Mac OS X Lion to Have User Interface Overhaul?

[plugsnpixels]

I got distracted by the App store and now I'm behind in the discussion...

I meant one button mouse when compared to what most Windows users use. I'm aware of the right-clicking and other functionality hidden within that one-button shell. And I didn't mention trackpads; they're entirely different.

Plus I'm a Mac snob, not a hater ;-)

 

[iWonderwhy]

That preview a few months ago was indeed underwhelming, but again, it was just a preview. If there are a "ton of new features" does that mean that preview was just a really sketchy, incomplete version of Lion?

 

[MrNomNoms]

I'm worried about the path that apple is going down. I don't like the control they have been putting on their devices. As I move more from being a consumer to being a prosumer I am starting to seriously dislike these steps to control the environment and to fill it with gimmicky features that add no additional functionality. Launchpad is no different then a full screen stack and the idea of IOS folders in addition to standard folders just seems silly to me. I can deal with gimmicky features but if apple makes a move to lock OSX down like IOS then I would be as good as gone. I really like apple's tightly integrated environment because I feel that it yields great products but if I am going to have to buy a pc to jailbrake my mac I might as well just use the pc.

You and I might think these features are gimmicky but Apple realises that their user base has gone well beyond the 'creative community' and now actually includes mere mortals who *gasp* like playing computer games, purchasing music online and shock! horror! maybe even finishing off some work they've bought home pretty terrifying!

Will there be features that'll benefit 'pro's' sure, but most of those 'features' will benefit developers who will then exploit them in the products they ship. There will be features in Lion that maybe many pro's will ask "why" but that doesn't mean that Apple has lost focus - they're merely expanding whom they cater for beyond the traditional markets.

 

[ozred]

Can't wait!

We haven't had any major interface changes since Leopard was released in 2007.

Damn how thrilling.

Nothing to learn, just plug it in and watch as it makes your morning cup of Starbucks.

Apple Appliances, nothing like 'em.

iOS so utterly brilliant any ape can use it.

All for just 99 cents.

 

[FoxMcCloud]

Looks like they updated mail.app in that mission control pic.

Also a UI update was inevitable, just look at QuickTime and FaceTime. Both first party apps that look very different to any other app. And then you have to colour scheme of the website, then iOS and iLife.

It would appear they maybe moving away from all silver to...something else.

I for one welcome our new UI overlords.

 

[MattInOz]

But it would also be interesting to discuss whether Steve is actually a help or a hindrance, since he has final say when it comes to design and functionality. For instance, Apple STILL sells a one-button mouse design, albeit with hidden multi-functionality.

Hehe not this again.
One switch and a multiple touch panel.
I use 5 buttons and 3d scrolling.

Sounds like a vast improvement to me but I'm just a cad monkey.

 

[Steve121178]

As always, Steve will drag us kicking and screaming into the future and we will eventually learn to like it. Remember when he took away our floppy drives back in 1996 or so? And what was that USB all about?

That's just progress the whole industry gradually adopted as floppy drives became irrelevant, you can't credit SJ for it!

 

[Xenc]

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So what are you suggesting? That missing button's function is so insignificant that, I bet, it was painless ditching it altogether.

I use that button all the time to collapse the toolbar, especially on my 13" where space is at a premium.

I think the "Hide toolbar" button is being nixed in favour of full screen apps. You can still hide the toolbar from the menu bar.

 

[Manderby]

If they want to clean up the UI, they should start with the menu.

The apple menu is in its basis very nice and of course, removing it would be an axe-cut (and me myself, would remember it as an icon). But look at it. At least two items (App store, Dock) do not even belong here and the others are only used sparsely as they can be activated quicker and more securely (have you ever accidentally put a remote computer to sleep with the menu?) by pressing the power-button. The only thing really useful for a user is System Preferences.

The Application menu: The only things really belonging here are the preferences and Quit. About belongs to the Help menu and Hiding belongs to the Window menu. Barely any application ever uses this menu for anything else (including apples own applications).

Ditch the window and Help menu alltogether and find a better solution (for example a button on the right of the menu for help which can be turned off for the entire system if wanted.) The window menu could have been ditched since the introduction of exposé, but unfortunately in Leopard and with the new Magic mouse, exposé became increasingly uncomfortable (And grand-master-control-central-station-whatevertheycallit will not make it better), so I ended up using the window menu while I have never used the menu before the changes. So for now, I need the window menu but I know, there are better ways to solve this (and I don't mean single-window applications).

Now this would need some get used to but if Apple looks at computers user-centric nowadays, the menu as it is is just not conformant to that idea.

 

[Xenc]

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Use keyboard shortcuts. Command + ? is a nice one.

 

[macdaddy57]

You've Got to Be Kidding!

Please tell me Apple's not putting all the app icons on the desktop. I can't tell you how ridiculously stupid and un-Apple like that is. A laptop/desktop is not the same as a iPhone/iPad and doesn't need the same UX paradigms. Want to do something really useful? Just let me right-click on a folder to create a new subfolder within it.

 

[Tanguyvd]

Did some of you watch the keynote? That's not the actual desktop. It's the "launch pad" that can fade into view when you do a multitouch gesture (similar like Dashboard).

Those icons aren't on the desktop, the launch pad is like a layer above.

the question was: why are the icons on the launch pad while the docking can be used as well... i know: you can put more icons on the launch pad than you can on the dock...

time to get myself a 27" --> more space to put more icons = MORE COWBELL

 

[Tanguyvd]

I know it's all 'speculation' but my God...if they try to make the Mac OSs like iOS, I can't help feeling like they're going down the downward spiral of the old Macintosh. The company's resurgence was based on the tech savvy, and creative pros. The dock is superior to app screens. A computer's not a phone. I don't want an iPad or a Mac that's an iPad with a keyboard.

a computer is not a phone say you?
think again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct1_r_61sk8&feature=player_embedded

 

[baryon]

Sounds awesome, though I really hope mission control isn't going to be the intrusive, full-screen interface it seems to be at the moment. There's plenty of space on Mac screens, why make it full-screen? Exposé should be made back to how it was in Leopard, as it didn't rearrange windows and it used up all the space available. Also, animations in Leopard were much smoother than in Snow Leopard. I hope they fix that too.

 

[NATO]

I'm glad Launch Control can just be something that hides in the background and can be ignored - Can't really see the point of it for a power-user as Spotlight is the best app launcher for its speed and simplicity but I can definitely appreciate that average users would find it useful.

 

[apveenstra]

Please make this an option we can turn off. I don't want to turn my MacBook Pro into a giant MaxiPad

 

[Mailia]

I don't want to turn my MacBook Pro into a giant MAxiPad

Don't upgrade. Simple.

 

[this is funah]

i gotta say i will fully trust apple in ANY UI design modifications. everything theyve done since 2001 has been nothing but an improvement.

 

[ScottishCaptain]

i gotta say i will fully trust apple in ANY UI design modifications. everything theyve done since 2001 has been nothing but an improvement.

Umm...

iTunes 10? The Mac App Store?

Both are perfect examples of bad UI interface design, and violate Apple's own guidelines.

Not everything Apple does should be praised.

-SC

 

[Koning]

Looks really ugly, hope they don't do it this way...

 

[leman]

Umm...

iTunes 10? The Mac App Store?

Both are perfect examples of bad UI interface design, and violate Apple's own guidelines.

Not everything Apple does should be praised.

-SC

I find both to be rather well-designed actually. iTunes didn't seem to change much from older versions and the App Store is done in a web-interface-like design, which I find rather convenient.

Could you name some examples of the bad design in these applications?

 

[this is funah]

Umm...

iTunes 10? The Mac App Store?

Both are perfect examples of bad UI interface design, and violate Apple's own guidelines.

Not everything Apple does should be praised.

im not praising everything apple does, but their UI team has done some magnificent work in the last decade, especially regarding the ipod, iphone and OS X (especially after Exposé integration in 10.3).

but iTunes 10 is not really different from the previous versions, which have all been the flagship for upcoming OS X features (f.ex. spotlight, coverflow, killing aqua, etc.).

The mac app store is basically the iTunes store, which isnt the best interface but that's because its a web-based interface, which is useful for most of the users, albeit not very extensible and powerful.

 

[MacFly123]

If Lion becomes locked-down like iOS, bye bye Mac. Just seems like that's the way it's headed. Not something I'm thrilled about. I already don't like their terms and conditions for iOS and refuse to code for it. Not going to be happy with the nickel-and-dime parade coming to the desktop.

Steve Jobs (Back to the Mac Event in regards to the Mac App Store): "It won't be the only place to get apps but we think it'll be the best."

I know Steve said that and that is the way it must be, but I am worried that even with the other options that it will slowly evolve into essentially being closed anyway because it offers a more seamless experience.

It just worries me a bit with issues like this because we are talking about the gateway to information and speech etc!

They aren't sitting on your desktop. You click on an icon in your dock that's called "LaunchPad" and it shows you all of your apps.

I use Spaces a lot with my professional workflow as a video editor and it looks like that is being axed or melded into "Mission Control" and I don't know if I am going to be happy about that! "Mission Control" is a lame name anyway.

And people, it's still going to be OS X. I don't really think the fears of it being your iPhone on a desktop are based on anything substantial.

I know it will still be much more powerful than iOS but there could be several issues here! Apple has expressed that SOME ideas from iOS ARE great for the desktop and SOME are NOT. I totally agree with them and I hope they truly understand that SOME ideas are NOT great for the desktop.

For example: Autosaved states might be great in some apps while in others, especially the pro apps, that would NOT BE GOOD AT ALL! I am a professional video producer and things like Spaces going away and really dumbed down concepts like the above could really really hurt a pro workflow!

So please Apple at least keep these things in mind with the pro products!

Otherwise I am excited to see what Lion is like and a bit nervous of the unknown at the same time!

 

[Terminal.app]

Agreed. I am not looking forward to a more iOS centric OS X...

Me neither.

Cash money says that it will be a desktop look of iOS.

Oh boy oh boy, iToys in my pocket and on my desktop.

I have a feeling if I do buy another Mac, I'll be staying on Snow Leopard indefinitely. Buuuut knowing Apple and their doctrine of planned obsolescence, they'll probably find some way to kill SL to make a Lion upgrade inevitable.

 

[gorgeousninja]

place this under "I don't care."

just care enough to let us all know how much you don't...weird! Do you want me to tell you what I didn't have for lunch?