OSX Lion not worth it, not impressed, nothing new

[*LTD*]

I think Apple is running out of ideas of innovation in an operating system and are just re-naming things after making them look a little different. Kind of disappointing. But then yet, what else can one really do to an OS....

One thing they could do is make the OS have an artificial AI that you interact with. Now that would be cool! Tell the Mac to open up Text Edit and have it type what you say like a secretary would, or tell it to Google something and it instantly opens up Safari and does the search for you. Ask it what the weather's like and it opens up The Weather Channel in Safari and tells you the current conditions + forecast (using voice) while you look at it.

Ones imagination is the limit with this.

You're all over the place. First you moan about it, then you concede there's only so far you can go with an OS, then you go into a bunch of AI stuff and other ideas that would be a total usability nightmare (especially at this stage.)

Yes, sometimes there's not a whole lot of new things you can do to an OS given the *usable* technology that's out there. Walking the line between "new" and "familiar" is difficult to do at the best of times. OS X Lion is not a complete ground-up rewrite, nor is it meant to be, nor should it be. It simplifies, it streamlines certain tasks, etc. That's why it's like $30 and not $130. You can't even buy a decent dinner for two for $30 these days. And if you can, it's gone. You ate it. At least with OS X you're getting not just an application but an entire OS that'll last you around two years and probably provide some lasting enjoyment.

 

[Cougarcat]

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that in the latest dev preview there is a global switch to disable resume, can someone tell me where that is?

general preferences

 

[Fraaaa]

There are several useful PowerPC applications that have never been ported nor rewritten for Intel processors. Many of those applications have no Intel equivalent. Rosetta is tiny, and takes up an inconsequential amount of space. Apple should have, at the very least, included it as an install option with Lion, just as they did with Snow Leopard.

Is not a big deal. Apple need to push further and you can still run Snow Leopard as main OS or on a partition.

 

[Jagardn]

http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/features.html

Here's a list of 250 new features, most of which have not been discussed much.

That list is pretty impressive to me for $29.99! Look how much people paid for Vista
I've come to realize that some people on this forum just like to cry about everything.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

I understand that, but how long does Apple need to carry these developers along? They have had plenty of time to update.

A really great one dimensional view! Congratulations!

We talk here about developers AND users! Btw, my favorite PowerPC-application is SpeedSearch X.

 

[labaom]

That list is pretty impressive to me for $29.99! Look how much people paid for Vista
I've come to realize that some people on this forum just like to cry about everything.

Just because there are alot of features and it is pretty cheap doesn't mean it is good or usable. I REFUSE to "pay" for an Operating System where I can't do what I was comfortable with in Snow Leopard. I probably won't even get it let alone pay for it. I am not trying to be a hater I love Macs. But Lion is just bad. If I wanted a grey operating system I would just go to Windows 98.

 

[ratzzo]

While Apple can't please everyone, at the very least they made it easy and possible for most people to upgrade if that's what they wanted, through their affordable price tag. After this point it's only up to you whether you upgrade or not. Snow Leopard is an amazing OS as it is, and if you are good with it, I recommend you don't upgrade.

I personally find many Lion features more annoying than they are useful, such as the scrollbars issue, and the fact that every time I open Word my previous documents opens all the time

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Maybe I'm just a rich snob, but it is only $20.00 we're talking about. What does that buy you now days: A coffee, bagel and a newspaper.

A clear case of a miscalculation.

The clear point about Lion, rightly or wrongly, is it is all about trying to cloud intergrate, and if it worked well, then that's worth twenty lousy bucks!

While at the same time, most worldwide network connections do not have the capacity for cloud services. So you say cloud services which are with a high probability not available, make Lion a superior OS? And how much have you to pay (monthly) for your 3G or 4 G network connection? Not included the fact that no Mac (mobile or not) has a 3G/4G-modem (many users requested this feature over several years, in the EU, the US and many other countries). I use an external USB-device for 3G-network connections.

Yes you can comment on your thoughts on mac OS, but just saying that Windows is sooo much better ads no value.

Mac OS? You mean "OS X Lion"? And Btw. Windows is the best OS for many applications (Videoediting, Audioproduction and so on). If you need to decode WMV or other MPEG-formats, where do you find reference decoders on the Mac-platform? Flip4Mac? Buggy as hell! No reference at all. And Apples MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and H.264-decoders? Even ffmpeg is better (has a floating point IDCT, for example). Under Windows it is easy. This makes the production workflow much better in my view. The good thing is, that Macs support Windows XP-Windows 7 SP1, so i do not need to switch my machines, if i have serious work.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Is not a big deal.

It is. Just one example of inconsistencies in the Lion GUI:
If you activate the Launchpad, all icons appear colored (as normal) on a colored semi-transparent background (also colored). It would make more sense to make the background grey and to leave the icons colored. This would be much easier for most users.

...and you can still run Snow Leopard as main OS or on a partition.

Probably not on the newest models, which should appear soon.

 

[labaom]

It is. Just one example of inconsistencies in the Lion GUI:
If you activate the Launchpad, all icons appear colored (as normal) on a colored semi-transparent background (also colored). It would make more sense to make the background grey and to leave the icons colored. This would be much easier for most users.



Probably not on the newest models, which should appear soon.

I agree. But in theory, Snow Leopard should be supported as long as Lion is. This is because there are no internal groundbreaking features. It is the same OS as Snow Leopard. Just less useful, uglier, and inconsistent. But I am sure after at least three years we will have to upgrade.

 

[emaja]

A really great one dimensional view! Congratulations!

We talk here about developers AND users! Btw, my favorite PowerPC-application is SpeedSearch X.

I really want to play Maelstrom that works on System 7. Who do I complain to?

I have found alternatives to PowerPC apps that I used to use that are often better than the PowerPC apps.

I am not saying it is not a problem. Some people are making it sound like it is Apple's problem and that they are being big meanies in dropping Rosetta. Apple has done a great job of making the transition from PPC to Intel go as smoothly as could have been expected. I think 5 years is long enough to allow developers and users to move on from PPC.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

I really want to play Maelstrom that works on System 7. Who do I complain to?

You missed the topic.

I have found alternatives to PowerPC apps that I used to use that are often better than the PowerPC apps.

Good for you! Different people, different demands.

I am not saying it is not a problem. Some people are making it sound like it is Apple's problem and that they are being big meanies in dropping Rosetta.

Apple did choose the transition from PowerPC to Intel, not the users. Apples Mactel-sales mean nothing, if you consider:
1. Apple does no longer sell PowerPC-Macs, so the only possibility to use a Mac and PowerPC-apps is a Mactel-machine with SL (including Rosetta). It is always better to have a choice. Apple limits this choice. Why do they not offer a "Snow Leopard Mode", just like Microsoft does it for Windows 7 with a "free" Windows XP Mode? Is it really that difficult?
and
2. Many iOS-users do not own old PowerPC-app licenses (Photoshop CS1, for example), and have therefore no problem to buy Mactel-machines and Intel-only Lion.

 

[emaja]

You missed the topic.

No, you missed my way of pointing out that things change - and change often - in computing.

Here are your choices...

• Upgrade to Lion and get the new features, but lose Rosetta while finding alternative programs that run on Intel based Macs.
  
• Do not upgrade to Lion and stay on Snow Leopard or earlier and continue to use your PPC apps.

If you choose the second option you will have to consider that eventually you will need to buy a new computer. That computer will come with the latest version of OS X and you will be back in the same "my apps don't work with OS X 10.9 Honey Badger."

Change happens. You can either deal with it now or later, but you will have to face it eventually.

 

[VPrime]

I find that mac users are the most nostalgic and change opposing community ever.
I don't think I have ever seen a community fear change like this.. It isn't just lion it is EVERY new OS, every hardware change. Then 6 months later the whiners are running the next great thing as if there was never an issue.. Ready to complain about the next new thing.

Computers change RAPIDLY. Apple gave PLENTY of time for people to port their PPC programs to x86. If they software you use is not ported complain to the developer.
If apple was to keep support for old technologies for ever then no one would use their new APIs and frame works. Why port to Coca, if my software still works? There would be little to no inovation as developers would rather just save time and money to work with their existing code.

 

[wankey]

It's clear to me now how much the jobs Reality Distortion Field is.

Steve Jobs introduced Snow Leopard, an arguably useless and pointless release that only tidied up the code base and did pretty much nothing new in terms of usability, interface design or anything. Yet nobody complained.

This time, Steve wasn't on stage, and people aren't impressed, not interested. Considering the vast amount of new things coming out in Lion and the lack of things that came out in Snow Leopard (I mean one of their features was RESTORE FROM TRASH, that only works sporadically). The new mail has a vastly new and tidied up interface. The new mission control is great. The launchpad idea is a neat quick launcher which may or may not be used (you don't have to use it). The new gestures and safari are excellent additions. Resume is an amazing new way of doing things. How many times have I wish I didn't delete something and had to ctrl-z 50 times to get it back, copy it, then ctrl-shift-z to redo it back to the front and paste something I once wrote.

It's clear many people are pathetically hooked onto the reality distortion field and most of just mindless zombies and it's clear that Apples day's ahead will be hard when people like you lose that distortion field, even when Apple releases arguably good evolutionary stuff.

People complaining about having to buy a $30 dollar OS should seriously reconsider what they do in life. Considering they own an incredibly overpriced computer where a computer half the price can do what their computer can do, it's hilarious for these people to complain when Apple comes out with such a cheap OS.

It's also clear that Apple works on the illusion of price similar to super car makers. The more expensive things get, the more valuable they seem to be, even if the actual value is meaningless.

$30 bucks is 2 x $15 dollar lunches, or a $2 bagel, a $2 coffee every morning for a week.

It's laughable to think people are complaining about this.

 

[Cougarcat]

It's clear to me now how much the jobs Reality Distortion Field is.

Steve Jobs introduced Snow Leopard, an arguably useless and pointless release that only tidied up the code base and did pretty much nothing new in terms of usability, interface design or anything. Yet nobody complained.

Nobody complained?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/766420/

And there are many more like it for every release. This is nothing new.

 

[roadbloc]

Steve Jobs introduced Snow Leopard, an arguably useless and pointless release that only tidied up the code base and did pretty much nothing new in terms of usability, interface design or anything. Yet nobody complained.

Um... yeah they did. The forums were filled with Snow Leopard complaints. And they did when Leopard was introduced. And Tiger. And Panther. And Jaguar. Hell, people even complained when OS X was first introduced, but rightly so, as Cheetah was a bug ridden cat.

I for one, wouldn't be getting Lion if it wasn't so cheap. But since it is, there is no reason not to.

 

[G-Force]

I must say, I'm also not that impressed by Lion. I use a normal mouse (and don't want to use Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad) so I don't notice all the new gesture stuff. However, because the price is low and the interface had a cleanup, I will buy it. If it was $ 129 I would not buy it.

 

[Fraaaa]

Actually for someone that doesn't have Snow Leopard, Lion costs 60$. Snow Leopard must be installed in order to be able to install Lion.

And those on Tiger...better buy a new Mac

Windows 8 won't be exactly so revolutionary. At least wait and see what Microsoft announces. Maybe it will become a great OS, but I have my doubts.

Windows 8 is a redesigned interface using Metro UI over Windows 7. And is ment for tablets.

So far Lion has much more than that.

 

[seong]

Again, people still complaining. For pete's sake, it's still a beta. Start complaining when the actual one is released and there is some kind of a major bug. If you don't like it, don't upgrade to Lion. No one is forcing you.

 

[cube]

Again, people still complaining. For pete's sake, it's still a beta. Start complaining when the actual one is released and there is some kind of a major bug. If you don't like it, don't upgrade to Lion. No one is forcing you.

Application developers will force you, as it's always the case with Macs.

 

[VPrime]

Application developers will force you, as it's always the case with Macs.

Haha I find this funny. Application developers are not forcing you to do any thiing.
If you want new applications that take advantage of new technology you have tl uograde.
If not then you dont have to upgrade at all. The only thing forcing you to uograde is your desire to be up to date. Wether it be up to date operating system, up to date softawre, or up to date hardware.

 

[Schtumple]

I feel as though Lion is the most impressive OSX release since Tiger to be honest...

The new feature set is pretty awesome, all things that I've wanted to see implemented, I can't see why $30 isn't worth it, compare that to the cost of installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, it's peanuts...

But I guess there'll always be someone who complains about something, no matter how menial.

 

[Fraaaa]

I feel as though Lion is the most impressive OSX release since Tiger to be honest...

The new feature set is pretty awesome, all things that I've wanted to see implemented, I can't see why $30 isn't worth it, compare that to the cost of installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, it's peanuts...

But I guess there'll always be someone who complains about something, no matter how menial.

The only thing I don't understand is the need of the previous OS to install the new OS. Beside Leopard, to upgrade to Snow Leopard you need Leopard; To upgrade to Lion you need Snow Leopard, which needs Leopard. I just don't understand why is not a stand alone OS.

 

[cube]

Haha I find this funny. Application developers are not forcing you to do any thiing.
If you want new applications that take advantage of new technology you have tl uograde.
If not then you dont have to upgrade at all. The only thing forcing you to uograde is your desire to be up to date. Wether it be up to date operating system, up to date softawre, or up to date hardware.

In other platforms, application updates will support old OS versions for a long time.

The Mac is notoriously bad in this respect.