First off, let me say that I switched from Windows about one year ago when I bought the early 2008 2.4GHz MacBook for my freshman year of college. I absolutely LOVE it and will never (willingly) go back to the crap Microsoft puts out! Over the past year, I have explored Leopard extensively, and found it to be a very polished and well thought-out OS. With Windows, I am constantly thinking, "Why would they do that?" with regard to the way features are implemented into the OS. With my Mac, I think this thought significantly less. However, there are still several (albeit nit-picky) issues I have with Leopard, so I decided to write a thread describing them and asking you guys to contribute to my list of needed fixes and features. Eventually, I plan to write an open letter to Steve Jobs. I've heard that he occasionally responds to user emails, and I think that If I provide enough details and am polite about it, I might have a chance! I realize it's probably already too late for any of my suggestions to influence the initial release of Snow Leopard, but who knows, many of these suggestions are small enough to fit into a 10.6.X update!
Note: I deliberately excluded the restore button in Trash because it has already shown up on Snow Leopard developer's builds.
Here's my initial draft:
Proposed OS X Fixes/Features
Read Mac files from Boot Camp
When I'm using Windows on my Mac, I would love to be able to have access to my iTunes library without re-copying it to my Windows partition.
More customization of Finder Sidebar
I should be able to hide the "search" and "shared" drop-down menus completely. Or, better yet, incorporate the "search" options into the "places" drop-down and call it "links" or something. I, personally, never use links in the "search" tab so I would like to not have option to not look at it. Also, often times when I am not on my home network for extended periods of time, (at college) I would prefer to not have to look at the "shared" sidebar drop-down. Note: I realize you can already collapse these drop-downs, I would prefer to have them hidden all together for a cleaner UI
Free Mobile Me
As much as I hate to say it, Microsoft really upped the ante by giving everyone 25GB of free storage. Heck, I even signed up for an account just for the free storage, only to find out to my (not surprising) disappointment that the upload tool only works on IE! Apple really needs to step up to the plate and make mobile me free, at least for all bona fide mac users.
Fix opening PDFs from Spotlight
I find the current behavior of Preview opening the sidebar, highlighting the words I typed into Spotlight, and zooming in on it somewhat frustrating. To make the PDF readable, I have to either close the sidebar or extend the window horizontally (because I don't want to scroll side to side with every line!). When a PDF is open from Spotlight search results, the window should either automatically zoom or automatically resize the window so that I can read the entire width of my document without adjusting any settings.
More sensitive "traffic light" buttons
Although I rarely use them, (thank God for keyboard shortcuts), often, when I go for the traffic lights, I... ...miss. Those buttons are very small! I wouldn't recommend changing the graphics of them for cosmetic reasons, but the click-sensative region (there's a real term for this floating around somewhere in my brain...) should expand slightly outside the buttons themselves. For example, if you click in the gray area between two buttons, nothing happens. Mac should take that as a click on whichever button you are closest to.
Menu bar option to close all open applications
I suppose I am a bit OCD, but when I finish a project on my mac, I like to look down at the dock and not see all those sporadic glowing dots, so I always go through and close each application I was working with. It would be great for a way to instantly close all of my open applications with one click. On a side note, does the Finder icon really need a glowing dot?
Make "cmd+tilda" work like "cmd+tab"
When cycling through applications with "cmd-tab," the software changes the order of applications based on which application you viewed most recently. Thus, switching back and forth between two apps, even when you have many open, only requires one "tab." "Cmd-tilda," on the other hand, does not remember the window order, so switching back and forth between two windows in Safari, for example, when you have many open is tedious, and requires going all the way through the cycle. This should definitely be fixed. Also, it would be great if "cmd-tilda" could have a nice UI with thumbnails of each open windows, also similar to "cmd-tab."
Rotate PDFs in Safari
This one is a no-brainer. As a public transportation user, I am constantly viewing PDF bus schedules from the Port Authority's website, and often times they need rotated. Because I can not do this in Safari, and I don't want to take the extra step of opening the PDF in Preview, I usually pick up my macbook and turn it around to view it. I imagine iMac users especially will want this feature. I read the "new features" list on Safari 4, but it still seems to exclude this feature!
View Word, excel, and powerpoint files in Safari
This isn't a fix, exactly, but it sure would be cool!
Dictionary application should be faster
Maybe it's just my computer, but Dictionary seems to run significantly slower than any other application on my computer, considering it's size. Let me know about your computer, because if no one else seem to notice this, I won't include it in my final list.
Option to maximize to full screen when green maximize button is pressed
I realize that this suggestion is really showing my status as a "switcher," but still, it'd be nice when working with only one window at a time. Maybe "cmd+[green button]" could do the trick.
Copy Jump lists from Windows 7
Again, I hate to admit it, but Microsoft's utility of right-clicking on an app's icon for common "tasks" ups the ante. We already have a half-hearted version of this feature in Mail, iTunes, and Safari, but should be expanded with more options in those applications and added to everything else on the Dock (iCal, especially).
Add a better way to delete applications
I appreciate third-party software like AppZapper, and others, but this is seriously a fix that needs to be built in to the Applications folder of the Finder (but accessible from anywhere in the Finder)
Free remote desktop
Windows comes with this feature, so Apple should not have to charge for it. I currently use Logmein Free on my Mac. For those who are interested, it's not a bad substitute.
Option to keep laptop awake when lid is closed
Sometimes I want to keep my MacBook awake for Logmein, but it would be easier to hide from my little siblings' destructiveness if I could close the lid and stick it on a shelf somewhere.
"cmd + [scrolling]" should zoom in and out of all text applications
*Sigh,* again, like Windows. But hey! They copied off Mac so much, that Apple can surely take a few hints!
Keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot of the active window
I realize you can do this with Grab, but it would be nice for a shortcut.
Add calendar to menu bar
I often need to look up a date (to see what day of the week it is, or whatever) and I don't want to have to go into the dashboard every time. I'm sure Apple could think of some innovative way to integrate this into iCal, too!
Eliminate unnecessary scrolling bars in Finder
This one is really nit-picking, but has anyone realized how when you're scrolled down in a Finder window and delete (or move) a bunch of files to the point where all the remaining files can all fit in the window, the window appears empty with a scroll bar until you scroll up to where the files are, and then the scroll bar disappears? It should adjust automatically. Note: I know this occurs in list view, but am not sure about the other views.
Easier interface for handling multiple iTunes libraries
This also applies to iPhoto, but I am not commenting on iLife for this thread. I should be able to switch or create a new library via a menu option, not quitting the application and restarting it holding the "option" key.
Network folders pinned to the Finder Sidebar should disappear when not available
You've got to admit, this would just be cool.
Virtualize boot camp Windows partition from Mac
I think Parallels does this, but I'm sure Apple could do it better (and for free!) Of course this feature would be in addition to running windows natively.
Finder option to show/hide hidden files
I haven't needed to access hidden files on my mac many times, but the first time I did, I spent a good 10 minutes searching the menu bar before going online and realizing I had to type a terminal hack just to access this feature. I was shocked!
Full Screen zooming (control-scrolling) should not lose so much quality
I know next to nothing about computer programming, but I do realize adding this feature would probably take a lot of it. I do hate seeing a pixelated screen whenever I zoom in, though.
Note: I deliberately excluded the restore button in Trash because it has already shown up on Snow Leopard developer's builds.
Here's my initial draft:
Proposed OS X Fixes/Features
Read Mac files from Boot Camp
When I'm using Windows on my Mac, I would love to be able to have access to my iTunes library without re-copying it to my Windows partition.
More customization of Finder Sidebar
I should be able to hide the "search" and "shared" drop-down menus completely. Or, better yet, incorporate the "search" options into the "places" drop-down and call it "links" or something. I, personally, never use links in the "search" tab so I would like to not have option to not look at it. Also, often times when I am not on my home network for extended periods of time, (at college) I would prefer to not have to look at the "shared" sidebar drop-down. Note: I realize you can already collapse these drop-downs, I would prefer to have them hidden all together for a cleaner UI
Free Mobile Me
As much as I hate to say it, Microsoft really upped the ante by giving everyone 25GB of free storage. Heck, I even signed up for an account just for the free storage, only to find out to my (not surprising) disappointment that the upload tool only works on IE! Apple really needs to step up to the plate and make mobile me free, at least for all bona fide mac users.
Fix opening PDFs from Spotlight
I find the current behavior of Preview opening the sidebar, highlighting the words I typed into Spotlight, and zooming in on it somewhat frustrating. To make the PDF readable, I have to either close the sidebar or extend the window horizontally (because I don't want to scroll side to side with every line!). When a PDF is open from Spotlight search results, the window should either automatically zoom or automatically resize the window so that I can read the entire width of my document without adjusting any settings.
More sensitive "traffic light" buttons
Although I rarely use them, (thank God for keyboard shortcuts), often, when I go for the traffic lights, I... ...miss. Those buttons are very small! I wouldn't recommend changing the graphics of them for cosmetic reasons, but the click-sensative region (there's a real term for this floating around somewhere in my brain...) should expand slightly outside the buttons themselves. For example, if you click in the gray area between two buttons, nothing happens. Mac should take that as a click on whichever button you are closest to.
Menu bar option to close all open applications
I suppose I am a bit OCD, but when I finish a project on my mac, I like to look down at the dock and not see all those sporadic glowing dots, so I always go through and close each application I was working with. It would be great for a way to instantly close all of my open applications with one click. On a side note, does the Finder icon really need a glowing dot?
Make "cmd+tilda" work like "cmd+tab"
When cycling through applications with "cmd-tab," the software changes the order of applications based on which application you viewed most recently. Thus, switching back and forth between two apps, even when you have many open, only requires one "tab." "Cmd-tilda," on the other hand, does not remember the window order, so switching back and forth between two windows in Safari, for example, when you have many open is tedious, and requires going all the way through the cycle. This should definitely be fixed. Also, it would be great if "cmd-tilda" could have a nice UI with thumbnails of each open windows, also similar to "cmd-tab."
Rotate PDFs in Safari
This one is a no-brainer. As a public transportation user, I am constantly viewing PDF bus schedules from the Port Authority's website, and often times they need rotated. Because I can not do this in Safari, and I don't want to take the extra step of opening the PDF in Preview, I usually pick up my macbook and turn it around to view it. I imagine iMac users especially will want this feature. I read the "new features" list on Safari 4, but it still seems to exclude this feature!
View Word, excel, and powerpoint files in Safari
This isn't a fix, exactly, but it sure would be cool!
Dictionary application should be faster
Maybe it's just my computer, but Dictionary seems to run significantly slower than any other application on my computer, considering it's size. Let me know about your computer, because if no one else seem to notice this, I won't include it in my final list.
Option to maximize to full screen when green maximize button is pressed
I realize that this suggestion is really showing my status as a "switcher," but still, it'd be nice when working with only one window at a time. Maybe "cmd+[green button]" could do the trick.
Copy Jump lists from Windows 7
Again, I hate to admit it, but Microsoft's utility of right-clicking on an app's icon for common "tasks" ups the ante. We already have a half-hearted version of this feature in Mail, iTunes, and Safari, but should be expanded with more options in those applications and added to everything else on the Dock (iCal, especially).
Add a better way to delete applications
I appreciate third-party software like AppZapper, and others, but this is seriously a fix that needs to be built in to the Applications folder of the Finder (but accessible from anywhere in the Finder)
Free remote desktop
Windows comes with this feature, so Apple should not have to charge for it. I currently use Logmein Free on my Mac. For those who are interested, it's not a bad substitute.
Option to keep laptop awake when lid is closed
Sometimes I want to keep my MacBook awake for Logmein, but it would be easier to hide from my little siblings' destructiveness if I could close the lid and stick it on a shelf somewhere.
"cmd + [scrolling]" should zoom in and out of all text applications
*Sigh,* again, like Windows. But hey! They copied off Mac so much, that Apple can surely take a few hints!
Keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot of the active window
I realize you can do this with Grab, but it would be nice for a shortcut.
Add calendar to menu bar
I often need to look up a date (to see what day of the week it is, or whatever) and I don't want to have to go into the dashboard every time. I'm sure Apple could think of some innovative way to integrate this into iCal, too!
Eliminate unnecessary scrolling bars in Finder
This one is really nit-picking, but has anyone realized how when you're scrolled down in a Finder window and delete (or move) a bunch of files to the point where all the remaining files can all fit in the window, the window appears empty with a scroll bar until you scroll up to where the files are, and then the scroll bar disappears? It should adjust automatically. Note: I know this occurs in list view, but am not sure about the other views.
Easier interface for handling multiple iTunes libraries
This also applies to iPhoto, but I am not commenting on iLife for this thread. I should be able to switch or create a new library via a menu option, not quitting the application and restarting it holding the "option" key.
Network folders pinned to the Finder Sidebar should disappear when not available
You've got to admit, this would just be cool.
Virtualize boot camp Windows partition from Mac
I think Parallels does this, but I'm sure Apple could do it better (and for free!) Of course this feature would be in addition to running windows natively.
Finder option to show/hide hidden files
I haven't needed to access hidden files on my mac many times, but the first time I did, I spent a good 10 minutes searching the menu bar before going online and realizing I had to type a terminal hack just to access this feature. I was shocked!
Full Screen zooming (control-scrolling) should not lose so much quality
I know next to nothing about computer programming, but I do realize adding this feature would probably take a lot of it. I do hate seeing a pixelated screen whenever I zoom in, though.
