Some changes for 10.4

Arden

Arden

Where mah "any" keys at?
Well, Panther's been upon us for a good two months, so why not start suggesting what we'd like to see in the next version of OS X? You can never start too soon, right? ;)

Some of you may recall the thread I started earlier this year, called Some changes for 10.3. It's interesting to look through it again and see how many of those Apple has implemented... like just from my original list, they put in about 7, in part or in whole, not to mention suggestions from the rest of the thread.

I'm too tired/sick/lazy to list stuff right now, but you can be sure I'll start putting stuff out later.
 
Maybe not exactly a feature request for 10.4 as such, but in iTunes, either in the version shipping with 10.4, or sooner, a field in Get Info for lyrics, and a database (such as LyricTracker) that will download lyrics as we rip the cd?
 
What about the option to automatically download the cover-art for a cd? MusicMatch does this, it can't be that hard. I can't even find a script to do it any more (and the last app i tried to use, put the art on the wrong tracks so i ended up removing them all)
 
Safari: Human actions should take precedence over browser processes. When I click the close box on a tab (or a window, even), it should close right then and there, not load most of the page before closing.
 
Also, in every aspect of the OS that a user needs to right-click or ctrl-click in order to access the pop up menu, we should get the option of hold-click for couple seconds for that... like in Mozilla (or IE if my mind serves me correctly)... Lets drop that useless right click once and for all :p :D
 
I recently started such a thread as this and I got a response that was a mixture of mild criticism and bewilderment.

I know what I want to see with 10.4, I think Apple do, too.

Apple have the chance to put [even] more clear blue water between OS X and Windows.

I know it's been said before over and over, but by the time Longhorn [read: Longyawn] ships, OS X could quite easily to at 10.6.

It's hard to see what Microsoft are going to do in response to this given that the feature set for Longhorn was frozen some months ago.

I'd like to see Apple cozy on up to the Linux community and make attempts to bridge some of the areas where Apple and Linux could well be more complementary to one another.

I think that Apple will be making more effort to woo the corporate market. And given the ease at which they can rattle out new software and features -- because of the unix underpinnings and because of the quasi-compatibility between OS X and Unix / Linux -- Apple are going to enjoy the coming months and years...
 
Octane, the difference between this thread and that thread is that yours asks what will be in 10.4 (or what we think at least), while this thread asks what we'd like to see in 10.4.
 
I can tell you what you won't see!

Further customization options. Unless Stephen P. Jobs changes religion / sex / his mind, you're _never_ going to get Apple-endorsed themes.

Some people have suggested that Apple make room for KDE and Gnome front-end support .. err, no!

I think Apple recognise that there's more power users these days -- especially with the Unix crowd moving across. So we could expect to see more power tools / toys in the Utilities folder.

One feature expected to see the the light of day is Home on the iPod; plug in your iPod, back up your Home directory, go someplace else, plug your iPod into some other mac and hey presto! Your very own digital mobile Home...

C'mon, Arden! Let's a have a run down of the top 20 features you're looking for...
 
But honestly. After using KDE and Gnome on RedHat (and KDE under X11/various X11 servers on OSX.2) there is not a KDE/Gnome theme out there that can touch what apple has done. They all seem a bit unfinished, because of the literally hundreds of methods of making a gui app under Linux/X11.

Just remember, X11 was designed to give unix geeks a way to "see" something on either the machine they're sitting at, or a machine on the other side of the world. NOT to give the best user interface in the world. I know which one i'd prefer.
 
Pengu said:
But honestly. After using KDE and Gnome on RedHat (and KDE under X11/various X11 servers on OSX.2) there is not a KDE/Gnome theme out there that can touch what apple has done. They all seem a bit unfinished, because of the literally hundreds of methods of making a gui app under Linux/X11.

Just remember, X11 was designed to give unix geeks a way to "see" something on either the machine they're sitting at, or a machine on the other side of the world. NOT to give the best user interface in the world. I know which one i'd prefer.
Click to expand...

While we're in danger of drifting off topic [sorry, My fault!] I have to say Linux as a desktop OS just isn't working, and is going to take some time before it does work.

Anyway .. back on topic, and please don't flame me on my last comments ;-) I would also like to see a more brave Apple and see them drop in some of the stuff they've cooked up over the years but have shied away from for one reason or another, like Piles for instance.

If you don't know what they are [other than a uncomfortable lower-bowl condition] they are collections or stacks of related files.

So, you create a Pile that has a specific set of criteria; Microsoft Word files that cover meeting notes or .mp3 files for a particular genre.

Every time a bunch of files land on your computer that meet those criteria, the Pile grows .. visually!

But then to do something like that, you'd need something like an SQL-based file system, or a file system from the likes of Be OS.

[PS: Apple poached a couple of developers from Be Inc. whose area of expertise was the file system]
 
Okay (ignoring all of those off-topic posts...), here's my list:

- Less 'in-the-face' colours for the labels, and user-choosable ones, too, of course.
- Finally bring back the usability of the Finder to the level of OS 9. It just doesn't 'feel right'.
- Reintroduce a way to select default applications for internet protocols. Make that a syspref again.

I'll bring on more later... :)
 
Someone in a different thread said that HFS+ supports metadata, it's just that MacOS doesn't really use it (except for file type/creator codes..)
 
Pengu said:
Someone in a different thread said that HFS+ supports metadata, it's just that MacOS doesn't really use it (except for file type/creator codes..)
Click to expand...

I've asked for that kind of thing before.

It's might not be used but if it was, it would open up all kinds of possibilities, not least the Piles thing.

As soon as you start rolling XML into your software, you're way of thinking has to be in the meta data direction...
 
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Enable color coding files automatically by type, date created, size, permissions, owner, etc. Be able to do this recursively through an entire hierarchy of folders.
  • Record iChatAV video chats, if you can't do it already.
  • Integrate Inkwell with iLife, Preview, Appleworks etc. Be able to annotate data with Ink entered in from a tablet to files created by or read by these apps.
  • PC emulation is built in and faster.
  • Extend fax software by adding voicemail software and even be able to check your voicemail remotely over the internet or by phone.
  • Enable out of the box compilation of apps ported to Linux.
  • Enable Themes, at least be able to change window colors. Enable cool animated themes, like a window that changes colors or changes from one theme to the next every X minutes.
  • More effects like maybe 3D Genie or some fancy way of switching between apps...something even better than Expose'...like virtual desktops, but make switching between them cool.
  • Support more advanced audio/video codecs in iLife such as H.264, and WM9 (yep that's right).
  • Make FileVault better by being able to encypt individual folders or files and be able to encrypt data on external drives.
  • Have their own automated file backup utilities that are integrated with MacOSX.
  • Please don't make Safari and Finder one and the same. I hardly ever use this in Windows so I don't think it's worth the effort in MacOSX.
 
good list malexgreen!
I second the windows integration using something like the bochs emulator. I haven't had time to play with it so I can't speak about the user experience but the concept sounds great!
 
malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Enable color coding files automatically by type, date created, size, permissions, owner, etc. Be able to do this recursively through an entire hierarchy of folders.
Click to expand...

Should be do-able with AppleScript, surely?

malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • PC emulation is built in and faster.
Click to expand...

You might want to hold that thought. I can't get to the article right now, but MacRumors have been playing around with an alpha version of VirtualPC.

Microsoft have been busy little bees and they've done a good job of routing the video hardware calls form inside VirtualPC right into the video card in / on your mac.

Apparently getting 30-40 frame a second out of Quake III .. not bad for an alpha version, yeah?

malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Extend fax software by adding voicemail software and even be able to check your voicemail remotely over the internet or by phone.
Click to expand...

In the meantime, try Yac.

Voice & Fax straight into your inbox.

malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Enable out of the box compilation of apps ported to Linux.
Click to expand...

You and me same!

malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Enable Themes, at least be able to change window colors. Enable cool animated themes, like a window that changes colors or changes from one theme to the next every X minutes.
  • More effects like maybe 3D Genie or some fancy way of switching between apps...something even better than Expose'...like virtual desktops, but make switching between them cool.
Click to expand...

It'll _never_ .. I repeat, _NEVER_ happen!

malexgreen said:
Mac OSX 10.4 feature wish list:
  • Support more advanced audio/video codecs in iLife such as H.264, and WM9 (yep that's right).
  • Make FileVault better by being able to encypt individual folders or files and be able to encrypt data on external drives.
  • Have their own automated file backup utilities that are integrated with MacOSX.
  • Please don't make Safari and Finder one and the same. I hardly ever use this in Windows so I don't think it's worth the effort in MacOSX.
Click to expand...

I agree. Apparently, the Og Vobis and DivX codecs are line up for the next big point version of QuickTime.

You might want to look here. Although a little off-topic at times, this is the wish list of the tech literati...
 
-Work with Sun on making their 3d desktop that they are devoping usable on mac (like that will ever happen, but hey, I can dream can't i?)
-Something like the workplace switcher from kde
-Have finder do the same thing it dose to a tif file for a .png file. Render the contents as the icon for the file.
-Add tabs to termenal
 
Trillian said:
-Work with Sun on making their 3d desktop that they are devoping usable on mac (like that will ever happen, but hey, I can dream can't i?)
-Something like the workplace switcher from kde
-Have finder do the same thing it dose to a tif file for a .png file. Render the contents as the icon for the file.
-Add tabs to termenal
Click to expand...

Hey stranger things have happened! And, even stranger things are happening...

I saw the Sun 3D desktop, and although the concept is good, they're making a few subtle mistakes. For instance, Sun seem to be satisfied that they've taken the concept as far as they'd like and are now _hoping_ that the developers will take it further[!]

Apple are in the [near] unique position of taking that one big idea and surrounding it with lots of little big ideas .. that's how they make stuff work so well!
 
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