Leopard Preview Less Than A Month Away

[Timepass]

Don't think I'm that stupid.

I used to be a Windows user and laughed at the Mac users until I learned the truth. Now that I know the truth I can judge the OS game from both sides. I've studied Vista for quite some time now and I know that it is nothing but a small, poorly designed and incremental OS. It is nothing like the amazing and huge OS 9 to OS X transition. Windows is still built off of it's flimsy and vulnerable 3.1 design but OS X is nothing like it's previous OS 9 (and below) "sibling" -- OS X replaced the foundation of the OS design and user experience by building it from scratch. Vista doesn't do that it continues from where it left off. Windows keeps getting bulkier and bulkier and in the process uglier and uglier (because of it's inconsistencies). It's ridiculous to think otherwise.

doesnt change the fact that vista is huge for press and a big media stuff
Leapod is not anything big news and press wise. It old news and routine release and not big. You been faililng to relieze that and why it bed to release leapod at the same time or around Vista. Doing that means hardly any press for leapord.

 

[Dasmo]

doesnt change the fact that vista is huge for press and a big media stuff
Leapod is not anything big news and press wise. It old news and routine release and not big. You been faililng to relieze that and why it bed to release leapod at the same time or around Vista. Doing that means hardly any press for leapord.

It won't be a proportionate amount of the news that leopard takes though. For a company that has ~5% market share, they will still take around 20-30% of the press coverage on OS releases etc. That's because Apple news rates better than Windows news.

In the newspaper I read (Australian Financial Review) it'd seem like Windows has 50% of the market because the tech section always has half MS half Apple stuff. Obviously it's more interesting to say "Apple and Microsoft go head to head with next generation OS's" than it is to say "Microsoft launches Vista".

 

[bousozoku]

doesnt change the fact that vista is huge for press and a big media stuff
Leapod is not anything big news and press wise. It old news and routine release and not big. You been faililng to relieze that and why it bed to release leapod at the same time or around Vista. Doing that means hardly any press for leapord.

I don't think Vista will diminish the press about Leopard simply because Apple is news. Sure, you'll see local news reports about people standing outside stores at midnight to buy Leopard, but it's more to make geeks in general look like idiots to the general public, not about Microsoft's latest, greatest accomplishment.

If anything, there will be a small footnote on every news item about Vista that Leopard is out there, too. The rivalry may increase the coverage. Of course, I expect that they'll get most everything wrong about Mac OS X and everything right about Windows but that's typical.

 

[GodBless]

Obviously it's more interesting to say "Apple and Microsoft go head to head with next generation OS's" than it is to say "Microsoft launches Vista".

Exactly -- so it could end up helping Mac OS X.

 

[Timepass]

In the newspaper I read (Australian Financial Review) it'd seem like Windows has 50% of the market because the tech section always has half MS half Apple stuff. Obviously it's more interesting to say "Apple and Microsoft go head to head with next generation OS's" than it is to say "Microsoft launches Vista".

Ok the newpapers would list either one launching there OS. But any coverage on the OS itself is going to be on vista. Apple not going to really get much at all. It get even less than if it launch on it own away from vista.

 

[steviem]

Vista is more gimmicky than OSX, their use of transparency and how it is implemented highlights this.

I think MS is overusing Transparency to hide where it has failed, namely not implementing WinFS, but they keep on doing this.

I like the way Mac OS is updated, it isnt as frequent as some Linux Distros, but is the right frequency I think.

The only thing I want Apple to put into Leopard this time is to get FrontRow working as a true media centre with digital tv integrated into its interface. (When using a dvb card...)

I like the concept of tabs, and I think Tabbed Finder would be intuitive, just it can only really be a minor improvement in 10.5 and not a main feature. Although I thought they were thinking of scrapping finder with a more Spotlight-centric system.

Re blocks....I'd patent that if I was you, otherwise Big Steve and his boys will be pinching it from you for nowt!!

 

[Josh]

I wouldn't mind seeing the feature implemented either.

I thought you felt it would be a "waste of time" for developers?

(first post, page 2)

 

[emotion]

The fact that XP is being replace after almost 6 years and that Vista has been delayed so many times and it is finally out is what makes it news.

You do realise that Vista won't be released until this time next year don't you? It's only the beta that's out right now.

 

[emotion]

...here is what is currently 128-bit now:

Most people don't need 64 bit apps right now (apart from some scientific applications), let alone 128 bit. Higher "bitness" does not equate to higher performance despite what some marketting departments might have us believe.

 

[Timepass]

You do realise that Vista won't be released until this time next year don't you? It's only the beta that's out right now.

Speculation on that part. Last time I check they where stil on track for the 1Q release in 07

 

[emotion]

Speculation on that part. Last time I check they where stil on track for the 1Q release in 07

They are not exactly known for keeping to release schedules though are they? Without dropping any more features (they have to have the strong DRM in as that is what differentiates it with Vista Business) I find it hard to believe we'll see it in 1Q. 2Q 2007 or later is a lot more realistic.

We will see however, won't we?

 

[savar]

From the perspective of a developer I really want apple to take a few pages out of microsofts book with visual studio, the key to creating a platform is application support, and thats the one place where M$ has a huge advantage over apple. Ive dabbled with XCode, and it is nowhere near as easy as even VB6.

XCode/IB is really easy, the best I've ever seen. Sure its not a VB or RealBasic, where you really do point-and-click things together, but I think that's a good thing. The fewer non-programmers schlocking carp together to distribute to the masses, the better. Not to discourage people from trying, but you should have some basic understanding of the discipline of software develop before you distribute softare.

I have had the dubious honor or maintaining some PHP code written by other developers, and sadly the things that make PHP so easy to get up and running are the same things that let illiterate developers make bad applications work. No error checking, no discipline, no commenting. Sure, you can do that in any language, but hopefully learning a stricter language first will imbue stricter discipline in the developer.

Sorry to go so off-topic..

 

[savar]

...Or visit this thread. I am happy to take any further questions in that thread -- but we better not get this one side tracked.

hilarious thread, thanks for linking

 

[GodBless]

I thought you felt it would be a "waste of time" for developers?

(first post, page 2)

Well sort of -- however I can't judge an idea without seeing it fully implemented -- this is why I was interested again. If a programmer sees the goodness of the idea then it is worth a try to implement.

My cynical bias comes from this video of xgl.

I didn't mean to be too critical of your idea if this video's concept isn't quite what you had in mind. Don't get me wrong I do see good in this video but I think the distortion of the cube effect and time-wasting waiting for it to rotate would take away from the usability of the feature. I think time delay and distortion are both enemies of a good OS (and good OS features at that). However I do think that xgl is better than OS X in many ways (at least from videos). Xgl has a lot of "pretty" and some "usefulness" and overall I think it is good -- I just don't like the time wasted and distortion elements -- otherwise it is great.

 

[GodBless]

hilarious thread

I know!

thanks for linking

Sure. No problem.

 

[Josh]

Well sort of -- however I can't judge an idea without seeing it fully implemented -- this is why I was interested again. If a programmer sees the goodness of the idea then it is worth a try to implement.

My cynical bias comes from this video of xgl.

I didn't mean to be too critical of your idea if this video's concept isn't quite what you had in mind. Don't get me wrong I do see good in this video but I think the distortion of the cube effect and time-wasting waiting for it to rotate would take away from the usability of the feature. I think time delay and distortion are both enemies of a good OS (and good OS features at that). However I do think that xgl is better than OS X in many ways (at least from videos). Xgl has a lot of "pretty" and some "usefulness" and overall I think it is good -- I just don't like the time wasted and distortion elements -- otherwise it is great.

I see your point, and definitely agree that there could be time wasted.

But I think that video is to show it off more, so they spend more time rotating it and showing it as much as possible for the "wow" factor. Actual use would be unnoticiable, I bet.

Multiple desktops are one thing I really miss in OS X (I've tried the freeware apps). And I think it would be totally "un-Apple" if the next desktop just "appeared" without any kind of transition or animation. Take the minimize function for example. It could appear in the dock automaticallly, but instead it shrinks and slides down into it. Takes a little time - but I haven't heard any complaints for people waiting for it and wasting productivity because of it. It's just a nice metaphor that makes rational sense. If a minimized app goes to the dock, it has to have some way of going from the big window on the desktop to the small icon in the dock. The genie effect is perfect.

My idea for "Blocks" extends upon the same great functionality that multiple desktops have and brings it to related apps. I just think it makes sense to group similar apps together (and/or in a user-defined way). Not so they becom one app, but so that using them together becomes easier and more metaphorically meaningful - something that just makes sense. I'm imagining a very quick rotate animation for the cube to switch to a new side. Slow enough to notice, but quick enough that it will in no way get in the way of your work - but without any kind of animation, it loses that 'rational' connection from point a to b.

 

[BoyBach]

Don't get him started on this. Just let it go.

How do I get a refund!!

I've just spent two hours reading the thread & it's driven me to crack open a cold can of Murphy's

 

[GodBless]

How do I get a refund!!

I guess that is what people will start asking you since you linked them to it in your quote. I think it's a good thread and worthy of reading though.

 

[BoyBach]

I guess that is what people will start asking you since you linked them to it in your quote. I think it's a good thread and worthy of reading though.

It certainly was an entertaining/amusing/slightly frightening read!

But hey, I've found a cool new site (the church Sign Generator)

 

[Sharewaredemon]

GodBless, do you know that Command ` cycles between open windows in an application?

Having a gui of each window would be really cool (like you want) but I wasn't sure if you knew you could already do it... sort of.

Also, you mentioned mutliple desktops and how they are "un-Apple" but there is a virtual desktop application (that is free) that allows for qwartz based transitions between screens.

Of course I can't find it now.....

 

[GodBless]

GodBless, do you know that Command ` cycles between open windows in an application?

Having a gui of each window would be really cool (like you want) but I wasn't sure if you knew you could already do it... sort of.

Yeah I did -- thanks anyway.

Also, you mentioned mutliple desktops and how they are "un-Apple" but there is a virtual desktop application (that is free) that allows for qwartz based transitions between screens.

Of course I can't find it now.....

Well actually I never meant to imply (if I did) that they were un-Apple -- and I trust Apple will design the feature well once it gets around to it -- but I think desktop switching could be useful for many things if it was designed right.

I've never tried 3rd party desktop switchers -- after "trying" desktop switching out on Yellow Dog Linux I've never been too interested in the feature enough to 3rd party it onto my system -- however I realize that there could be desktop switchers out there for the Mac OS that I'd find useful because of their design.

 

[GodBless]

It certainly was an entertaining/amusing/slightly frightening read!

I'm glad you found it interesting.

But hey, I've found a cool new site (the church Sign Generator)

It is a real gem isn't it.

 

[BoyBach]

Things I would like in the new OS!

1. I really like the idea of iChat including some sort of VOIP.
2. Spotlight version 2.
3. Front Row version 2 (not sure if this would be a Leopard feature or not?)
4. Some new widgets
5. An improved iCal app.

Oh yeah, and "One More Thing..."

 

[GodBless]

1. I really like the idea of iChat including some sort of VOIP.
2. Spotlight version 2.
3. Front Row version 2 (not sure if this would be a Leopard feature or not?)
4. Some new widgets
5. An improved iCal app.

Oh yeah, and "One More Thing..."

I don't think I could have said it better.

Very good list.

1. I really like the idea of iChat including some sort of VOIP.

Yeah, and I wouldn't be surprised if Apple would release their iPhone along with it at MWSF.

2. Spotlight version 2.

Jackpot! This is exactly what everyone is waiting for -- lets hope for the best.

3. Front Row version 2 (not sure if this would be a Leopard feature or not?)

It would be awesome if Front Row was part of Leopard.

4. Some new widgets

Or at least an update to Dashboard and it's features would be nice. Perhaps updates to what widgets can do too?

5. An improved iCal app.

Oh yes -- let's just hope that the first version (bugs and all) of the (hopefully) "major" update will work (overall) as well or better than iCal does now.

I'll be happy to leap onward with Leop-ard.

Edit:

Oh yeah, and "One More Thing..."

How I missed this I don't know but what I do know is that we should see "One more thing" times 5!

I am looking forward for Apple's best OS yet and I'm also looking forward to them being a lot further ahead of Microsoft Windows Vista too.

That would be cool!

 

[sunfast]

I'm certainly looking forward to the Leopard release. A new OS always gives a computer a new lease of life. I fully expect Leopard to have some cool tricks up its sleeve to drag some coverage away from Vista. It'll be fun waiting and speculating until then.

Out of interest, will the preview list all of the new features? Or will several crop up between then and release?