Apple may introduce user interface overhaul in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
A new report shows that Apple has recently stepped up internal testing of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, and also hints that the forthcoming operating system update could feature a new user interface design the next time it is publicly shown.
With Lion set to launch this summer, TechCrunch reported Wednesday that the appearance of machines on its tracking logs running an internal beta of the operating system has seen a "surge of usage in recent weeks." Appearances of Mac OS X 10.7 reportedly peaked in late August and early September of 2010, but fell off a bit until recently, suggesting that Apple is engaged in full-scale internal testing of the operating system update.
The report from author MG Siegler also hinted that Apple may have "a few surprises" up its sleeve with respect to Lion.
"One of these is a much-anticipated UI overhaul," the report reads. "But that means that developers are going to need to be ready when it rolls out. And along those lines, we're hearing that a developer beta should begin soon."
Apple first showed of Mac OS X 10.7 last October in a live demonstration. The "Back to the Mac" event was given its name because Apple is bringing certain features from its iOS mobile operating system to the Mac platform.
Systems running Mac OS X 10.7 Lion as tracked online by TechCrunch.
Lion will introduce new multi-touch gestures and application home screens, much like on the iPhone and iPad. It will also feature the ability to run applications in full-screen, as well as automatic saving and resuming of the software's status.
Another major feature is the Mac App Store, which was first introduced to Lion's predecessor, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, in early January. Like its iOS counterpart, the Mac App Store allows users to purchase and download software, and manage and update their applications.
With Lion set to launch this summer, TechCrunch reported Wednesday that the appearance of machines on its tracking logs running an internal beta of the operating system has seen a "surge of usage in recent weeks." Appearances of Mac OS X 10.7 reportedly peaked in late August and early September of 2010, but fell off a bit until recently, suggesting that Apple is engaged in full-scale internal testing of the operating system update.
The report from author MG Siegler also hinted that Apple may have "a few surprises" up its sleeve with respect to Lion.
"One of these is a much-anticipated UI overhaul," the report reads. "But that means that developers are going to need to be ready when it rolls out. And along those lines, we're hearing that a developer beta should begin soon."
Apple first showed of Mac OS X 10.7 last October in a live demonstration. The "Back to the Mac" event was given its name because Apple is bringing certain features from its iOS mobile operating system to the Mac platform.
Systems running Mac OS X 10.7 Lion as tracked online by TechCrunch.
Lion will introduce new multi-touch gestures and application home screens, much like on the iPhone and iPad. It will also feature the ability to run applications in full-screen, as well as automatic saving and resuming of the software's status.
Another major feature is the Mac App Store, which was first introduced to Lion's predecessor, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, in early January. Like its iOS counterpart, the Mac App Store allows users to purchase and download software, and manage and update their applications.
Comments
But hey -- no pressure, Apple!
Make it new and even more awesome
... this needs to be a major release; arguably the biggest, baddest, King of All Releases. It needs to be so totally awesome that it sends Steve Ballmer into a downward spiral of depression, pills, and deteriorating personal hygiene.
But hey -- no pressure, Apple!
And how would this be different from his normal condition?
Ok, I don't know about depression or pills in Ballmer's life, but hygiene... that man breaks into a sweat just breathing.
[Well I would hope so: never understood the LaunchPad option: it displays all the Application icons on your desktop while they're also available in the Dock. I mean; this creates two places to launch an app from within a singel view. Different, but similar to Windows QuickLaunch Toolbar
The LaunchPad view makes the Mac desktop more similar to the home screen on iOS devices.
The lion is the king of the jungle; there is nothing beyond a lion.
I wonder if perhaps it will be not only the biggest, baddest OS ever, but also the last computer OS from Apple.
"Computers are trucks."
Is Apple, who makes so much money in consumer electronics, going to continue to spend their wheels in the trucking business where they've garnered at most a 10% market share after 20 years of trying? Hard to say.
We saw what "Back to the Mac" meant. It didn't mean bringing the company's focus back to the Mac, it meant bringing iOS features to Mac.
Maybe the two will merge....
They can still leave the jungle and dive into the ocean, where there are barracudas and sharks. But maybe they prefer creatures up in the air like falcons and eagles. You name it. So plenty of OSes to follow and not so much to worry. Besides this more merging of the two Oses will certainly follow
The lion is the king of the jungle; there is nothing beyond a lion.
I wonder if perhaps it will be not only the biggest, baddest OS ever, but also the last computer OS from Apple.
"Computers are trucks."
Is Apple, who makes so much money in consumer electronics, going to continue to spend their wheels in the trucking business where they've garnered at most a 10% market share after 20 years of trying? Hard to say.
We saw what "Back to the Mac" meant. It didn't mean bringing the company's focus back to the Mac, it meant bringing iOS features to Mac.
Maybe the two will merge....
I'd expect nothing less. Why would you make a major release that looks the same as the last?
Because it has matured as a technology stream.
You don't see radical new hammers that require a learning curve anymore, or drills, or many many tech streams. Not that they aren't still evolving it's just that their user interface has been sorted out.
If the UI revision rate of OS's is anything to go by then we are barely passed rock+stick+twine.
Computer UI's are quite pathetic. I don't see them as example of how advanced we are, look to the hammer for that.
The lion is the king of the jungle; there is nothing beyond a lion.
I wonder if perhaps it will be not only the biggest, baddest OS ever, but also the last computer OS from Apple.
"Computers are trucks."
Is Apple, who makes so much money in consumer electronics, going to continue to spend their wheels in the trucking business where they've garnered at most a 10% market share after 20 years of trying? Hard to say.
We saw what "Back to the Mac" meant. It didn't mean bringing the company's focus back to the Mac, it meant bringing iOS features to Mac.
Maybe the two will merge....
You trolls never get tired of spouting this nonsense, do you?
No, it's not hard at all to say whether they will walk away from their Mac business. It's a stupid question to even ask. It's a rapidly growing Fortune 110 business that brings in ~$25Billion on its own, and the Lion's share of PC profits. If Lion is the last of anything, it will be the last of the 10.x line and the next version will be 11.0, with a different set of names.
I don't get why people keep saying that.
You trolls never get tired of spouting this nonsense, do you?
No, it's not hard at all to say whether they will walk away from their Mac business. It's a stupid question to even ask. It's a rapidly growing Fortune 110 business that brings in ~$25Billion on its own, and the Lion's share of PC profits. If Lion is the last of anything, it will be the last of the 10.x line and the next version will be 11.0, with a different set of names.
My only question on the next version after lion, if it's an 11.0, would it still be OS X, or OS XI?
My only question on the next version after lion, if it's an 11.0, would it still be OS X?
I doubt very much they would rebrand it since they understand very well the value of brands. Most likely it will just be Mac OS X v11.0. This will freak out the literalists who will insist that the X == Roman numeral for decimal 10 and it should be Mac OS XI v11.0, but at this point it's just part of a brand name so it doesn't really matter. Besides, the redundancy police would remain upset if it became OS XI v11.0. You can't make everyone happy.
A new report shows that Apple has recently stepped up internal testing of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, and also hints that the forthcoming operating system update could feature a new user interface design the next time it is publicly shown....
This sounds more like an echo chamber than fact. When I read the report it sounds only like they are referring to the new UI features already displayed (that we already knew were happening). Then AppleInsider regurgitates it as "even more new UI" when in fact this is what we already knew about. It's just one rumour feeding off the next, but hey, I guess it's good for AppleInsider's click business.
Awesome. Look to now have elements of: Aqua, Chrome, Stacks, iOS all mixed together. Look for some apps with close/open buttons in one location, other apps having them in other locations. Look for some apps to run full screen others that won't. They'll now also probably add a 3rd wait icon in addition to a stopwatch and spinning beach ball. And the finder will still suck. And Safari will still regularly panic.
..And iTunes will continue to grow as bloatware. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the Mac App Store wasn't shoved into iTunes. And no, I don't want to see separate audio/video applications, but decoupling all of the syncing bloatware would be good. And here's a weird idea, how about making it better at actually managing your media (I mean why does it suck so bad dealing with multiple artist tracks and why is there no way for it to actually show episode numbers in your video library?).
A pet peeve of mine is with 32-bit and 64-bit entries in System Settings. If you click on a 32-bit entry, you're given a message box saying it has to close and reopen. And then you have to click on it again to actually open it. Couldn't this just be seamless and do all that automatically without user intervention?
It's sort of funny hearing about a full screen mode. Haven't Mac users been mocking Windows full screen mode for years?