Left Lion

[sandimacd]

Boy was I looking forward to Lion. I switched back to Macs in 2008 as I wanted nothing to do with Vista. SL was enticing. A few learning curves but in short order I perfected to my needs. In fact, so happy that I soon owned an iMac, MacMini, MBA, iPod Classic, Nano and iTouch 3 & 4 gen!
I waited for Lion upgrade until Dec '11, meanwhile read earnestly, bought the Missing Manual and was super excited to gift it to myself for Christmas. I did an erase a re-format install on my iMac purchased in Oct 2008.
A bit bummed initially that I couldn't open any documents so I went back to Apple store and bought Pages. Then couldn't load PSE so again went back to purchase the Lion compatible version. Oops, now I had an Apple store problem with my account VISA that I could not get corrected online. Learned that is common to others and takes a few hours for Apple to correct. My VISA worked again the next day and by then I had a whole list of software I had used that wouldn't launch in Lion.

I slowed down buying stuff and started using the new OS. I gave it a fair shake- a month. I went from an excited purchaser to thinking that Lion and Vista are very similar in frustration building. Too big a jump for me.
For example, Pages. I disliked Pages save-a-version. What happened to save-as? Why can't I open a NAS file and save-as to desktop under another name? Why do I have to unlock all my files to work on them?
I don't do well with relearning everything. Which is what I had to do every day with my new Lion system and software.

I gave it 30 days. Two days ago I had reached my exasperation limit. The Missing Manual went back into my bookcase. My install disks came out of the closet. Snow Leopard is back on my iMac in all it's glory. I no longer drool over the new Macs. Perhaps in 2-3 years I will venture out again. But for now I am cozy, comfortable and productive once again.

 

[sandimacd]

Found poll on left or kept Lion

After posting this I found this poll in Google results. Surpised it didn't surface when I first searched this forum. I think if I came to Macs this year I would have been happier with 10.7. It's the relearning and repurchasing and reconfiguring that made it painful for me.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1202064

As of now 500 kept Lion and 250 reverted back to SL.

 

[cane creek]

But this is the case with every new operating system no matter what computer you use, common sense to keep using the OS you already have until new OS is well established and all faults ironed out.

I was perfectly happy using snow leopard however i was kinda forced into Lion as Logic 9.6.1 just wouldn't work for me in SL upgraded to Lion and all is well.

 

[-tWv-]

I really like lion and have been using macs since tiger. It didn't take much relearning for me. I really enjoy the new gestures and I use mission control and launchpad all the time.

I guess the difference is that I didn't have a bunch of software that wasn't compatible, so my transition was quite smooth.

 

[Simplicated]

I gave it 30 days. Two days ago I had reached my exasperation limit. The Missing Manual went back into my bookcase.

I gave it about 60 days. Even though I did not have any compatibility issues, it's Autosave (a huge timesaver but badly implemented to be honest), constantly-reordering Launchpad, Mission Control (linear Spaces and crippled Exposé), Automatic Termination, loss of fine brightness and volume controls, inconsistent gestures and the general sloppiness that made me upgrade to Snow Leopard.

 

[SR45]

I really like lion and have been using macs since tiger. It didn't take much relearning for me. I really enjoy the new gestures and I use mission control and launchpad all the time.

I guess the difference is that I didn't have a bunch of software that wasn't compatible, so my transition was quite smooth.

And that my friends is the key. Older software, more trouble. Newer software will give you a smoother transition

 

[robgendreau]

The longer you wait the bigger the lurch is to any new software.

It's not going to get better for you, so make sure your current system lasts a LONG time. Or simply run your machine from either system; boot into Lion from say an external if you want to use some new stuff, and into SL if you like that.

BTW, just because Lion has features like Lauchpad or versioning doesn't mean you have to use them. There are tons of alternatives to Pages, Launchpad etc that you might find more useful (although not Spaces, sadly).

Rob

 

[milomak]

for the most part, i see little reason to downgrade. but it has to be said that at the same time, i can't think of any major development in lion that would make me upgrade if i was still on sl.

 

[cal6n]

After posting this I found this poll in Google results. Surpised it didn't surface when I first searched this forum. I think if I came to Macs this year I would have been happier with 10.7. It's the relearning and repurchasing and reconfiguring that made it painful for me.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1202064

As of now 500 kept Lion and 250 reverted back to SL.

I voted on that poll that I was sticking with Lion, but I ended up reverting to Snow Leopard.

Since then, I've tried Lion again and I've reverted to Snow Leopard once more.

I'll likely be staying here.

 

[ahdfox]

Back to Snow Leopard for me

Bugginess, Autosave flaws, useless Versions, annoying document locking, and clumsy Duplicate/Save As is sending me back to Snow Leopard. First time I've ever gone back to an older OS, and the first time I've ever seen a Mac OS I didn't like. Sending back my new Lion-locked iMac and getting a refurb with 10.6 loaded, that way I can wait out this nonsense and jump to 10.8. Nuts.

 

[Krazy Bill]

I really enjoy the new gestures and I use mission control and launchpad all the time.

"Missing" Control is too mouse happy. How do I use the keyboard with it? (Like Expose allows in SL). I can't believe some dumb ass coder forgot to at least enable the arrow keys so I could select a window without lifting a hand to the trackpad. (And no... CMD+TAB 10 times, then CMD+Tilde a dozen more isn't the same so don't even start).

MC is for laid back, casual one-handed browsing - nothing more.

 

[Partron22]

I can't believe some dumb ass coder forgot to at least enable....

I doubt it was some dumb ass coder. Lion has the stink of 'design by committee' about it. --Too many team meetings and not enough hard work ensuring that the end result is logically complete and consistent.

 

[klaxamazoo]

I doubt it was some dumb ass coder. Lion has the stink of 'design by committee' about it. --Too many team meetings and not enough hard work ensuring that the end result is logically complete and consistent.

I agree. It is pretty clear that Steve Jobs was not able to be as heavily involved as we were all used to. Hopefully Apple will find someone to say NO to things until they are perfect like Steve used to do.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Too many team meetings and not enough hard work ensuring that the end result is logically complete and consistent.

It is pretty clear that Steve Jobs was not able to be as heavily involved as we were all used to.

You guys are giving OSX way too much credit for being prominent in Apple's grand scheme of the future. iOS is their bread and butter. I accepted that long ago but the sneaky bastards actually tried putting iOS in the MacBook. Never saw that one coming.

And as far as those "team meetings" go… I'd be pleasantly surprised if the OSX staff had more than 2 or 3 full time coders. Apple is known to be underwhelming with regard to project manpower. And Steve? I don't think he ever micromanaged anything since the iPod. Perhaps some with the iPhone. Even less with the iPad. And other than MacBook hardware "style", he most likely became bored with OSX just after Tiger. (Starting with Leopard I think others just ran with it and left him in the dust).

 

[cane creek]

Looks to me as if Lion is gearing up for future iMacs being touch screen, as launchpad turns my iMac into a huge looking iPad ... yep I can see the plan here.

 

[sandimacd]

Apple's direction?

My thoughts as well. Is Apple driving new consumers towards iPads instead of Macs?
The next generation may never experience file management or computer alteration because they have not been raised in an environment where it was once required.

Moving us toward an iPad and cloud sync environment may be Apple's key to increased profits as it eliminates the need for expensive computer tech support.

Meanwhile I am content that I have choices. I may accept the Apple iPad paradigm shift, return to Windows or revisit Linux.

One thing for sure- this was a great time to cut my planned Apple-Mac purchases from my budget and enjoy using what I already have.

 

[sandimacd]

Least troublesome pathway

And that my friends is the key. Older software, more trouble. Newer software will give you a smoother transition

I appreciate your encouragement. There are benefits to new things.
I guess it depends on how the end user perceives what is most troubling. Use 18 mo old software that has become comfortable, user tweaked and is currently productive or search for and learn new software that is trouble free on a new system that also needs to be learned?

There was a time when new or upgraded software and systems literally thrilled me. I love and value learning. But now, for the most part, I want to relax when home. I want to sit down with my Mac and not be frustrated with incompatibility from either updates or upgrades. And not have to spend hours figuring out what happened to the features I depend upon.

Upgraded or new software and systems are my choice and for the most part, I can reverse them. Updates to older software and systems are generally something I have to accept and adjust to. And both can be a troubling or pleasant experience.