Snow Leopard to Provide Icon-Level Previews

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider reports that the preview version of Snow Leopard provides users with a quick way to review audio files within Finder:

One person familiar with the pre-release software notes that hovering the mouse pointer over an audio file in Snow Leopard's Finder will trigger a triangular 'play' button to appear on the icon itself. Clicking the button will allow the audio file to play within the Finder, but without opening a specialized preview window.

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[NotFound]

That's quite a delicious tweak.

 

[iMacmatician]

WOW!

That's seriously amazing. I hope Snow Leopard's Finder will be able to support icon sizes up to 512 pixels (up from Leopard's 128) to better make use of this.

I was hoping for Skimming support though.

I think this should be on the front page.

 

[mogzieee]

Thats pretty neat. Cannot wait to try that out.

 

[Sky Blue]

pretty nice. I like the Quick Look preview in 10.5 with the album art.

 

[iMacmatician]

That's quite a delicious tweak.

So much for "no new features." Not that I'm complaining of course.

 

[lazyrighteye]

The advancement of Finder-level functionality has been one of my favorite aspects of Leopard. This development only furthers said functionality.
Neat!

 

[noodle654]

Thats pretty sweet. Great idea.

 

[iMacmatician]

The advancement of Finder-level functionality has been one of my favorite aspects of Leopard. This development only furthers said functionality.
Neat!

And people say that Apple's neglecting the Finder...

 

[fuziwuzi]

but in leopard, if u "quicklook" (spacebar) on a mp3 it will play it. i don't see why this is so exciting

 

[kungming2]

WOW!

That's seriously amazing. I hope Snow Leopard's Finder will be able to support icon sizes up to 512 pixels (up from Leopard's 128) to better make use of this.

I was hoping for Skimming support though.

I think this should be on the front page.

Leopard already supports up to 512 px. Tiger supported up to 128 px.

 

[iMacmatician]

but in leopard, if u "quicklook" (spacebar) on a mp3 it will play it. i don't see why this is so exciting

There's a Quick Look window that opens. Snow Leopard will play files directly from the icon. Also if you switch applications the file still plays, unlike with Leopard.

Leopard already supports up to 512 px. Tiger supported up to 128 px.

The Finder doesn't. The "View Options" mini-window still has a 128-pixel limit.

 

[Beric]

Wow. Is this sweet or what?

 

[krye]

That's really cool, but Linux had had that for like 4 years now. It's so funny how new features are added to OS X, and all the fan boys jump up and down as if Apple came out with this cool new feature when the rest of the world has had it for years.

 

[Full of Win]

How about folder previews on the icon level?

 

[Peace]

I'm sure the finder will get more tweaks as it inches towards Cocoa.

 

[Eraserhead]

This sounds very cool. Quicktime X looks to be shaping up nicely.

 

[iMacmatician]

How about folder previews on the icon level?

That's what I want too. Skimming but for folders.

 

[zaphoyd]

Is it just me or hasn't the finder done media previews with no extra popup box in column view forever? Is this just making that happen in icon view?

 

[Dmac77]

Snow Leopard is due in June 2009 right? I can't wait!

Don

 

[iMacmatician]

This sounds very cool. Quicktime X looks to be shaping up nicely.

How do you know?

Is it just me or hasn't the finder done media previews with no extra popup box in column view forever? Is this just making that happen in icon view?

I don't think that media preview was Quick Look.

That's really cool, but Linux had had that for like 4 years now. It's so funny how new features are added to OS X, and all the fan boys jump up and down as if Apple came out with this cool new feature when the rest of the world has had it for years.

If you count the column view media preview, then Apple's had it for 7 years.

Snow Leopard is due in June 2009 right?

Around that time.

 

[Adisah]

I hope they release more news about Snow Leopard like this than perhaps it is even worth 79 or maybe it should be free??? lol Just kidding, good job apple. I'm still probably not buying it.

 

[al256]

Um... Didn't Mac OS 9 have the ability to change an icon on the fly? I remember IE updated a file's icon why it was downloading with a progress bar on the finder.

 

[Adisah]

I just thought about it and if you think about it. They are laying the groundwork for multi-touch. Touch the center of the icon and the preview starts playing. Double tap to open the file.

 

[iMacmatician]

Um... Didn't Mac OS 9 have the ability to change an icon on the fly? I remember IE updated a file's icon why it was downloading with a progress bar on the finder.

So does Mac OS X. This is different.