Leopard is Coming--What Do You Think the Top Secrets Are?

[Georgie]

you know the "pinching" function on the iphone, where u can grab the Google map and spread ur fingers apart to enlarge the map?

I've come to the conclusion that Leopard WILL implement this on the touchpad. Theres absolutely NO reason that this wouldn't work on the current touchpads.

(Example: you have your Google street map loaded, but you want to zoom in on a specific spot. You simply drag the cursor to the area you want to zoom in on, and then place two fingers together, and drag them apart from one another.)

cz

They might incorporate it, but I wouldn't bet on it. It's not comfortable. Try it (and imagine the screen reacts appropriately).

I am very comfortable on my MBP using my middle finger to point and my middle and ring fingers to do anything that requires two, like scrolling or right-clicking. Some people prefer their 2nd and 3rd fingers, but you never see anyone scrolling around with their thumb and their pointer, not on a laptop, and that's because the laptop sits flat on the surface in front of you (almost always). The iPhone is different because you hold it in your other hand in a position more natural for the thumb and pointer to work together. Plus, the iPhone has a vertical orientation, which is conducive to using the thumb and the pointer together, whereas your trackpad as a horizontal orientation, which is more conducive to using two other fingers that have a more horizontal orientation between themselves. At a normal arm-angle, I find my 3rd and 4th fingers are most parallel to the orientation of the trackpad, which is why I favor them. (Speaking of the trackpad, I love how large Apple has made them, and I get so frustrated using the relatively small trackpads on your average pc laptop.)

So Apple might incorporate this pinch-technique to their software, but I doubt it. There's unlikely anything technical stopping them from it, however it's not a comfortable experience for the user. And besides, two-finger scrolling on a Google Maps image already zooms in and out. Pinching literally on the image makes some intuitive sense, but that necessitates Apple adding touch screens to all their laptops. Pinching on the trackpad is no more intuitive then two-finger scrolling, I posit.

 

[GodBless]

-New Front Row

That's not a Top Secret feature--click here to see.

 

[GodBless]

making spotlight more of a network search thingy.

This is already a guarentee--click here to see.

 

[foxxlet]

I think apple will release new cinema displays with built in iSight cameras, and leopard will support these and portables with some kind of basic gesture additions to the OS.

For example, point up and left with your right arm to display dashboard.

 

[zombitronic]

Then why did you open the door with this statement following statement?

Mere sarcasm, humor, and irony, my friend.

 

[iJawn108]

I wonder what song they will use for the leopard intro video bytecry was soooo good.

 

[Nitromaster]

I think they are planning to include compiz with all plugins or at least make a version of compiz for macosx,
at least thats what im hoping,

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I think they are planning to include compiz with all plugins or at least make a version of compiz for macosx,
at least thats what im hoping,

What on earth is this compiz you speak of?

 

[QuarterSwede]

What on earth is this compiz you speak of?

Compiz, and of course, Google is you're friend.

 

[QuarterSwede]

The one thing I'd really like to see is print selection. I've yet to find anything that works as easily as in Windows ... and I REALLY HATE to say that! I mean, how many lines of code would that be?

 

[GodBless]

The one thing I'd really like to see is print selection. I've yet to find anything that works as easily as in Windows ... and I REALLY HATE to say that! I mean, how many lines of code would that be?

I assume you mean print screen. The Mac is much better than Window--guaranteed--here are the keyboard shortcuts:

command+shift+3 - Print screen and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+3 - Print screen and save it to the clipboard
command+shift+4 - Print selection and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+4 - Print selection and save it to the clipboard
command+shift+4 (and then press spacebar once) - Print window, menubar, icon or etc. and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+4 (and then press spacebar once) - Print window, menubar, icon or etc. and save it to the clipboard

I'd like to see Windows beat that!

 

[lu0s3r322]

built in alarm clock that can wake the computer from powered off state as part of leopard or an itunes update

 

[iJawn108]

built in alarm clock that can wake the computer from powered off state as part of leopard or an itunes update

That's already part of the OS and and you can do the alarm-clock with automater

 

[lu0s3r322]

wow, i just figured that out. ok well then i dont want anything then haha no just kidding.

i'd say that apple will add a windows mode to run them side by side AND have the possibility of using that feature with spaces to have a windows space and a leopard space

 

[toneloco2881]

I assume you mean print screen. The Mac is much better than Window--guaranteed--here are the keyboard shortcuts:

command+shift+3 - Print screen and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+3 - Print screen and save it to the clipboard
command+shift+4 - Print selection and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+4 - Print selection and save it to the clipboard
command+shift+4 (and then press spacebar once) - Print window, menubar, icon or etc. and save it to the desktop
command+shift+control+4 (and then press spacebar once) - Print window, menubar, icon or etc. and save it to the clipboard

I'd like to see Windows beat that!

I may be mistaken, but I think he/she is referring to the inability of OS X to print a "selection" of highlighted text, page etc. For instance, if I go to mapquest and want to print off some directions, instead of being able to highlight just the portion of the page I'm interested in and print, I have to print the ENTIRE page, subsequently wasting more of my ink. It's a pretty glaring omission in such a sophisticated OS. Just like thumbnails for movies and videos in the finder.

 

[Erasmus]

Well, having seen my first example of Windows Vista Aero interface, I hope Apple upgrades the Finder graphics to leap over Vista.

Of course, I expect Apple to do this without sacrificing functionality, which Microsoft have done. But I do love the blurring effect that windows have when located over things. No doubt Apple can do something cooler, and program it better so it doesn't require a super graphics card.

 

[Mr Skills]

I wish the difference between the active window and inactive window was just a little more obvious - like the whole of any inactive window being 20% darker.

This would really help beginners 'get' the idea of working with windows, and encourage them to use more features of the OS like drag-and-drop. So many people just work with one window stretched to fill the screen and then get confused when it disappears behind another one.



.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Well, having seen my first example of Windows Vista Aero interface, I hope Apple upgrades the Finder graphics to leap over Vista.

Of course, I expect Apple to do this without sacrificing functionality, which Microsoft have done. But I do love the blurring effect that windows have when located over things. No doubt Apple can do something cooler, and program it better so it doesn't require a super graphics card.

Resolution Independence, a known Leopard feature, plus finishing Quartz 2D Extreme, a feature first deployed in preliminary form in Tiger but never finished, will be enough to leapfrog Vista, methinks.

 

[sionharris]

you know the "pinching" function on the iphone, where u can grab the Google map and spread ur fingers apart to enlarge the map?

I've come to the conclusion that Leopard WILL implement this on the touchpad. Theres absolutely NO reason that this wouldn't work on the current touchpads.

(Example: you have your Google street map loaded, but you want to zoom in on a specific spot. You simply drag the cursor to the area you want to zoom in on, and then place two fingers together, and drag them apart from one another.)

cz

Hold control and then place two fingers on your trackpad. Move them up and down.

Isn't it amazing?

The 'pinch' on a track-pad would not be intuitive to use, whereas the current 'zoom' feature is.

 

[iBunny]

I just want it to be faster when you resize windows... no more jerking motion.

Windows can Do this just fine.. why cant OSX?

 

[kolax]

Better font smoothing - small fonts etc in Tiger suffer badly, aren't as sharp. Fair enough you can adjust this, but it is still pretty bad AA.

 

[macinfojunkie]

Features to hope for

In addition to the new features we are already aware will be in Leopard, I'd like to see the following.

Expectations

I expect enhancements and subtle improvements to the following:

• Finder: It desperately needs an update and feature enhancement. It is like a fisher price toy compared to Windows explorer - WE is the biggest feature of Windows I wish Apple would copy. The finder has not changed much in the last 10 years. It is not all bad, but could make managing files on multiple volumes and directories an easier task.
• Updated UI look: Not a top priority for me, but it would be nice to re-decorate the desktop a little just to give a more constant look and feel across all the apps and dialogue boxes. I expect at the very least a new look for what we already have even if there is not a drastic overall. If they provide themes they must be optional and/or low CPU impact. Some of the Windows themes take up a lot of resources.
• Improved network interoperability: Mac OS X has improved greatly with recent updates, but it still has hiccups if network resources are not available. This should not happen and I'm hoping for improved performance where in this area.
• UI customisation: greater control over the sizing of icons, menu items and window display.
• Spotlight: Despite numerous fixes it is still not quite as instant as Apple make out. Why should it need to wait until all the drives I have which are in a sleep state wake up before starting to display results. It is much better with 10.4.9, but there is still room for improvement. Also shy must the search result window be a cut down finder window. It means I have to go through more hoops to manipulate my files once I find them. at least give me the choice of the kind of results window I get.
• Safari: Better support for ASP and Java web-sites. there are still a ton of web-sites where Safari spits the dummy - why is this the case when IE and Fire Fox seem to manage fine. And I don't want to run Fire-Fox. I just want Safari to work better.
• Home-drive: I want to be able to move default locations about without resorting to root and manipulating pLists files. and I don;t want the defaults to overwrite my settings when my itunes folder or aperture library happen to be off-line and I launch the application inadvertently. Give me a file/folder management system which does not assume everything is on a single internal hard drive. Can't be that hard can it?
• Firewall: Improved interface to firewall which makes it easier to manage a machine with complex rule sets.

Hopes

• Disk management: Come on, where it the defrag utility! This should be built into Mac OSX. I've never had a problem with the built in Windows version, but I've had some issues with 3rd party Mac defrag tools. I'd love to see Apple provide this functionality built into OSX. Whilst they are at it they could add more robust directory management tools to Disk Utility.
• NTFS: ability to write to NTFS partitions.
• Performance: Some optimisation of the OS code so that it runs even faster on existing hardware than Tiger does.
• Remote Control: Built in VNC/ARD console with improved performance. I know the client is there, but for those with a few macs at home it would be nice to have something built-in without having to use VNC. I'm not prepared to pay a few 100 bucks for that when. Windows has it built in so should Mac. OS X.
• Front Row: Inclusion of add on IR box and remote so that older macs can use front row legitimately.
• User Interface: Totally customisable UI with regards to resolution independence and the location of items on Macs with multiple displays.

Dreams

• i386 virtualisation: apples has acquired parallels on the qt and is busy working at integrating coherence or WINE type mode straight into OSX. Boot-camp is still there if you want raw power for games etc., but a sand-boxed virtual Windows environment without Windows. I don't actually think this will happen, but it would be so sweet since it would enable Apple's market share to skyrocket - especially in the enterprise space.

 

[ThomasJefferson]

The new finder is back-engineered from a Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

 

[macinfojunkie]

The new finder is back-engineered from a Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

I'm sure it is. Thanks.

 

[wkhahn]

New in Leopard

What I would most like to see is way to legally add my DVD's to my iTunes Library without having to resort to Handbrake or Mac the Ripper. Wrap a little FairPlay around it so it can't be copied (after all you already own it on a disk) to make the studios happy and you would really see TV take off. Make it a function of the OS to drive sales/switches.

And the ability to install any commercial application that was written for XP. Maintain a list of support apps and make the OS check thats the desired app is on that list. If not, it refuses to install. Still provided BootCamp, but this would be more for the people who don't want to have to buy a new copy of Office or Quickbooks when they switch and for those that don't feel comfortable (technically) installing Windows on a partition. Basically a couple of features aimed at switchers that have benefits for those of us already here.