leopard
Tiger and Leopard in Pictures - Part 3: The Apps
December 22, 2008 Filed in: Apple | Tech Stuff
Apple’s changes to OS X in Leopard affected more than
the basic
desktop experience. The aesthetic changes
permeate the applications and utilities of the
operating system. Even applications that aren’t
written specifically for Leopard take on the new
look-and-feel to some extent. Here is a brief tour,
in pictures, of how some of the bundled OS X
application changed between Tiger and Leopard.
The Tiger Finder
The Leopard Finder
I am not a fan of the new folder icons, but I wasn’t too fond of the old ones either. Fortunately, they’re easy enough to change. The overall look is better, and I think the new sidebar is an improvement over the former. There’s not much else to say beyond that.
iCal in Tiger
iCal in Leopard
Editing events in iCal has always been a bit of a hassle with an Event Drawer that would pop in and out as you selected events to edit. Now iCal will pop an editing dialog right next to the event in question. This new approach, while only slightly varied from before, makes adding and editing events a much quicker process.
Tiger Safari
Leopard Safari
Safari has also gained security features that check for possibly malicious sites, and the interface for that feature is pretty neat.
Printing in Tiger
Printing in Leopard
This improvement may be late to the party, but it’s welcome nonetheless.
The Finder
The first major difference in the Finder is the total absence of brushed metal. The new Finder looks more lightweight, and it fits in with the overall OS X aesthetic much more naturally.
The Tiger Finder
The Leopard Finder
I am not a fan of the new folder icons, but I wasn’t too fond of the old ones either. Fortunately, they’re easy enough to change. The overall look is better, and I think the new sidebar is an improvement over the former. There’s not much else to say beyond that.
iCal
iCal also receives some slimming in the window department as it too loses the brushed metal motif that once adorned it. Some elements, such as the day-week-month buttons, are moved around, and I think the new calendar pane is easier to read.
iCal in Tiger
iCal in Leopard
Editing events in iCal has always been a bit of a hassle with an Event Drawer that would pop in and out as you selected events to edit. Now iCal will pop an editing dialog right next to the event in question. This new approach, while only slightly varied from before, makes adding and editing events a much quicker process.
Safari
Safari hasn’t changed much, but it’s yet another application to lose brushed metal in its chrome.
Tiger Safari
Leopard Safari
Safari has also gained security features that check for possibly malicious sites, and the interface for that feature is pretty neat.
Printing
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the improved printing sheets in OS X Leopard. Historically, it’s been easy for developers to use OS X’s standard printing services, but the results were usually pretty sparse. The Leopard printing sheet is much more robust that its predessesor’s, and it even previews the document without having to launch Preview (a feature Microsoft and Adobe have been offering in their applications for some time).
Printing in Tiger
Printing in Leopard
This improvement may be late to the party, but it’s welcome nonetheless.
Conclusion
This is hardly a comprehensive look at the visual differences between Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard, but I hope it gives you a good idea of how Apple is improving the unified nature of the system’s user interface. It’s easy to pick nits over little details, but it’s obvious that Apple’s team has sweated the details when designing Leopard’s interface. It now feels like a unified system rather than a collection of utilities and applications. Hopefully, Apple will continue to prioritize the user experience as it continues to refine its operating system with the impending release of Snow Leopard next year.Tiger and Leopard in Pictures - Part 2: The Desktop
December 10, 2008 Filed in: Apple | Tech Stuff
As noted in the last post (which was longer ago than
I care to admit), by the time Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was
in the hands of users, the OS X interface had grown
quite inconsistent. While not as glaringly
distracting as the default Windows XP interface, it
did seem evidence that Apple’s reputation as having
an eye for detail was growing misplaced.
Leopard seeks to fix the growing divergence of UI elements, but some of the design decisions seem strange. Here are some comparisons and thoughts regarding some of the obvious interface changes between Tiger and Leopard.
TIger on my G5 and Leopard on my MacBook
Some of the change simply comes from the addition of a new desktop image, but other elements add to an altered user experience.
Tiger’s Dock
Leopard’s 3D Dock
The Dock has gone from a translucent rectangle to a glossy, reflective, three-dimensional plane. To me, it’s an extremely visually distracting piece of UI, and some icons don’t work well with this new Dock. (Read a detailed analysis of this issue here.) The Leopard Dock is a fantastic tech demo, but it fails from a usability perspective. Fortunately, a little command line work can restore the Dock to a more usable, two-dimensional state.
Leopard’s hidden 2D Dock. Much better.
The Leopard Dock also adds a new feature called Stacks, which bring their own share of positives and negatives to the OS X experience. I want to spend some more time of this feature, so I’ll be dedicating an entire post to Stack sometime later.
Glossy and bright in 10.4
Translucent and subdued in 10.5
You can see the desktop through the menu bar with a slight Gaussian blur applied in Leopard. On the downside, while this menu bar is easier on the eyes, the translucency works better with some desktop backgrounds than others. Fortunately, you can make the menu bar opaque in the Desktop and Screensaver preference pane.
A strange side effect of this darker menu bar is that the menus themselves look out of place up against it.
The menus themselves look slightly nicer than in Tiger. The rounded edges are a nice touch, and the complete absence of pin-striping is welcome. I have to admit, though, that the slightly more translucent menus of earlier Leopard builds were even nicer. I know this seems to contradict my statements about the menu bar, but they were never quite that translucent.
Leopard seeks to fix the growing divergence of UI elements, but some of the design decisions seem strange. Here are some comparisons and thoughts regarding some of the obvious interface changes between Tiger and Leopard.
The First Impression
For OS X veterans, the default Leopard desktop is immediately recognizable for it’s complete lack of blueness when compared to past OS X desktops.
TIger on my G5 and Leopard on my MacBook
Some of the change simply comes from the addition of a new desktop image, but other elements add to an altered user experience.
The New Dock
Tiger’s Dock
Leopard’s 3D Dock
The Dock has gone from a translucent rectangle to a glossy, reflective, three-dimensional plane. To me, it’s an extremely visually distracting piece of UI, and some icons don’t work well with this new Dock. (Read a detailed analysis of this issue here.) The Leopard Dock is a fantastic tech demo, but it fails from a usability perspective. Fortunately, a little command line work can restore the Dock to a more usable, two-dimensional state.
Leopard’s hidden 2D Dock. Much better.
The Leopard Dock also adds a new feature called Stacks, which bring their own share of positives and negatives to the OS X experience. I want to spend some more time of this feature, so I’ll be dedicating an entire post to Stack sometime later.
The Menu Bar
The menu bar in Tiger came under some criticism for its glossy appearance, even garnering some unkind comparisons to Windows XP. (Sorry if I’m criticizing XP too much, but I really don’t like its native UI.) The Leopard menu bar is a complete contrast to its former self.
Glossy and bright in 10.4
Translucent and subdued in 10.5
You can see the desktop through the menu bar with a slight Gaussian blur applied in Leopard. On the downside, while this menu bar is easier on the eyes, the translucency works better with some desktop backgrounds than others. Fortunately, you can make the menu bar opaque in the Desktop and Screensaver preference pane.
A strange side effect of this darker menu bar is that the menus themselves look out of place up against it.
The menus themselves look slightly nicer than in Tiger. The rounded edges are a nice touch, and the complete absence of pin-striping is welcome. I have to admit, though, that the slightly more translucent menus of earlier Leopard builds were even nicer. I know this seems to contradict my statements about the menu bar, but they were never quite that translucent.
Where’s the Love?
In the next post about Leopard’s interface, we’ll look at how some specific OS X applications have changed. It will be quite a bit more positive than this post, I promise. Windows and sheets have both been reworked in Leopard and with some very nice results.Tiger and Leopard in Pictures - Part 1: Building Up
November 24, 2008 Filed in: Apple | Tech Stuff
In what is probably my latest OS X adoption ever, I
finally picked up Mac OS X Leopard a month ago. As
my Tiger
overview demonstrates, I’m hardly a master
at writing overly technical documents about a
new operating system. However, I’m fascinated by
some of the subtle and not-so-subtle user
interface (UI) changes that have come with
Leopard.
The bizarre thing about watching that video (outside of being reminded of what a pain dialog boxes used to be) is that OS X looks very little like that demonstration eight years ago even though many of the underlying principles remain intact. Take Mail and Finder, for example. Here’s how Mail evolved between OS X 10.2 and 10.4.
10.2 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.3 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.4 on my PowerMac G5.
Mac OS X 10.2 still looks very similar to Steve Jobs’ prototype of Aqua, but the interface begins to evolve in 10.3. Mail in 10.3 sports embedded widow controls as opposed to the floating jewels in earlier versions. Additionally, the pinstripes that once dominated OS X windows and menus are greatly subdued. Finally, Mail in 10.4 adopts an entirely new unified window style, loses the drawer, and sports a new style of pill-shaped toolbar buttons.
The OS X Finder has also seen its share of changes between OS X 10.2 and 10.4.
10.2 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.3 courtesy of GUIdebook.
If examining screenshots, I have to admit that I’d be hard-pressed to tell the 10.1 Finder and 10.2 Finder apart, much like Mail. However, the visual change to 10.3 is jarring. Mac OS 10.3 Panther marks the height of Apple’s infatuation with brushed metal, and metal windows seemed to randomly litter the interface. Again, note how widgets have gone from floating to embedded. In 10.4 Tiger (not pictured), the Finder retains the brushed metal look, but it’s slightly slimmed.
In the second segment, we’ll take a look at how Leopard takes great strides in unifying the user experience of OS X as well as its share of interface oddities. Get ready for lots of pictures!
A Quick Retrospective
The interface of Apple’s Unix-based operating system has been in a state of constant flux since its introduction to consumers in 2001, and every release has seen changes to various parts of the UI. For some history, check out Steve Jobs introducing the new interface in Macworld 2000.The bizarre thing about watching that video (outside of being reminded of what a pain dialog boxes used to be) is that OS X looks very little like that demonstration eight years ago even though many of the underlying principles remain intact. Take Mail and Finder, for example. Here’s how Mail evolved between OS X 10.2 and 10.4.
10.2 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.3 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.4 on my PowerMac G5.
Mac OS X 10.2 still looks very similar to Steve Jobs’ prototype of Aqua, but the interface begins to evolve in 10.3. Mail in 10.3 sports embedded widow controls as opposed to the floating jewels in earlier versions. Additionally, the pinstripes that once dominated OS X windows and menus are greatly subdued. Finally, Mail in 10.4 adopts an entirely new unified window style, loses the drawer, and sports a new style of pill-shaped toolbar buttons.
The OS X Finder has also seen its share of changes between OS X 10.2 and 10.4.
10.2 courtesy of GUIdebook.
10.3 courtesy of GUIdebook.
If examining screenshots, I have to admit that I’d be hard-pressed to tell the 10.1 Finder and 10.2 Finder apart, much like Mail. However, the visual change to 10.3 is jarring. Mac OS 10.3 Panther marks the height of Apple’s infatuation with brushed metal, and metal windows seemed to randomly litter the interface. Again, note how widgets have gone from floating to embedded. In 10.4 Tiger (not pictured), the Finder retains the brushed metal look, but it’s slightly slimmed.
Where Is This Going?
By the time Mac OS X Tiger was released, the UI was an inconsistent jumble. While Apple had been slowly phasing out old ideas like pinstripes and drawers, several new interface ideas were being introduced – without a consistent pattern. With the introduction of unified windows in Tiger’s version of Mail and a dark version of the same window in iTunes 5, OS X apps could sport any one of four windowing styles. Combine this with a variety of toolbar options, a new HUD palette, and completely custom interfaces like those found in applications like GarageBand, and you have a system interface that is growing more and more fragmented.In the second segment, we’ll take a look at how Leopard takes great strides in unifying the user experience of OS X as well as its share of interface oddities. Get ready for lots of pictures!
Links 10/30/07
October 30, 2007 Filed in: Links
Ars Technica: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard:
the Ars Technica review
Ars always has the best OS X reviews. Grab a snack and a cold drink. Relax, and dive into John Siracusa's epic discourse.
Macworld: Cash isn't king: Apple limits iPhone purchases
Well, this is a totally evil move on Apple's part. Will they let someone pay with a check then?
Ars always has the best OS X reviews. Grab a snack and a cold drink. Relax, and dive into John Siracusa's epic discourse.
Macworld: Cash isn't king: Apple limits iPhone purchases
Well, this is a totally evil move on Apple's part. Will they let someone pay with a check then?
Links 10/26/07 (Leopard-Heavy Edition)
October 26, 2007 Filed in: Links
Apple: Mac OS X Leopard
First, I promise not to link to every Leopard-related post on the Internet. I'm just adding some I thought were particularly interesting or fun. Second, it's pronounced, "Oh-Es Ten" not "Ahs Ecks" or Oh-Ex Ecks." It's a Roman numeral, people! (Okay, done ranting.)
• Macworld Review: Mac OS X Leopard
• Engadget: All about Leopard: gallery, apps, impressions
• TUAW: 24 Hours of Leopard
This is a great collection of short posts that detail many of the enhancements and new features in Leopard. It's kind of like a Cliff Notes version of a Leopard guide book.
• Engadget: Leopard on an 8 year old G4 Power Mac -- can it be done?
Thinking of upgrading an older Mac to Leopard? the staff at Engadget see how the new OS fares on an eight-year-old Mac. I'm more surprised by how much worked rather than by what did not work!
Opposable Thumbs: Happy birthday, PlayStation 2!
Wow. The PS2 is seven years old. OT takes a look back at what made the PS2 great and how it changed the face of gaming.
First, I promise not to link to every Leopard-related post on the Internet. I'm just adding some I thought were particularly interesting or fun. Second, it's pronounced, "Oh-Es Ten" not "Ahs Ecks" or Oh-Ex Ecks." It's a Roman numeral, people! (Okay, done ranting.)
• Macworld Review: Mac OS X Leopard
Leopard is, at once, a major alteration to the Mac interface, a sweeping update to numerous included productivity programs, a serious attempt to improve Mac OS security, and a vast collection of tweaks and fixes scattered throughout every nook and cranny of the operating system.
• Engadget: All about Leopard: gallery, apps, impressions
Bottom line, PC users: don't be afraid to give the Mac a second glance, there's plenty in Leopard sure to please. Mac users: run, don't walk, to get your copy when it goes on sale today.
• TUAW: 24 Hours of Leopard
This is a great collection of short posts that detail many of the enhancements and new features in Leopard. It's kind of like a Cliff Notes version of a Leopard guide book.
• Engadget: Leopard on an 8 year old G4 Power Mac -- can it be done?
Thinking of upgrading an older Mac to Leopard? the staff at Engadget see how the new OS fares on an eight-year-old Mac. I'm more surprised by how much worked rather than by what did not work!
Opposable Thumbs: Happy birthday, PlayStation 2!
Wow. The PS2 is seven years old. OT takes a look back at what made the PS2 great and how it changed the face of gaming.
Logical Eye Candy
October 17, 2007 Filed in: Apple
Some of the visual asthetics of Leopard bother me in the
screenshots. It's the way I am. I'm a UI junkie,
and, while I like visual flair, I grow annoyed
if the eye candy begins to detract from the
experience as a whole. Once I get to use
Leopard, I might change my mind, but right now
I'm not sold on the new menu bar, the new Dock,
or the way stacks fan out. Well, strike that
last one. I gained some appreciation for that
interface nuance earlier today.
image from apple.com
I always disliked how the stack curved slightly to the right, until I was working this morning and I noticed how my mouse hand drifts to the right when I try to go straight up. In fact (and I tested this against an enlarged screenshot, so you know its scientific), my hand drifted along basically the same arc the stack has!
In other words, this interface element that looks like useless eye candy actually has purpose. It's easier to intuitively navigate than a straight column. Once again, Apple shows its attention to detail even with an interface element that most users won't give a second glance.
image from apple.com
I always disliked how the stack curved slightly to the right, until I was working this morning and I noticed how my mouse hand drifts to the right when I try to go straight up. In fact (and I tested this against an enlarged screenshot, so you know its scientific), my hand drifted along basically the same arc the stack has!
In other words, this interface element that looks like useless eye candy actually has purpose. It's easier to intuitively navigate than a straight column. Once again, Apple shows its attention to detail even with an interface element that most users won't give a second glance.
Links 08/05/07
August 05, 2007 Filed in: Links
World of Apple: Gallery of screenshots
from Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard build 9A499
Mac OS X 10.5 is looking really nice, but I just am having a hard time with the whole 3D Dock and translucent menu bar thing...
Mac OS X 10.5 is looking really nice, but I just am having a hard time with the whole 3D Dock and translucent menu bar thing...
Mac OS NeXT
August 04, 2007 Filed in: Apple | Tech Stuff
In 1999, Apple released a humble product called
Mac OS X (pronounced "ten") Server
1.0. In look and feel, the operating system
was very similar to Mac OS 8 (and 9), but, beneath
the interface, the system contained some drastic
changes that would eventually revolutionize the
entire Macintosh software line. It eschewed the
classic Mac OS nanokernal for the NEXTSTEP hybrid kernel, and it
contained a hybrid of classic Macintosh features
and NEXTSTEP features – even requiring an
emulation layer to run classic
Mac OS applications. This Mac OS was unlike
anything that had come before it. In fact, it
was really Mac OS in name only.
NeXT computers were technnically advanced for their time. They were released in 1990 with 25MHz processors, 8 MB RAM, an ethernet port, 256 MB storage, and a 1120x832 display. In contrast, typical machines of the time would have had 16MHz processors, 640 kb RAM, no networking, 10-40 MB storage, and 640x350 displays. NeXT Computer is considered a pioneer in brigning networking to desktop computers. The first email programs and web browsers were developed for NeXT. Unfortunately, the NeXT hardware was doomed to failure (mainly due to prohibitively high costs), but the operating system would live on.
NEXTSTEP was released in the days of Windows 3.1 and Mac OS 7, and it stood out from its competition both visually and in capabilities.
Mac OS 7, Windows 3.1, and NEXTSTEP. These screenshots are all courtesy of Wikipedia.
NEXTSTEP was based on the Mach kernel and BSD. It featured object-oriented programming based on the Objective-C language. It was meant to be viewed on higher-resolution displays, and it included many software tools for networking and collaboration. Additionally, NEXTSTEP was the first general operating system to handle color standards, advanced sound processing, modern typography, and internationalization. It's interface featured real-time scrolling and window dragging as well as window notifications and transparency. Again, this was all in the early 90's, well before the world would be captivated by Windows 95.
NEXTSTEP faded into obscurity after the mass adoption of Windows 95, but it would find a strange rebirth in 1996 when it was acquired by Apple, and Steve Jobs returned to the company that had rejected him ten years prior.
OPENSTEP and Rhapsody (both courtesy GUIdebook) side by side
Though called Mac OS, system 10 shared little in common with the previous Mac operating systems outside some superficial interface elements. Like NEXTSTEP, Mac OS X is based on the Mach kernel and BSD Unix. They are both object-oriented environments based on the Objective-C programming language. Both feature a dock, system services, managed memory, and preemptive multitasking. In fact, if you crack open the UI of most Mac OS X applications, you will find files with the extension ".nib" contained within. NIB is short for NeXT Interface Builder.
Like Mac OS X Server 1.0 and the Rhapsody developer builds, Mac OS X is incapable of natively running applications written for previous versions of the Mac OS. These applications were relegated to a "blue box" called Classic, and they could not take advantage of Mac OS X's more advanced features. The Classic layer, effectively the final vestiges of the original Mac OS, lost support with the recent Intel-transition of Macintosh computers, placing the final nails in the coffin of the system that served Apple since 1984.
System 1.1 (from GUIdebook) next to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (from Apple)
As John Siracusa wrote last year (on the fifth anniversary of Mac OS X), "The Mac is dead. Long live the Mac." OS X is Mac OS in name only. Truth be told, Mac OS X is the never-released NEXTSTEP 5, for the system shares much more in common with that legacy than with the Mac OS legacy. Apple took a daring move with Mac OS X in that they completely pulled the rug out from under their current OS foundation and replaced it with something entirely new – a feat that other OS vendors have been reluctant to attempt.
As Mac OS X becomes a more mature product, it resembles NEXTSTEP more and more while retaining the style and simplicity Mac users have come to expect. NEXTSTEP and the classic Mac OS were products doomed to failure – the former for being too far ahead of the times and the latter for being to far behind – but Apple has created a powerful and stable operating environment from the ashes of both, similar to each but ultimately original and innovative.
A Little Background
In 1986, two years after the introduction of the Macintosh and and the Mac OS, Steve Jobs found himself ousted from the company he helped create. Ever the entrepeneuer, he quickly launched into two new ventures – one was an unwanted animation studio that would become Pixar, and the other was a new computer company called NeXT.NeXT computers were technnically advanced for their time. They were released in 1990 with 25MHz processors, 8 MB RAM, an ethernet port, 256 MB storage, and a 1120x832 display. In contrast, typical machines of the time would have had 16MHz processors, 640 kb RAM, no networking, 10-40 MB storage, and 640x350 displays. NeXT Computer is considered a pioneer in brigning networking to desktop computers. The first email programs and web browsers were developed for NeXT. Unfortunately, the NeXT hardware was doomed to failure (mainly due to prohibitively high costs), but the operating system would live on.
NEXTSTEP was released in the days of Windows 3.1 and Mac OS 7, and it stood out from its competition both visually and in capabilities.
Mac OS 7, Windows 3.1, and NEXTSTEP. These screenshots are all courtesy of Wikipedia.
NEXTSTEP was based on the Mach kernel and BSD. It featured object-oriented programming based on the Objective-C language. It was meant to be viewed on higher-resolution displays, and it included many software tools for networking and collaboration. Additionally, NEXTSTEP was the first general operating system to handle color standards, advanced sound processing, modern typography, and internationalization. It's interface featured real-time scrolling and window dragging as well as window notifications and transparency. Again, this was all in the early 90's, well before the world would be captivated by Windows 95.
NEXTSTEP faded into obscurity after the mass adoption of Windows 95, but it would find a strange rebirth in 1996 when it was acquired by Apple, and Steve Jobs returned to the company that had rejected him ten years prior.
Reinventing the Mac OS
When Steve Jobs came back to Apple through the NEXT acquisition, Apple had already put massive efforts into overhauling the Mac OS through the Copland and Taligent projects (though some Copland features were eventually incorporated into OS X). Both of these systems were laid to rest in the late nineties in favor of Rhapsody, an operating system based primarily on the OPENSTEP (neé NEXTSTEP) operating system. Rhapsody eventually became Mac OS X Server 1.0 which would lead to the public beta of Mac OS X.
OPENSTEP and Rhapsody (both courtesy GUIdebook) side by side
Though called Mac OS, system 10 shared little in common with the previous Mac operating systems outside some superficial interface elements. Like NEXTSTEP, Mac OS X is based on the Mach kernel and BSD Unix. They are both object-oriented environments based on the Objective-C programming language. Both feature a dock, system services, managed memory, and preemptive multitasking. In fact, if you crack open the UI of most Mac OS X applications, you will find files with the extension ".nib" contained within. NIB is short for NeXT Interface Builder.
Like Mac OS X Server 1.0 and the Rhapsody developer builds, Mac OS X is incapable of natively running applications written for previous versions of the Mac OS. These applications were relegated to a "blue box" called Classic, and they could not take advantage of Mac OS X's more advanced features. The Classic layer, effectively the final vestiges of the original Mac OS, lost support with the recent Intel-transition of Macintosh computers, placing the final nails in the coffin of the system that served Apple since 1984.
System 1.1 (from GUIdebook) next to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (from Apple)
As John Siracusa wrote last year (on the fifth anniversary of Mac OS X), "The Mac is dead. Long live the Mac." OS X is Mac OS in name only. Truth be told, Mac OS X is the never-released NEXTSTEP 5, for the system shares much more in common with that legacy than with the Mac OS legacy. Apple took a daring move with Mac OS X in that they completely pulled the rug out from under their current OS foundation and replaced it with something entirely new – a feat that other OS vendors have been reluctant to attempt.
As Mac OS X becomes a more mature product, it resembles NEXTSTEP more and more while retaining the style and simplicity Mac users have come to expect. NEXTSTEP and the classic Mac OS were products doomed to failure – the former for being too far ahead of the times and the latter for being to far behind – but Apple has created a powerful and stable operating environment from the ashes of both, similar to each but ultimately original and innovative.
The More Things Change...
July 28, 2007 Filed in: Apple
A couple of interesting images related to
forthcomeing Apple products have been floating around
this week. (Well, they're interesting to me at any
rate, so you get to hear about them.)
The first image that struck me was in Engadget's report on a new keyboard for the upcoming iMac revision. This falls firmly under the "rumor and speculation" category, but it seems inline with Apple's current design philosophy. One item of debate, though, has centered around the apparent removal of the apple logo from the cmd keys on either side of the keyboard. See the comparison shots below:
x
photos courtesy of Apple and Gizmodo respectively
Whether or not the second image is real, I'm surprised this cosmetic change hasn't already been implemented. Apple documentation seldom (if ever) refers to an "Apple" key while "cmd-" is commonly documented. Furthermore, Andy Hertzfeld writes about Jobs' intense dislike for the keyboard Apple logo on folklore.org.
From the article:
Therefore, if future Apple keyboards eschew the use of Apple logos on the cmd keys, it should really come as no surprise.
The second thing to pique my interest came way of Think Secret's posting of some recent Leopard screenshots. In the shots was a picture of the Finder's new Path Bar:
photo courtesy of Think Secret
I don't find this interesting because of a similar Windows Vista feature. Rather, it's significant because this is another NEXTSTEP feature to reappear in OS X. (Really, one of these days I'm going to write a very long-winded post about why I view Mac OS X more as NEXTSTEP version 5.x more than Mac OS 10.x.)
In order, the shots below represent OPENSTEP 4.2 released in the late nineties, two developer previews of Mac OS X, and the public beta version of Mac OS X released in 2000. Note that a path bar is visible in all screens except the Mac OS X Public Beta, where it suddenly disappears.
x
x
these shots are all courtesy of GUIdebook
The new Finder Path Bar is definitely more minimal than those previous incarnations, but I think it is yet another indication of the influence Mac OS X's NEXT roots has on its continued development. Also, as Mac OS X continues to evolve, I think we're going to see a lot more small but welcome enhancements like these slip in under the radar. Now, if only they would fix the weirdness that is the Leopard dock...
It often strikes me as fascinating that so many advances at Apple owe so much to their roots, even as far back as the development of the original Macintosh more than twenty years ago.
The first image that struck me was in Engadget's report on a new keyboard for the upcoming iMac revision. This falls firmly under the "rumor and speculation" category, but it seems inline with Apple's current design philosophy. One item of debate, though, has centered around the apparent removal of the apple logo from the cmd keys on either side of the keyboard. See the comparison shots below:
x
photos courtesy of Apple and Gizmodo respectively
Whether or not the second image is real, I'm surprised this cosmetic change hasn't already been implemented. Apple documentation seldom (if ever) refers to an "Apple" key while "cmd-" is commonly documented. Furthermore, Andy Hertzfeld writes about Jobs' intense dislike for the keyboard Apple logo on folklore.org.
From the article:
"There are too many Apples on the screen! It's ridiculous! We're taking the Apple logo in vain! We've got to stop doing that!"
After we told him that we had to display the command key symbol with each item that had one, he told us that we better find a different symbol to use instead of the Apple logo, and, because it affected both the manuals and the keyboard hardware, we only had a few days to come up with something else.
Therefore, if future Apple keyboards eschew the use of Apple logos on the cmd keys, it should really come as no surprise.
The second thing to pique my interest came way of Think Secret's posting of some recent Leopard screenshots. In the shots was a picture of the Finder's new Path Bar:
photo courtesy of Think Secret
I don't find this interesting because of a similar Windows Vista feature. Rather, it's significant because this is another NEXTSTEP feature to reappear in OS X. (Really, one of these days I'm going to write a very long-winded post about why I view Mac OS X more as NEXTSTEP version 5.x more than Mac OS 10.x.)
In order, the shots below represent OPENSTEP 4.2 released in the late nineties, two developer previews of Mac OS X, and the public beta version of Mac OS X released in 2000. Note that a path bar is visible in all screens except the Mac OS X Public Beta, where it suddenly disappears.
xx
these shots are all courtesy of GUIdebook
The new Finder Path Bar is definitely more minimal than those previous incarnations, but I think it is yet another indication of the influence Mac OS X's NEXT roots has on its continued development. Also, as Mac OS X continues to evolve, I think we're going to see a lot more small but welcome enhancements like these slip in under the radar. Now, if only they would fix the weirdness that is the Leopard dock...
It often strikes me as fascinating that so many advances at Apple owe so much to their roots, even as far back as the development of the original Macintosh more than twenty years ago.
Some Quick Leopard Impressions
June 12, 2007 Filed in: Apple | Tech Stuff
Steve Jobs outlined some more info about Leopard
during his Keynote speech at this years WWDC, and
Apple's website has even more.
Here are some of the overall impressions I've
gained.
x
x
all images from apple.com
I've read many power-users bemoaning the fact that visual flair is becoming too emphasized in modern operating systems, and it doesn't look like that trend is reversing anytime soon. Personally, I like visual enhancements so long as they do not come at a cost to usability. The only complaint here is in the menu bar. The menus look out-of-place when invoked.
it's translucent now
image from apple.com
From the window design to the sidebar to Cover Flow, the Finder basically recreates the iTunes experience in file management. The message: "If you enjoy using iTunes, you will enjoy using a Mac."
a stack of documents (from apple.com)
Quick View in Time Machine (from apple.com)
It's all about giving you greater flexibility and more options in how and where you access your files, media, and applications. Content is king, and Apple is giving us many ways to experience, organize, and access that content.
Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on Leopard in October.
Eye Candy Is Important
One of the big changes (improvements may be debatable) in Leopard is in the visuals. Everything seems geared toward visual impressiveness. This user interface (UI) is intended to make people look at Vista and think it looks clunky.
x
x
all images from apple.com
I've read many power-users bemoaning the fact that visual flair is becoming too emphasized in modern operating systems, and it doesn't look like that trend is reversing anytime soon. Personally, I like visual enhancements so long as they do not come at a cost to usability. The only complaint here is in the menu bar. The menus look out-of-place when invoked.
it's translucent now
iTunes = Mac Experience
Apple wants iTunes users to feel right at home in the Leopard UI – iTunes being the only Apple interface many potential users have daily contact with. As a result, the majority of the system resembles iTunes. Nowhere is this more evident than in the revamped Finder.
image from apple.com
From the window design to the sidebar to Cover Flow, the Finder basically recreates the iTunes experience in file management. The message: "If you enjoy using iTunes, you will enjoy using a Mac."
Organize Your Way
Stacks, the Dock, smart folders, Cover Flow, Quick View, Spaces – all of this gives the user greater flexibility in how he or she uses a Mac.
a stack of documents (from apple.com)
Quick View in Time Machine (from apple.com)
It's all about giving you greater flexibility and more options in how and where you access your files, media, and applications. Content is king, and Apple is giving us many ways to experience, organize, and access that content.
One Size Fits All
Steve Jobs made a joke during his talk that Leopard will come in three editions – Basic at $129, Premium at $129, and Ultimate at $129. He thinks most people will buy the Ultimate Edition. The simple fact is that you don't have to worry about which version of the OS to upgrade to because there is only one. Ease-of-use is a hallmark of the Macintosh experience, and that simplicity begins with the purchasing process.Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on Leopard in October.
Links 04/30/07
April 30, 2007 Filed in: Links
TUAW: Leopard's iChat Theater could
change the way we do... well, everything
I really hadn't paid any attention to this feature until now. It looks to be a pretty interesting expansion of iChat's capabilities. Especially neat is the ability to remotely interact with other people's machines through iChat ... as long as that feature doesn't open some massive security hole.
I really hadn't paid any attention to this feature until now. It looks to be a pretty interesting expansion of iChat's capabilities. Especially neat is the ability to remotely interact with other people's machines through iChat ... as long as that feature doesn't open some massive security hole.
Links 04/13/07
April 13, 2007 Filed in: Links
Presentation Zen has a couple of good entries about
faults surrounding PowerPoint and the option of
avoiding the application (and those like it)
entirely.
Daring Fireball has two posts regarding some facts about AAC and some of the recent misinformation spreading around regarding the audio format.
Nobel Intent: Teachers and testing under scrutiny
I love the opening lines:
TUAW: More Leopard Delay Reaction
In case you didn't here, Leopard is experiencing a four-month release delay from June to October. My take is that the sky is not falling – not even close. Others disagree. TUAW's post here aggregates some sensible and entertaining views on the delay.
Daring Fireball has two posts regarding some facts about AAC and some of the recent misinformation spreading around regarding the audio format.
Nobel Intent: Teachers and testing under scrutiny
I love the opening lines:
Education is a perennial political football. It is one of those lovely subjects where everyone feels that, since they went to school once, they have an equally valid view of "what is wrong with education today."
TUAW: More Leopard Delay Reaction
In case you didn't here, Leopard is experiencing a four-month release delay from June to October. My take is that the sky is not falling – not even close. Others disagree. TUAW's post here aggregates some sensible and entertaining views on the delay.
Links 03/28/07
March 28, 2007 Filed in: Links
Apple – Boot Camp
The new 1.2ß release officially adds support for Windows Vista for those of you so inclined to use Windows on a Mac.
YubaNet: New Bush Plan to Gut Endangered Species Act
Is it me, or does the Bush administration seem to go out of their way to harm nature as much as it can? Just thinking out loud.
Opposable Thumbs: Xbox 360 Elite launched: official details and specs
It's the update everyone saw coming – 120 GB hard drive, HDMI port, Black, $479. However, there seems to be no easy way to easily transfer the information from one XBox 360 to another at this time. That could frustrate some users.
The new 1.2ß release officially adds support for Windows Vista for those of you so inclined to use Windows on a Mac.
YubaNet: New Bush Plan to Gut Endangered Species Act
Is it me, or does the Bush administration seem to go out of their way to harm nature as much as it can? Just thinking out loud.
Opposable Thumbs: Xbox 360 Elite launched: official details and specs
It's the update everyone saw coming – 120 GB hard drive, HDMI port, Black, $479. However, there seems to be no easy way to easily transfer the information from one XBox 360 to another at this time. That could frustrate some users.
Links 03/10/07
March 10, 2007 Filed in: Links
Instigator Blog: 5 Phrases You Never
Want to Hear in a Presentation
Let me additionally say that you should never begin your talk by telling people what you aren't going to cover. Also, the author of this post mentions participation as an important part of your talk. I do agree, but don't force it. No participation is better than forced participation.
TUAW: Where OS X 'Big Cat' code names REALLY come from
I like the German tank theory better, but this is probably a more realistic origin.
Wii Fanboy: Spielburg working on Wii game with EA
Let's hope these games are more Minority Report and Saving Private Ryan than they are Hook or The Lost World.
I'm a little late getting these put up, but here are 1Up.com's lists of most wanted games this year. As an aside, I'm playing Burnout: Dominator (on the PS2 list) right now, and it is very fun. I don't miss crash mode very much, but the lack of traffic checking is taking some getting used to.
Top 10: PC • Top 10: Wii • Top 10: DS • Top 10: PSP • Top 10: PS2 • Top 10: PS3 • Top 10: XBox 360
Let me additionally say that you should never begin your talk by telling people what you aren't going to cover. Also, the author of this post mentions participation as an important part of your talk. I do agree, but don't force it. No participation is better than forced participation.
TUAW: Where OS X 'Big Cat' code names REALLY come from
I like the German tank theory better, but this is probably a more realistic origin.
Wii Fanboy: Spielburg working on Wii game with EA
Let's hope these games are more Minority Report and Saving Private Ryan than they are Hook or The Lost World.
I'm a little late getting these put up, but here are 1Up.com's lists of most wanted games this year. As an aside, I'm playing Burnout: Dominator (on the PS2 list) right now, and it is very fun. I don't miss crash mode very much, but the lack of traffic checking is taking some getting used to.
Top 10: PC • Top 10: Wii • Top 10: DS • Top 10: PSP • Top 10: PS2 • Top 10: PS3 • Top 10: XBox 360
Links 01/08/07
January 08, 2007 Filed in: Links
Cabel Sasser: Apple's Next-Generation
Themes
Cabal Sasser blogs about Apple's patent for resolution independent interfaces and draws some interesting conclusions. He also posts some information about Apple's own theme creation tool.
via Daring Fireball
IntelliAdmin: The Progression of Vista Through Screenshots
This is a really simple but nice trip trough Vista's development from the first alpha release to the final shipping version. I like screenshots.
Ars Technica: IPTV on the XBox 360: Ars digs deep
This could become a big deal, and it could really help the XBox 360 gain even more momentum in the US market.
Nobel Intent: Even more ethical stem cells
I've always found myself torn on the issue of stem cell research. On the one hand, the investment can be unreasonable (potentially human life). On the other hand, the benefits of studying stem cells seems staggering. A new technique that recovers stem cells from amniotic fluid may succeed in dispelling much of the controversy around this research.
Cabal Sasser blogs about Apple's patent for resolution independent interfaces and draws some interesting conclusions. He also posts some information about Apple's own theme creation tool.
via Daring Fireball
IntelliAdmin: The Progression of Vista Through Screenshots
This is a really simple but nice trip trough Vista's development from the first alpha release to the final shipping version. I like screenshots.
Ars Technica: IPTV on the XBox 360: Ars digs deep
This could become a big deal, and it could really help the XBox 360 gain even more momentum in the US market.
Nobel Intent: Even more ethical stem cells
I've always found myself torn on the issue of stem cell research. On the one hand, the investment can be unreasonable (potentially human life). On the other hand, the benefits of studying stem cells seems staggering. A new technique that recovers stem cells from amniotic fluid may succeed in dispelling much of the controversy around this research.
Links 01/04/07
January 04, 2007 Filed in: Links
Theocacao: The Reason for Leopard-Only
Apps
Scott Stevenson gives some very level-headed and compelling reasons why so much Mac software will be Leopard-only next year.
It's Knuttz: Video Games Console Evolutions
This site has pictures of bunches of consoles through the decades along with packaging and controllers! Modem users beware.
Yahoo! News: ExxonMobil Paid to Mislead Public
Imagine that – a big oil company trying to mislead the public. My favorite quote:
Scott Stevenson gives some very level-headed and compelling reasons why so much Mac software will be Leopard-only next year.
It's Knuttz: Video Games Console Evolutions
This site has pictures of bunches of consoles through the decades along with packaging and controllers! Modem users beware.
Yahoo! News: ExxonMobil Paid to Mislead Public
Imagine that – a big oil company trying to mislead the public. My favorite quote:
"...ExxonMobil based its tactics on those of tobacco companies, spreading uncertainty by misrepresenting peer-reviewed scientific studies or cherry-picking facts."
WWDC 2006
August 07, 2006 Filed in: Apple
Some pretty neat stuff came out of WWDC 2006's
Stevenote today. I didn't get what I wanted to see
(Merom-based MacBook Pros), but the announcements
today made for a good show.
Apple's new workstation is a powerful machine. It contains two dual-core Xeon 5100 processors (a.k.a Woodcrest) in speeds of 2.0 GHz, 2.66 GHz, and (finally) 3.0 GHz with a 1.33 GHz frontside bus. It ships with 1 GB of memory, expandable to 16 GB, and 250 GB of internal storage, expandable to 2 TB. We have an NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT PCI Express graphics card with many upgrade options, and the the option to have dual optical drives.
On the education store, I was able to strip one down to $1,962 USD (not including a display). On the other end of the spectrum, if you go for all the bells and whistles, you'll be out over $11,000 UDS (still not including a display). From what I hear, the pre-configured $2,499 model is pretty competitive, but it is definitely out of my pricerange!
Along with the Mac Pro comes a Xeon-based XServe, making for a speedy update to Apple's server solutions.
The Steve also had a sneak-peek at Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on display. Many of the features demoed were far from Earth-shattering, but they do go towards making the Mac experience more fun for us veterans and more familiar to Windows converts. The updates to Mail, Dashboard, iCal, and iChat are evoutionary enhancements (except I think the backdrop thing in iChat is pretty cheesy).
The exciting stuff here is in Apple's implementation of virtual desktops, known as Spaces. I really didn't think this feature would be included. Sure, there are a few third-party solutions for virtual desktops, but, by and large, I doubt many people know what these are. Time Machine brings a much-needed backup utility to Mac OS X with the usual Apple flair, and Core Animation will make it a bit easier for developers to add some eye candy to their apps.
I can't say I'm excited about Leopard yet, but this was just a limited preview. In the future I'm sure we'll see resolution independence as well as a refined interface along with some features that aren't being talked about yet. Still, the Intel transition is complete. Leopard is progressing toward a Spring 2007 launch, and Apple is continuing to make being a Mac user an exciting experience.
The Completed Transition
Apple's new workstation is a powerful machine. It contains two dual-core Xeon 5100 processors (a.k.a Woodcrest) in speeds of 2.0 GHz, 2.66 GHz, and (finally) 3.0 GHz with a 1.33 GHz frontside bus. It ships with 1 GB of memory, expandable to 16 GB, and 250 GB of internal storage, expandable to 2 TB. We have an NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT PCI Express graphics card with many upgrade options, and the the option to have dual optical drives.
On the education store, I was able to strip one down to $1,962 USD (not including a display). On the other end of the spectrum, if you go for all the bells and whistles, you'll be out over $11,000 UDS (still not including a display). From what I hear, the pre-configured $2,499 model is pretty competitive, but it is definitely out of my pricerange!
Along with the Mac Pro comes a Xeon-based XServe, making for a speedy update to Apple's server solutions.
The New Cat In Town
The Steve also had a sneak-peek at Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on display. Many of the features demoed were far from Earth-shattering, but they do go towards making the Mac experience more fun for us veterans and more familiar to Windows converts. The updates to Mail, Dashboard, iCal, and iChat are evoutionary enhancements (except I think the backdrop thing in iChat is pretty cheesy).
The exciting stuff here is in Apple's implementation of virtual desktops, known as Spaces. I really didn't think this feature would be included. Sure, there are a few third-party solutions for virtual desktops, but, by and large, I doubt many people know what these are. Time Machine brings a much-needed backup utility to Mac OS X with the usual Apple flair, and Core Animation will make it a bit easier for developers to add some eye candy to their apps.
I can't say I'm excited about Leopard yet, but this was just a limited preview. In the future I'm sure we'll see resolution independence as well as a refined interface along with some features that aren't being talked about yet. Still, the Intel transition is complete. Leopard is progressing toward a Spring 2007 launch, and Apple is continuing to make being a Mac user an exciting experience.