashboard's existence, but still no evidence that only a very small number of long time Mac users make use of it. Here on this thread we have plenty of comments and opinions from but a few of those who do find Dashboard useful.

My use of "plenty" is an opinion based on evidence I see on this thread and my experience. It is not intended to be concrete. You are indeed using your own "confirmation basis" and ignoring the experience of others to give your opinion on what you feel "is best for the rest of us".

You stated number of users on this forum and your personal experience as a counter-argument to my "very small number" statement. How was I not supposed to take this as concrete? If not concrete, what does it mean in regards to my "very small number" statement? Doesn't make sense.

Your experience in this thread and your personal experience doesn't have anymore weight of evidence than my experience and the majority of users in this thread saying that they don't use it anymore. Yet, you keep accusing me that I'm performing some confirmation bias when you're not realizing you're doing the same.

Anyways it feels like we're talking in circles here. I'm going to stop.
[doublepost=1559779883][/doublepost]

They are eliminating the Dashboard (in favor of Notification Center, maybe?). Bringing it back would be a backpedal.

I figure that I'm in the minority here regarding the feature, so raising hell over it is kinda useless. Letting go of things you like in Apple devices is an Apple staple.

I'm not suggesting that you should make an outcry so that Apple could bring it back. I'm saying make an outcry to change Notification Center to make it larger. Tell Apple to change to the point where people are fine with notification center.

 

[ignatius345]

Apple gave you 5 years to ditch it. It was super obvious it's going away. You're acting like this is a surprise action by Apple.

Who said anything about being surprised? If you're paying attention, I pointed out that yes, Dashboard has been neglected and left on life support for years now.

And what exactly is your point, other than to piss on other people's opinions? I and other posters here are saying that the design of Dashboard was useful to them and that Notification Center is not a good replacement. You disagree. Cool. You've made that abundantly clear. Now move on.

It always blows my mind to see how much people will see someone else liking a feature or a product they don't like and then go to the mat to tell them they're wrong.

 

[randian]

Is there a good replacement for Make-A-Pass? It's a killer password generator widget. My HP-12c widget could use a replacement too.

 

[Junior117]

Yeah, I figured it would happen eventually. Which is why I've slowly moved to Notification Center. All that's left are any widgets that can replace iStat Mini and the Pong Clock (yes, I actually amuse myself of this from time to time).

 

[farewelwilliams]

Who said anything about being surprised? If you're paying attention,

I said you acted like it's a surprise which is completely different from being actually surprised. Pay attention.

I pointed out that yes, Dashboard has been neglected and left on life support for years now.
And what exactly is your point other than to piss on other people's opinions?

My point is that you stated "There's been ZERO effort to modernize anything about Dashboard." You capitalized ZERO as if it's a shocking detail but this statement has been obvious for five years. It's like saying "Apple is going to release another iPhone THIS YEAR". Of course, it's so freaking obvious, why sound so surprised?

I'm not pissing on anyone's opinions. Just stating my perspectives. Sounds like you're pissing on my opinion.

I and other posters here are saying that the design of Dashboard was useful to them and that Notification Center is not a good replacement. You disagree. Cool. You've made that abundantly clear. Now move on.

You iterated that Apple has put "ZERO effort" to modernize it. Of course. Everyone kind of moved on from that point so it's probably you that should move on.

It always blows my mind to see how much people will see someone else liking a feature or a product they don't like and then go to the mat to tell them they're wrong.

It blows my mind how you're mischaracterizing everything I'm saying. What I'm saying originally before you butted into this conversation is that if that guy is accusing me of throwing out statements with lack of evidence, he should have evidence to backup his counter-statements. Problem is, his evidence was his personal observations and a few observations of other users in this thread which doesn't result to anything meaningful but yet, he asserts his observations as facts while crying foul at my observations.

I'm going to stop the conversation here. Good luck with dealing the lack of Dashboard in the next update.

 

[Shirasaki]

On another note, why is everyone so happy that they got rid of a feature, just because *YOU* don't use it?
If you don't like it, then you have the right to avoid using it, but you *DON'T* have the right to take it away from those who do like said feature. How is that so hard for people to understand?

Those people shows zero respect to history and legacy and they are in the front line demanding the destruction and demise of what’s other people once loved. Destroying iTunes, destroying dashboard, destroying features that many people used daily just to make sure their Apple Music download speed could be half a second faster.

Its simple but sometimes simple just works.

Yep. Why complicate things that should’ve be done in a minute? Creating problem so that those guys can solve that artificial problem later on and tout it as improvements? I am sick of those guys already.

 

[Micky Do]

Anyways it feels like we're talking in circles here. I'm going to stop.

Well done. One wonders why you started.

 

[wolfme]

I have used the Dashboard since it was introduced, and still use it daily. It is good for quick and simple tasks. There are six widgets that I still find useful and use frequently. The Notification Center is a poor and clunky substitute at best.

I'll admit that I have been annoyed that Apple hasn't spent any effort on improving the Dashboard since it was first introduced.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Destroying iTunes, destroying dashboard, destroying features that many people used daily just to make sure their Apple Music download speed could be half a second faster.

Sorry, but iTunes is absolutely terrible. My mom still doesn't understand how to search in Apple Music vs iTunes Store. The whole bloatware needs to go to favor a much simpler interface. It's not just a half second, it's COUNTLESS HOURS repeating instructions to my mom on how to use iTunes.

Side note: interesting to see Micky Do liking all of the posts that are arguing against me. I stopped reading anymore of his posts. Maybe that's why.

 

[Shirasaki]

Sorry, but iTunes is absolutely terrible. My mom still doesn't understand how to search in Apple Music vs iTunes Store. The whole bloatware needs to go to favor a much simpler interface. It's not just a half second, it's COUNTLESS HOURS repeating instructions to my mom on how to use iTunes.

As the other member summarised: mixed feelings on both extremes. No complain and proper respect. I just highlight this part here.

 

[farewelwilliams]

As the other member summarised: mixed feelings on both extremes. No complain and proper respect. I just highlight this part here.

It was an unfair mischaracterization of my side however. I don't care for a "half second faster" Apple Music experience. That's not the reason for my observations.

 

[Shirasaki]

It was an unfair mischaracterization of my side however. I don't care for a "half second faster" Apple Music experience. That's not the reason for my observations.

Sorry about that. I am just ranting and putting up a random “boost” out of my mind.

 

[Micky Do]

Dashboard poll here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/poll-dashboard-should-be.2184526/

 

[639me]

all those useful widgets. sad decision! especially since adoption of widgets for the notification centre isn't happening

 

[madrag]

I was looking for an alternative, and so far the best I could find was "Amnesty", which can use the actual widgets and mimmic dashboard to a certain extent (you can't run the same widget multiple times, but maybe duplicating the widget's file and then loading the duplicate can achieve the same? [EDIT: I just tried that and you will need to edit the widget to give it another name also in its settings; also some widgets don't load at all]).

You can configure a hot key to show/hide the widgets, will make the same as showing the Dashboard, without the overlay colour and the animation, but still the widgets work overlayed to the rest.

It's a bit old and abandoned, but the developer released the source and the binaries:
http://mesadynamics.com

I just tried it sucessfully in Mojave. At least now I have a small alternative for my custom widgets. Let's see if it works in Catalina (also thankfully Amnesty is already 64bit).

 

[Michael Cavada]

Dashboard, a longtime Mac feature that Apple has been phasing out for the last few years, has been eliminated in macOS Catalina and it is no longer available for use.

The Dashboard option, first introduced in OS X 10.4 Tiger, used to be a prominent Mac feature, housing sticky notes, a weather interface, a clock, a calculator, and other customizable widgets.

It was disabled by default starting in macOS 10.10 Yosemite, and in the current version of macOS, Mojave, it's still disabled unless you seek it out, enabling it as part of Mission Control or adding it to the Dock.

In Catalina, there is no more Dashboard app at all, as pointed out by Appleosophy. It can't be enabled via Mission Control and there's no sign of it in the operating system, marking its official demise.

Article Link: Dashboard Feature Eliminated in macOS Catalina

[doublepost=1559909016][/doublepost]I only used Dashboard for two things...
Conversion Widget
Five Calculators on the screen at once, for price comparisons, and sometimes double checking for accuracy.

I'd appreciate anyone sharing other ideas or easily accessible methods.

 

[mzs.112000]

Those people shows zero respect to history and legacy and they are in the front line demanding the destruction and demise of what’s other people once loved. Destroying iTunes, destroying dashboard, destroying features that many people used daily just to make sure their Apple Music download speed could be half a second faster.

Yep. Why complicate things that should’ve be done in a minute? Creating problem so that those guys can solve that artificial problem later on and tout it as improvements? I am sick of those guys already.

I'm okay with them splitting iTunes into 3 separate apps... I can still sync iPhones locally(without having to pay for iCloud storage), and legacy devices(like pre-5 iPhones, and iPod's) can still by synced. I can still have my local music library, podcasts are still there, TV and movies are also still there. IMO it's better like this since the functionality is still there, we just don't have one huge bloated app that takes forever to load just to do one thing.
So, really, it's like nothing was lost, since all of the same functionality is still there, it's just been split into 3 separate apps, and since they are Project Catalyst/Marzipan apps, hopefully they will benefit in the future because any improvements to the iPadOS version, should make their way to Mac.

I don't like that they have taken Dashboard away, since it's an integral part of some people's workflow, they have neglected to provide a real alternative to it, and it wasn't taking any resources away or slowing down the rest of the system. I can only hope that they bring it back before the full release, and/or someone comes up with a third-party app that can fully replicate it's functionality