Leopard: where is it today?

messiahmessiah
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Anybody care to share some educated guesses as to where Leopard is likely to be in the development process at the moment?



Is the majority of the work done? Is it at the stage now where they are just searching for bugs? Is there a room full of guys using (pretty much) the final release?



I've often wondered how these things are developed?
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    mrshowmrshow Posts: 164member
    I'd love to know the same thing. The lack of info is amazing.
  • Reply 2 of 28
    the cool gutthe cool gut Posts: 1,714member
    I remember Apple talking about the development of the iPhone UI, and it seems they have development set up now so that hardly any of the programmers know what the actual UI looks like, all they do is work on the code.



    It seems they have found a similar way of developing Leopard.
  • Reply 3 of 28
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    Yeah, I wondered if they worked on an ugly but functional version of the software first, and then prettied it up at the end once the knew the foundation was working.



    As for the developers not knowing what the actual interface looks like, there can only be one reason for that... a super sexy new GUI?
  • Reply 4 of 28
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,322moderator
    Naturally they don't want to let the cat out of the bag (so to speak) before WWDC. It's only about 2 weeks now and then all will be revealed.
  • Reply 5 of 28
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    It's been widely acknowedged that the iPhone runs OS X ? what if it's already running Leopard and we've already seen the new interface?



    I guess they could have developed the stripped down version of Leopard before concentrating on the fully fledged desktop version, right?
  • Reply 6 of 28
    aryayusharyayush Posts: 191member
    Of course iPhone is running Leopard. Jobs mentioned in his Macworld keynote that the iPhone interface is powered by Core Animation, a feature exclusive to Leopard.
  • Reply 7 of 28
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aryayush View Post


    Of course iPhone is running Leopard. Jobs mentioned in his Macworld keynote that the iPhone interface is powered by Core Animation, a feature exclusive to Leopard.



    Cool. So do you think we have already seen the basis of the new GUI? I hope so, the iPhone's GUI looks beautiful (and very usable).
  • Reply 8 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Messiah View Post


    Cool. So do you think we have already seen the basis of the new GUI? I hope so, the iPhone's GUI looks beautiful (and very usable).



    Yes, there's has been a few Leopard GUI hints, like pop-up lists for example:



    Before:



    After:
  • Reply 9 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    A simple addition I'd like to the current Finder, is when I'm in icon view and I remove an app, I'd like all the other apps to move to fill the gap just made in the grid, probably through Core Animation.
  • Reply 10 of 28
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    I'm sure they are working around the clock to get the WWDC build in gear.



    If true to what Jobs has said, they will be previewing/passing out copies of a full featured beta.



    That means up till now everything has been alpha.



    The difference between alpha and beta is typically with beta builds, the feature set is locked and completed and they are just hammering out the bugs.



    I think when Jobs said Leopard will not be out till October, I have a feeling he meant at the very latest, giving Apple a cushion. It really should not take Apple that long. I think it will start shipping in mid to late September.



    Just my 2¢
  • Reply 11 of 28
    daffy_duckdaffy_duck Posts: 248member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Yes, there's has been a few Leopard GUI hints, like pop-up lists for example:



    Before:



    After:



    Before > after. Just my opinion.
  • Reply 12 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daffy_Duck


    Before > after. Just my opinion.



    I hate Aqua.
  • Reply 13 of 28
    afofddyafofddy Posts: 1member
    I?m intending buying a new Mac Pro (but waiting until the next set of updates from Apple), but I really doubt that I?ll buy much Adobe software to run on it given the prices they are charging

    --------------------------------

    Software

    http://www.artdownload.net
  • Reply 14 of 28
    daffy_duckdaffy_duck Posts: 248member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I hate Aqua.



    Then I am sure you will have plenty to be happy with when Leopard is released, and I will be sad. Maybe I'll get used to the 'blah' monochrome interface eventually.
  • Reply 15 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daffy_Duck View Post


    Then I am sure you will have plenty to be happy with when Leopard is released, and I will be sad. Maybe I'll get used to the 'blah' monochrome interface eventually.



    You say potato, I say potato. You say monochrome, I say slick and professional
  • Reply 16 of 28
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    I say "Gee, didn't NeXT have this?"
  • Reply 17 of 28
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post


    I say "Gee, didn't NeXT have this?"



    Touché!
  • Reply 18 of 28
    zachpruckowskizachpruckowski Posts: 805member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Feynman View Post


    I think when Jobs said Leopard will not be out till October, I have a feeling he meant at the very latest, giving Apple a cushion. It really should not take Apple that long. I think it will start shipping in mid to late September.



    Just my 2¢





    My understanding is that it's a three step process:



    1) WWDC feature demostration

    2) Announce a release date

    3) Release



    Thus, I foresee:



    1) WWDC (June 11th) full demonstration + dev build

    2) more dev builds in July and August, with a fast set of them coming late August to early September

    3) Release goes gold first/second week of September. SJ gets up on some stage mid-September and says "Hey Y'all, I got some pretty new iMacs/Minis/Macbooks*!! Oh, and Leopard will be here on Oct 2x! Now watch me play with Core Animation for 20 minutes!".

    4) Oct 2x ? Leopard release

    5) Nov 15th ? 10.5.1



    * = pick 1-2 of those 3.
  • Reply 19 of 28
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member
    Count me in with the OS X ships in September crew. I think apple gave itself some wiggle room and will actually ship the operating system early September for the all important back-to-school rush.



    I guess we'll all know how feature complete and stable the WWDC developer build is and that will tell us what we need to know.
  • Reply 20 of 28
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    Count me in with the OS X ships in September crew. I think apple gave itself some wiggle room and will actually ship the operating system early September for the all important back-to-school rush.



    I guess we'll all know how feature complete and stable the WWDC developer build is and that will tell us what we need to know.



    Yeah I don't understand that it will take long from the time they seed the beta to the developers.



    Keep in mind the beta build DVDs have to go to manufacturing so I'm sure it will be ready to go a few days prior to WWDC, unless they will be dubbing the DVDs in house but I doubt it.



    I'm pretty sure they want to have a pretty polished beta to give to developers so all the features will shine.



    And come on, all of you know that the developers at Apple will be working around the clock to fix any bugs in Leopard...



    I am guessing we will see a FC build (Final Candidate, the stage right before GM-Golden Master) in September at the latest, if not shipping by then.
Sign In or Register to comment.