Leopard Previewed

[nerveosu]

The star field background for Spaces was Tacky.

 

[jackc]

Now come on. Time machine? With a picture of outer space and stars? This looks so gimmicky.

True, it's a cool demo, but hopefully there's a simpler default interface.

 

[Super Dave]

I dont think the "Top Secret" stuff is really top secret. I think Apple needs some more time to develope a few things before releasing them out into the public. No reason to release buggy apps.

Remember, WWDC was pushed back this year. THey aren't done with Leopard just yet.

They certainly aren't done, but they're announcing it within the same length time frame as they did with Tiger if I recall.

I actually believed him on the "Top Secret" stuff. Every vista build changes, so it's good to not let too much out of the bag until Vista is either interface frozen or released.

David

 

[Super Dave]

True, it's a cool demo, but hopefully there's a simpler default interface.

Looks like there's a time frame on the side. I imagine you could just click there to find a certain date. What could be simpler than that?

David

 

[Tomaz]

Good lord. Whatever happened to simplicity? It looked like a three ring circus up there today.

Now come on. Time machine? With a picture of outer space and stars? This looks so gimmicky. They are getting to be like Microsoft and just adding new features instead of making things easier and streamlined. Why not just improve the Backup program that comes with .Mac or include it for free? Do we really need another interface? To me it looks like form over function.

Exactly my thoughts!! Looks like a Trekie (how do you write that??) was let loose

 

[mkrishnan]

Well, do you think it's a copy of "Previous versions", which someone posted a link to in this thread?

It's very similar. I'm saying, who cares? It's a simple basic concept and Apple has a nice implementation going. And I actually believe that Apple's version will not have glaring security holes. Ahem...I installed Trillian on managed Win2k and XP machines as a standard user, and other users had access to my IM accounts without logging in!!!!

Anyway, though, a Wiki Server in Leopard Server...mmmm... If only we lived in an Apple world.

That guy who made the angry video said it best... using a Mac is not so much using a computer but participating in the Apple experience.

 

[jackc]

Looks like there's a time frame on the side. I imagine you could just click there to find a certain date. What could be simpler than that?

David

Right, I meant less flashy, not simpler.

 

[balamw]

I'm not comparing it to system restore but to Volume Shadow Copy from Windows Server 2003. File-by-file snapshot by MS 3 years ago!

Again, fundamentally, a feature that existed in VMS over fifteen years ago and had been promised as part of Cairo. It took them over ten years to finally release it in Windows?

I'll have to ask my firendly IT guy, but how does the end user access shadow copies?

Exactly my thoughts!! Looks like a Trekie (how do you write that??) was let loose

Actually had a very Star Wars like feel to it with the angled text. Maybe one of the former Lucasfilm/ILM people from Pixar?

"A long time ago in a galaxy far away, a user created a file and overwrote its contents...."

B

 

[Tomaz]

I'll have to ask my firendly IT guy, but how does the end user access shadow copies?

B

As far as I know he can't, that's the difference. IT has to restore the file for you.
Still, nothing fundamentally new, and definitely not Vista 2.0...

 

[chasemac]

Is Leopard going to take advantage of the 64 bit Dual G5?

 

[dsnort]

As a recent switcher to Mac, I have had a lot of experience with M$'s System Restore function. It is NOT a "go back and find that data I deleted" application. It IS a "can we please go back to a time when this computer wasn't totally f***ed up" application.

 

[Thunderbird]

Leopard delayed

So the cat won't be out of the bag until Spring 2007?

I thought Leopard was slated for December?

Maybe that means it will actually be launched at MWSF in January

I wonder if this is a case of Redmond playing chicken with Cuppertino...

Microsoft: "We're late, so show us your O/S first."
Apple: "Sorry, not until December. But feel free to release yours first"
Microsoft: "We've delayed till March, so you go first"
Apple: "Well, we've delayed till Spring too, so you go ahead."

 

[BGil]

Which takes us back to the behavior that was the default on VAX systems running VMS 20 years ago... Microsoft is implementing something similar in Vista as well. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060730-7383.html

B

Yeah, Apple is definitely copying Microsoft now... it's pretty undeniable. Time Machine is virtually identical to Microsoft's backup system for Vista.

"Previous Docs" from Wikipedia:
"Previous Versions", previously known as Volume Shadow Copy in Windows Server 2003, provides read-only snapshots of files on local or network volumes from an earlier point in time. A new tab in the Properties dialog for any file or folder provides users with straightforward access to these previous versions.

System Restore, Shadow Copy, and Backup in Vista now run on the same technology (so they are considerably different than the XP versions).

iChat basically got the remote screen sharing feature that Microsoft shipped with XP in 2001 (included in Windows Messenger) and the presentation/app sharing features from Windows collaboration in Vista.

Mail and iCal got a bunch of features from Outlook 2007 and Windows Live Calendar/Mail.

Dashboard's ability to clip web pages is straight out of Active Desktop.

the Spotlight improvements were things that Indexing Server in XP/2000/2003 already did. Even windows desktop search (enterprise) and Vista include that functionality as well.

Spaces is virtual desktops just like the powertoy MS released years ago
http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/Virtual_Desktop_Manager_Powertoy/msvdm.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_desktop

Core Animation looks like Apple's response to all the DX and WPF (Avalon) animation tools in Vista.

 

[balamw]

Still, nothing fundamentally new, and definitely not Vista 2.0...

Remember that Vista and Leopard are desktop OSes, not server OSes...

Anyhow, I'll wait until I see Vista 1.0 (not RC2) before I'm sure about that.

B

 

[Stella]

Is Leopard going to take advantage of the 64 bit Dual G5?

Whats the point? Its history.

My guess is, that its how Tiger is now.

 

[Cameront9]

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/accessibility.html

From this site:

Closed captioning
QuickTime currently supports closed captioning by including a text track alongside audio and video content. But improved QuickTime support will automatically display the CEA-608 closed captioning text standard in analog broadcasts in the U.S.

-----

Anyone think this means support for Closed Captioning in iTunes video downloads? As a hearing-impaired Mac-User, the lack of subtitles/captions in the TV shows is the one thing keeping me from buying a bunch of them. I hope they address this issue soon...

As for the rest of the stuff:

1) Time Machine--cool name for a cool idea. However, I use a Powerbook, and my External HD is in another room. It's not connected all the time. I wonder how this setup will work? And like others, I initially thought "System Restore," but then I realized how different this is, and how Useful. But how far back can you go? I have files on my computer that are almost 10 years old....Will time machine be able to find stuff that was deleted years ago (I do mean AFTER time Machine is installed...I obviously don't expect it to find stuff deleted before TM was installed).

2) Mail. To-Do implementation looks neat, and themes might be fun for a Christmas letter. But I really don't care about HTML mail.

3) iChat. "Share the Screen" looks awesome, if it works well. So does being able to do a slideshow while chatting with someone...

4) Spaces. I've gotten so used to Expose, I can't see Virtual desktops being that big a deal to me. But It's a good feature for those who want it.

5) Dashboard. From the previews, it seems like Dashcode will be available as part of the OS?

6) Spotlight. Over-the-network searches sound great.

7) iCal. More networking features are great, but most of my friends/coworkers have PCs, so moot point for me.

8) Accessibilty: See above about Closed Captioning. Anything that helps Hearing impaired users is great.

9) 64-bit. Kind of Obvious?

10) Core Animation: Will my 1.67 G4 Powerbook be able to utilize this in any way?

Overall, great Keynote, I thought. the only people that should be disappointed are the ones claiming all kinds of crazy stuff, as always.

 

[michaelrjohnson]

So the cat won't be out of the bag until Spring 2007?

I thought Leopard was slated for December?

Maybe that means it will actually be launched at MWSF in January ...

January is not Spring. Do not expect a release in January; Expect a full-featured preview, with an announcement of a final shipping-date.

 

[chasemac]

Whats the point? Its history.

My guess is, that its how Tiger is now.

Because it is a 64 bit proccessor that's the point.

 

[Thunderbird]

January is not Spring. Do not expect a release in January; Expect a full-featured preview, with an announcement of a final shipping-date.

But Steve always likes to try to be ahead of his own schedules ....underpromising and overdelivering.

 

[70355]

But Steve always likes to try to be ahead of his own schedules ....underpromising and overdelivering.

Like the whole 3ghz thing?

 

[Sped]

Not a glimpse of the Finder...!

Here, here. I have been a very happy Mac fan for several years now, but the Finder is a POS. Although specifically mentioning a new Finder might be considered acknowledgment that it stinks, I think Steve could couch it in favorable language. Bottom line, Leopard better FTFF.

 

[Cameront9]

Like the whole 3ghz thing?

Ahh, but that was a different situation. In that case, Steve said that, but was dependent on IBM to make it come true.

In this Case, steve is only dependent on his own company to make it come true.

And did anyone else laugh today when they showed the top of the line Mac Pro--at 3Ghz?

 

[Agilus]

As far as I know he can't, that's the difference. IT has to restore the file for you.
Still, nothing fundamentally new, and definitely not Vista 2.0...

I don't think people are understanding the power of this tool. Sure, it backs stuff up, but what I like about it is that it's basically an automatic versioning (or configuration management) system built into the OS, tailored for a single user, with an intuitive way to search, view, and retrieve old versions. As far as I know, this hasn't been done before.

I do my own personal writing and coding, and it's something I've wanted for a long time. I even considered setting up CVS on my computer so I could do it myself, but never got around to it.

One thing that makes this better/different than other versioning systems, is that it is tailored for a single user. You don't get all the extra stuff that comes along with other version control software that deals with multiple users and file locking, etc. You just get the goodness of having all of your changes. Hopefully it can perform diffs (highlighting the differences between different versions), too!

 

[chasemac]

Time Machine won't mean much when the HD fails. Back that azz up!

 

[excalibur313]

Do you think that the developers who get a copy of leopard will have access to the top secret features? If so then I wouldn't doubt if some of the features got leaked faster than apple intended. Heck, last time within a week tiger as an os was lead. Yes I know the guy was sued but it would have been very hard to track who did it if he hadn't put everything he was doing in a blog.