Roundup of OS X Mountain Lion Reviews: 'Faster and Smoother', 'Incremental', 'Bargain at Twice the Price'

[31 Flavas]

Funny, I bet you haven't even used both the platforms you just mentioned. Of course naturally I anticipate you'll state otherwise. If you truly tested a Windows 8 OS on MS's demo device they passed out during one of their recent developer's conference, I ask you to read out your serial # of your device. Otherwise all you did was test out their CP (consumer preview) version.

Windows 8 is also a desktop PC operating system that had a "release preview", right? Aren't we talking about a mobile operating system "infiltrating" the desktop OS? The skeuomorphism from iOS to OS X is subtle compared to what Microsoft has done.

As far as dropping familiar features in favor of something new / something that is better -- What problem is Windows 8, for the desktop, solving?

 

[kockgunner]

Safari is very fast! The only thing is that the loading bar reminds me of Windows 98 title bars..


[Fixed after reboot] Also anyone else have the problem of the dock not hiding/unhiding properly?

 

[Lennholm]

Windows 8 is also a desktop PC operating system that had a "release preview", right? Aren't we talking about a mobile operating system "infiltrating" the desktop OS? The skeuomorphism from iOS to OS X is subtle compared to what Microsoft has done.

As far as dropping familiar features in favor of something new / something that is better -- What problem is Windows 8, for the desktop, solving?

Eh, what? Do you even know what skeuomorphism means?

 

[shiseiryu1]

Update to Last Post

Well it appears that since my Macbook Air is late 2010 I can't use the screen mirroring feature!!! I can't believe that my laptop is less than 2 years old and already Apple is limiting features on it.

Pretty angry and disappointed right now.

 

[hutch34]

I got the Win8 preview on Parallels. It IS crap. Running as a VM, you have to click in THREE places just to shut down. Yeah. You first have to go to the main screen, then log out, then click again, then shutdown, then click OK to shut down.

Ok... maybe even more clicks...

You don't have to do that to shutdown.

Drag your mouse to the lower right hand corner. Select 'Settings', click 'Power', and then click Shutdown.

Still a lot of mouse clicks, but you don't have to log out or anything.

 

[Hyper-X]

Windows 8 is also a desktop PC operating system that had a "release preview", right? Aren't we talking about a mobile operating system "infiltrating" the desktop OS? The skeuomorphism from iOS to OS X is subtle compared to what Microsoft has done.

As far as dropping familiar features in favor of something new / something that is better -- What problem is Windows 8, for the desktop, solving?

MS has a RP version out, granted the Metro UI is a feature set from their mobile segment that now in their desktop OS, the rest of the interaction (aside from Metro) with Windows has also changed, it's a bigger change than, say from Lion to Mountain Lion.

The biggest criticism which I also agree with is the lack of the Start/Win button. I work with computers so I can learn to deal without it much better than, say a much less computer savvy user. But that's not what I was referring to on your post.

It was in response to the "vomit" comment. Many objectively honest iOS users have agreed, that after short or long term use that it's actually quite a good interface. It's just that their products aren't aimed at the top segment of smartphones and compete mostly in the middle market segments.

 

[scottlitch]

I've had it installed for a few hours now. I have to say I'm really impressed. Seems faster and I haven't run into any bugs (like I did with Lion).

 

[Kevenly]

Lion has been so bad that I quit using Mac OS X, booting into Windows 7 95% of the time. Lion is the first Mac OSX that I have actually HATED and I've been with it since System 6. I hope this new OS X revision improves that. I just don't care whatsoever about "sharing" and social network crap. I'd rather 3rd party apps dealt with that junk if people want to be obsessing over facebook and twitter and all that garbage. Give me a nice front end but the ability to get into my own system as deeply as I want. Give me regularly updated graphics drivers. I'm glad I'll be able to go to full screen on alternate monitors, since they made that impossible with Lion. I hope they removed the black screen problem as well, where I could watch on my projector if I set the projector to my main screen but then when I would go to full screen it would black out my Macbook monitor as well! I had to use Windows to watch movies on my projector for the last year.

 

[StyxMaker]

Exactly, I mean WTF, does he think he can break the law just because he is a journalist? Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can buy stolen property, LOL.

'Journalist' should always be in quotes when taking about that orgaization.

 

[Takeo]

You answered your own question. It's too simple, and while that is great practicality-wise, inevitably, people are going to get bored of the simplicity (after 5 generations of the same design). As for asking what people want, that's not the point. Apple's philosophy is that the consumer doesn't know what he/she wants. If you asked a person what more they wanted from a smartphone before the first iPhone was released, do you think they could've listed every single feature that made the iPhone so successful? If any person could do that, then why didn't any other companies try to invent the iPhone before Apple did? Same thing for the iPad.

So they should just change things for the sake of changing them?

 

[BornAgainMac]

Safari is the biggest surprise for me. It has that raw speed I see with Chrome on Windows. It is beyond Snappy.

 

[544263]

ML rocks iOS on my desktop whoop whoop

Exactly. Totally useless! This is a desktop OS and not a f***ng phone ... If i want iOS, i take my iPhone or iPad ...

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I've had it installed for a few hours now. I have to say I'm really impressed. Seems faster and I haven't run into any bugs (like I did with Lion).

I couldn't feel any performance differences. How did you measure that?

----------

So is Mountain Lion worth it? What is it going to offer my 2010 MB Pro with a soon to be SSD over my Lion I have?

It's offering:

- Dictation
- AirPlay
- Lots of iOS fancy clicky dummy mobile-like stuff (i personally dont care about)

Performance wise i don't think it makes a noticable difference between 10.7 or 10.8 (tried it on MBP 2011 with SSD)

 

[extradryny]

For real though stuff like Expose and Stacks that really changed how we use our computers. Apple is focusing on taking the only thing they do know now (iOS) and bring it to Mac. Other than that they have no ideas.

I love multi-touch in Lion, but how Expose is a productivity improvement on Alt+Tab I'll never understand. I never use it.

 

[544263]

Apple's new installer uses the Apple Time Travel (ATT) technology. It has the ability to install and complete before the current time, as shown from this screen shot (via iPhone) I took while installing on my laptop.

Hahaha. Hilarious.

 

[Takeo]

Why is it taking people 4-8 hours?

Don't know but it's nearing end of day here on the east coast and I still can't even get the download to START. YMMV eh?

 

[Eidorian]

I love multi-touch in Lion, but how Expose is a productivity improvement on Alt+Tab I'll never understand. I never use it.

It is non-linear application switching. Aero Flip 3D comes close since you can click on the specific window you want out of the spread.

I really like having a lot of tools for application/window management. Expose is just one of them along with Cmd + Tab and hiding. I never use minimizing.

 

[544263]

For anyone who has been wanting to mirror their laptop screen wireless on their HDTV this OS update is a no-brainer! Can't wait to try it out tonight.

Yes we've been using it together with Apple TV (3rd gen) and i can really say: that feature rocks! it works perfect for us, sound is in-sync and it only has a minor delay (which is perfectly okay due to technical reasons!). I'm loving AirPlay on 10.8 !

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I agree with Gizmodo! You can only build a tower so tall before it topples over and you have to start over ... Yes, I'm referencing the stale iOS user interface and minimal improvements to OS X. You can't beat the price though of the ML upgrade.

"it doesn't really improve my workflow and only has 0815 iOS features but it's so cheap i will buy it because it's cheap" ...

where are the times when software was made for professional users ...

yes, the price is awesome. but ... does it improve my work? -> no. is it fun to use dictation and airplay: yes !!!

apple has clearly a consumer orientation nowadays. this is perfectly fine according to their turnover. however, where is this going to end .... ?

 

[TheReadyPrompt]

Gizmodo isn't anti-Apple; they're pro-page views at any cost, creating contrived controversy for self promotion. They are the AM Talk Radio/Tabloid/John C. Dvorak of technology websites, with equal journalistic relevancy.

I don't know what Eric was thinking even including Jesus Diaz's article in the review roundup. That's like bringing Denny's sausage links to a charity fundraiser dinner.

 

[chatfan]

No problems with the dock hiding/unhiding, seems to work nice and smooth.

Safari is very fast! The only thing is that the loading bar reminds me of Windows 98 title bars..


[Fixed after reboot] Also anyone else have the problem of the dock not hiding/unhiding properly?

----------

Exactly, self promoting page view generating semi journalism. Almost never visit that blog pretending to be a tech news site.

Gizmodo isn't anti-Apple; they're pro-page views at any cost, creating contrived controversy for self promotion. They are the AM Talk Radio/Tabloid/John C. Dvorak of technology websites, with equal journalistic relevancy.

I don't know what Eric was thinking even including Jesus Diaz's article in the review roundup. That's like bringing Denny's sausage links to a charity fundraiser dinner.

 

[SpiderDude]

Now, on topic. While Gizmodo definitely has an agenda, they still have a few valid points regarding Apple's direction in OS X.

True true, I just find really funny that they had to come up with such a sophisticated word.

On the downvoting, I really appreciated your candid response.
Though I still miss the ol' -dozens on some trolls, or some really stupid post.

The whole let's no be negative thing, feels like I've been removed of one of my rights.
One's not supposed to come over to the internet if one's not ready for some criticism, or even mass criticism. This is not a children's blog, it's adults and young adults arguing and tossing ideias around, though sometimes a bit more passionately than they should.

Also, it feels to facebook-ish for me.
Maybe MR is getting on the whole iOS integration thing..


Mac'on

 

[Aodhan]

I have long since removed Gizmodo from my bookmarks. Apart from being arguably anti-Apple, they are also overtly political, which is a major turn-off for me. I go to tech sites for tech news, not to read about the writer's politics.

 

[SpiderDude]

You have to admit it's pretty bad. The Verge recently put up an interview with iA's web designer Oliver Reichenstein. He called out Apple for this unnecessary ornamental design. Earlier this year the London Telegraph asked Jony Ive about it in an interview and he danced around the question by saying he's hardware and not connected to the software UI. Lots of people are hating on it as they should. Apple's gone way overboard with this skeumorphic design crap.

True, true.
I'm very indecise on that matter.
Here's the thing: if they give you a revamped look, it's gonna generate lots of discussion. Rabble rabble Apple might not be interested in.
OS X might not be cool, it's just plain simple.
It's just like going with the jeans and white shirt. You never go wrong with that (men's wear of course). Some other stuff are way more fancy, but you get tired of them pretty quickly.
As hard it is for me to admit, Apple might be a little afraid of getting out of their confort zone.
But then again, who am I to know?

One more thing, I do believe, however, OS 11 will revamp UI.

Mac'on

 

[extradryny]

It is non-linear application switching. Aero Flip 3D comes close since you can click on the specific window you want out of the spread.

I really like having a lot of tools for application/window management. Expose is just one of them along with Cmd + Tab and hiding. I never use minimizing.

It's non-linear, but I'm not sure what difference that makes in a practical sense given the time it takes to simply press tab. To have to move the cursor to a box and click is always slower and more disruptive to my train of thought.

Hadn't heard of Aero Flip 3D - looks very cool, and perhaps best of both worlds.

 

[tactician1016]

I was "okay" with Lion. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I liked the ideas they put into it, like Launchpad and the multi-window Mission Control, but it just didn't do it smoothly enough for me, and I found myself ignoring them most of the time. So far I'm enjoying Mountain Lion (and I love the search bar in Launchpad), and I hope it will stay that way.

Safari is the biggest surprise for me. It has that raw speed I see with Chrome on Windows. It is beyond Snappy.

I've been alternating between Firefox (because of the video download extension that I can't find on Chrome) and Chrome (for speed)
I read the Ars Technica review of ML while it installed, and when he mentioned Safari I blinked. I was pretty skeptical that it could be that improved, but I tried it when it finished installing.

Holy crap. I don't know what they did, but it worked. Faster than Firefox by a significant margin, and equally reliable. I love the way they modified the progress bar, makes it feel more future-y. Now if someone can kindly point me to a video download extension for Safari, I will love you forever.

Apple's new installer uses the Apple Time Travel (ATT) technology. It has the ability to install and complete before the current time, as shown from this screen shot (via iPhone) I took while installing on my laptop.

That's amazing and hilarious and you win forever.

 

[nottooshabby]

Tried word, excel and powerpoint. All opened, ran and saved just fine.

Nice. Thanks buddy.