Next Steps (pun not intended) for Mac OS X

Next Steps

  • Usability Check: Finder should feature more/better options how to handle the file system

    Votes: 31 27.7%

  • Graphics Acceleration: Mac OS X should make the best use of whatever graphics card is in supported s

    Votes: 55 49.1%

  • Carbon API: Let's have a Carbon API that makes Carbon applications shine among Cocoa alternatives

    Votes: 21 18.8%

  • Themes Support: Open up the APIs for Themes, so 3rd party developers can start to develop themes fas

    Votes: 20 17.9%

  • UI Changes: Make Aqua look less yummy and more professional (at least the Graphite option)

    Votes: 14 12.5%

  • Raw Speed: Forget about new features for a while, accelerate everything

    Votes: 79 70.5%

  • The "i" in iMac: Make Mac OS X a first class citizen on the internet - faster browsing, better suppo

    Votes: 44 39.3%

  • Location Manager: Let mobile users rock the world with a full featured location manager

    Votes: 12 10.7%
  • Total voters
    112
  • Poll closed .
fryke

fryke

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Whether you like Mac OS X at its current state or not, you've been using it for a while now (I guess), since this board is called macosx.com. Let's take a look at what's the most important next step Apple's developers should get their fast coding fingers at...
 
How about "All of the above"....

Seriuosly though, optimization has to be job number one for Apple. That goes for the Finder (although 10.1 is a major improvement), OpenGL in Carbon apps, and faster web browsing. 2D Scrolling should also be addressed. Apps like Acrobat Reader are just abysmal at scrolling through a document....

I'd like to see just about every area listed in the poll addressed, but for 10.2 (or whatever they end up calling it), optimization should be paramount. If they can increase performance as much as they did from 10.0.4 to 10.1, I'll be happy....
 
Most of the options I care about. Stuff like themes I don't really want/care about.

2D scrolling in Chimera is certainly really good for me, even with the Quartz rendering.(actually I think Chimera is the fastest Quartz app I've ever used, but that's another thread :D)

Scrolling in Acrobat reader, definately is horrible, as is Preview when looking at PDF files.

I also think that optimization on all levels of the system is Apple's main focus right now. I'd rather pay for the 10.2 update if it was much faster with only a few features added, than I would for no speed improvement and lots of new features.

Web bowsing is getting a lot better with the open source browsers, and also OmniWeb. Maybe Apple should lend some developers to the Chimera team and get this browser really moving.
 
what our bombshell needs is some graphical acceleration, easier theme management ( especially with system icons ). Apple needs to realize that its CD burners need more support. Especially the stock G4 burner. I have an 8x but burners wont allow me to burn on CDs over 4x. That makes no ******* sense.

Actually what X needs is a ******* version of Halflife, and Counterstrike. :rolleyes:
 
we need speed. One thing is coing equal to my friensd and enemies in speed, but I wanna humiliate them and rub the Mac in their faces.
 
Faster faster faster.

Honestly, I am pretty darn happy with my system right now. I feel that it is completely usable, and since I am new to Macs I'm still figuring things out. Once I do, I might have a strong voice for speed, but until then I'll just be content. :)

Also, as a new Mac owner, I can only compare this to Windows and Unix. The speed is a little less for graphics, but the stability and usability are way up, so another point for me to be completely content. Yay!

Thanks, fryke, for starting a constructive thread along this line. I saw where this thread came from, and I am not happy with that one. :cool:
 
Thanks. :)

That's what I wanted to show. I think *this* thread has the potential to discuss further development of Mac OS X without all the bashing of Apple (and people) in a constructive way.
 
good move Fryke, very good example of what i was saying in the other thread - sometimes it is not what you say,but how you say it that sets the tone for the discussion to follow.

I would agree that most of those areas would be good ones. i don't see any need for themes or a less glitzy interface myself, but anything that makes it work even better would be appreciated.

But this is what we get with updates, isn't it? perhaps each update doesn't bring about an earth shaking change in a lot of these areas, but we almost always get something we can ooh and ahhh about:)
 
I'd rather Apple spend time working on advancing the Finder and File System than wasting time on Themes :D

Apple likes to keep everything organized and standard so I don't think they'll totally ruin Aqua. Although I don't think an OS 9 theme option would be that bad for those photoshop heads who complain too much :p
 
Speeeeeed! OS X has come a long way I still remember the betas and 10.0 but there is still room for improvement. I read somewhere that graphics acceleration is way above par in OS X compared to 9 but honestly It seems worse to me. Many games are unplayable in X I still boot to 9 when I want to play Hi res games like unreal or or any game for that matter.
 
I think you can say your piece without bashing people... or apple... although sometimes NOT bashing apple is hard to do... ;)

I am VERY happy with OSX.... I dont even use 9... unless I need to scan.

as soon as apple gives me a scanner driver for X, Ill most likely delete 9 altogether. ;)
 
Don't count on Apple to make scanner drivers, I think you need to contact the manufacturer.

If you can't find one, then go to the store and check out the scanners. They have some pretty cheap ones and I'm sure there are some that have supported OS X drivers, at least for download on the company website.
 
Id hate to buy a new one... this ones only 2-3 yrs old... and I like it. epson 636u...

I keep checking epsons site for drivers, but nothing yet.. :(
 
Somehow I would have thought that fixing Carbon APIs would have gotten more votes seeing as the Finder is a Carbon app.

:confused:
 
well, i know certain people complain about the finder, but mine kicks butt. it is very fast. i don't know how it could get much more perceptably faster. maybe i just have slow eyes:D
 
well, some things in the Finder could be definitely faster, right? but as far as we've heard, that'll be coming with 10.1.5 and more so with Jaguar. but i too would have thought the Carbon item would gather more votes. :)
 
I'm very happy with OS X as it is right now. I'd like them to fix the erratic-logout-login bug, but that is maybe one of my applications killing the WindowServer or whatever. *shrug*

Finder speed would be nice, but I don't really care about the iDisk in the Finder anymore, Goliath is just so much faster :) Maybe Apple should work of Quartz rendering speed some though, drawing programs and web browsers could sure use it.

An improved Carbon API would be quite helpful too, especially OpenGL. Just look at Sacrifice :( What a cool game, too bad I have to restart into 9, restart with VM on, and then when I'm done restart with VM off, and restart into OS X. Maybe that's partially MacPlay's fault though.

Ed: Did you give your Finder steriods or something?
 
kent, maybe i have given my finder a little help. I do regular maintainance work like prebinding, diagnosis & repair, defragment & optimize, etc. I also moved my swap file to one of my external disks with lots of space on it, I tinker with my prefs, and i utilize a few haxies to make things work in a familiar way. I will admit i am doing better than the 'out of the box' experience.

I know many people seem to dismiss my harping on defragmentation speeches, but it really does keep your system running zippy. and it is so much easier than reformatting and reinstalling and reupdating. Just start it when you go to bed and it is done when you get up the next morning. (ok, my 80 gb maxtor takes about 12 hrs, but i don't do it but about once every 3 months)

i am sure there are things the finder does that could improve, but they must not be things i do very often.
 
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