Apple's iCal to get 'Year' view, Mail to get iTunes-like interface in Mac OS X Lion

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 54
    gustavgustav Posts: 828member
    Here's a tweak they can do in mail: Make it support IMAP subscriptions. I have lots of "archive" mailboxes that I don't want mail trying to update all the time (and it does, even though I haven't accessed those mailboxes).



    Why can't I unsubscribe from them, and only subscribe to the ones I need on a regular basis. Other IMAP clients work this way. Apple's subscriptions seem to only be fore "public" or "shared" mailboxes.
  • Reply 22 of 54
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Now if apps are written properly, and the OS is sufficiently robust, to not only save state, but to resume state -- every app that has been run, at least once, can quickly go back to where it left off-- with granularity down to the repositioning of the cursor in a text field during text entry (when the app was suspended).



    An app would never (again) need to go through startup/initialization -- just resume state.



    I quick anecdote. I spent a good 2 hours yesterday using TextEdit to type up some notes. I was in a hurry so I just pulled up this simple app. I was tethering my Jailbroken iPhone using the USB connection instead of WiFi because i was in a hurry and WiFi setup has a little more rigamarole with the MyWi app. Unfortunately using USB tethering can cause my MBP to crash the entire system for some yet unknown reason. I restarted, opened up TextEdit from /Applications to start over and everything but the last line I had written was saved. I had no idea that app auto saves. Pleasantly surprised, to say the least.



    Quote:

    So, maybe, the definitions of a "proper OS", a "proper computer", running "proper apps" to be rethought to incorporate "proper save/resume".



    Would it still be a personal computer, though? If you have multiple users on a ?PC' is no longer ?personal? and therefore not a ?PC??
  • Reply 23 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    But there also an argument that can be make about making things TOO consistent. Funtionality, widgets, etc should be standardized. But if every window looked like iTunes, especially with the remove of color from all the icons, it makes it more difficult to quickly visually identify a window, even if just a corner or edge of the window is visibible from behind other windows.



    I just hope there is more than just window dressing in the updated apps. Especially iCal, which is one of the least usable calendars I've used in recent memory.



    I think we are slowly being weaned from the concept of multiple, open, resizable windows.



    At the event, they made a (semi) big deal of apps running full screen (as opposed to largest window that fits the screen).



    If you can instantly switch among full-screen apps, windows become less useful -- except for things like drag and drop. I find myself using copy/paste shortcuts instead of drag and drop -- especially on large and multiple screens.



    If you think about it, with proper alerts, and instant switching, most people can, likely, get by with a single window for much of what most people do, most of the time.



    That's one of the things I really like about the iPad.



    .
  • Reply 24 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Koifim View Post


    So what about the pictures Apple posted on its Mac OS X Lion page on Apple.com?



    pic 1

    pic 2



    In these pictures running applications are no longer shown with a blue dot under their icons in the dock. Is this just a bad photoshop or is this a sign that something is going to change?



    I dont think that is Lion, just SL with the app store app.
  • Reply 25 of 54
    ilogicilogic Posts: 298member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MoXoM View Post


    Looks like new Mail app has lost some colour - just like iTunes...



    Probably because Apple Mail will find its way into Windows?
  • Reply 26 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ilogic View Post


    Probably because Apple Mail will find its way into Windows?



    Uh, no.



    Probably because Apple is going through another interface unification phase where they're matching the rest of their applications to iTunes to rewrite the Human Interface Guidelines.
  • Reply 27 of 54
    Adding the "year" option in iCal will be one of the "500" new features that will be touted



    Removing color from those interfaces, like iTunes 10.x, is a huge mistake. Its ugly. SL already looks drab, and since you cant change it like Windows 7 themes its going to get more drab. Bad Move!
  • Reply 28 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I quick anecdote. I spent a good 2 hours yesterday using TextEdit to type up some notes. I was in a hurry so I just pulled up this simple app. I was tethering my Jailbroken iPhone using the USB connection instead of WiFi because i was in a hurry and WiFi setup has a little more rigamarole with the MyWi app. Unfortunately using USB tethering can cause my MBP to crash the entire system for some yet unknown reason. I restarted, opened up TextEdit from /Applications to start over and everything but the last line I had written was saved. I had no idea that app auto saves. Pleasantly surprised, to say the least.



    Would it still be a personal computer, though? If you have multiple users on a ?PC' is no longer ?personal? and therefore not a ?PC??





    Damn! Had to type that last line again (now, if only you had hit the return key).





    Good point!



    I think the answer is Yes and No and Both



    As I see it there are application states and data states -- in a multi-personal "PC" the OS and Silicon would be intelligent enough to save both states for every user.



    Saving state, often, will involve little or no storage (and CPU activity) -- think of how TimeMachine saves incremental changes.



    Saving Photoshop application state for a user could be just a few pointers. The data state for that user could be just the undo file since the last save.
  • Reply 29 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Trash only shows up (bottom-right) when dragging a file.







    The new 'dock' also shows any open apps. They dock cannot be adjusted, in any way.



    So, it's the Task Tray on iOS 4.



    .
  • Reply 30 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigdaddyp View Post


    Please Apple do not remove color from the buttons. Not everyone has a high res screen, or perfect isight*.



    *Man this getting old thing sucks. First it was reading glasses and then afternoon naps, pretty soon I may have to Google Geritol to figure out what the hell that is.





    Remember, "For an erection lasting four hours, or more -- you should send a thank you note to your doctor"...



    ...Oh... That's Cialis, not geritol



    .
  • Reply 31 of 54
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by esummers View Post


    Yeah. Apple has been moving to bitmaps (in application toolbars) for awhile so they can theme the icons. On the iPhone a blue gradient theme is applied. On the Mac it is generally a grey beveled look. By doing this, Apple can change the look of third party applications anytime they want to. It would be nice to see more color introduced (like is happening on the iPad). Although not as large of a market for Apple anymore, graphic designers prefer the "bland" look because too many colors effect the way you perceive colors in a document or photo you are editing.



    Taking color out of something like Aperture, where you content is based largely on precise color accuracy, has a benefit. But in a Mail program or music player? Color is a primary characterstic that allows your eyes to locate and focus on something. Size is another. So now we have a bunch of small, colorless icons? Change simply for the sake of change, without some actual benefit (like removing color from an imaging program's interface) is typically a bad thing.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Trash only shows up (bottom-right) when dragging a file.







    The new 'dock' also shows any open apps. They dock cannot be adjusted, in any way.



    Please don't tell me that only open things are in the dock and I have to call up a full screen icon overlay (ie, iPhone style) to open another application! The genius of the Mac was that things were intuitive and you could operation on reflex. You could move your mouse almost without thinking about it to the correct place on the screen to do what you wanted to do. Now you have to do something first, before you can see where you need to move your mouse.



    For example, each tab in Safari used to have an always visible close button, even if the tab wasn't the currently viewed tab. Now you have to actually move your mouse to the tab for the close button to appear and then correct your trajectory to get to where the tab button appears in order to close the tab.



    I know that's pretty minor, but it makes actions require more deliberate thought and less unconcious reflex, and I find it distracting. And it leads to a lot of the "hunting and pecking" behavior I see in a lot of Windows users.
  • Reply 32 of 54
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    I think we are slowly being weaned from the concept of multiple, open, resizable windows.



    At the event, they made a (semi) big deal of apps running full screen (as opposed to largest window that fits the screen).



    If you can instantly switch among full-screen apps, windows become less useful -- except for things like drag and drop. I find myself using copy/paste shortcuts instead of drag and drop -- especially on large and multiple screens.



    If you think about it, with proper alerts, and instant switching, most people can, likely, get by with a single window for much of what most people do, most of the time.



    That's one of the things I really like about the iPad.



    .



    God I hope not! On something with a small screen and relatively simply apps, that makes sense. Pretty much the only thing where that makes sense on a 27" Mac screen is photo and video editing. I constantly have mutliple windows open from multiple applications at the same time and have them arranged so I can see/monitor what's in the other window. Whether it's two web pages that I'm comparing specs on similar products. Writing an email referencing results in a spreadsheet. Organizing my photos and being able to not only see if I get a new email but also who it's from and what subject is so I can decide if I want to read it now or continue working with my photos.



    Are we going back to the Mac OS 5 days of the mid-80s with the Switcher utility. Isn't that right about the point when Steve got kicked out of Apple?
  • Reply 33 of 54
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,759member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jwilcox View Post


    Please do not tell me to spend $100 a year to do this in a cloud.



    Ok, do it for free with Google calendar - although you can find MobileMe codes all over for under $60.



    Heck, I get family packs for $70 and split 'em with my family - I pay less than $20 a year for my MobileMe account - well worth it for what you get.
  • Reply 34 of 54
    29922992 Posts: 202member
    "Apple's iCal to get 'Year' view". Cool news, front page news, innovative feature, magic!
  • Reply 35 of 54
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    So, it's the Task Tray on iOS 4.



    .



    Not exactly. It's more an intelligent, clutter-free dock.
  • Reply 36 of 54
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2992 View Post


    "Apple's iCal to get 'Year' view". Cool news, front page news, innovative feature, magic!



    You know, that's what I was thinking. It's rubbish.
  • Reply 37 of 54
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    Please don't tell me that only open things are in the dock and I have to call up a full screen icon overlay (ie, iPhone style) to open another application!



    Yes. Or you'd use spotlight which would still exist.
  • Reply 38 of 54
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    Taking color out of something like Aperture, where you content is based largely on precise color accuracy, has a benefit. But in a Mail program or music player? Color is a primary characterstic that allows your eyes to locate and focus on something. Size is another. So now we have a bunch of small, colorless icons? Change simply for the sake of change, without some actual benefit (like removing color from an imaging program's interface) is typically a bad thing.







    Please don't tell me that only open things are in the dock and I have to call up a full screen icon overlay (ie, iPhone style) to open another application! The genius of the Mac was that things were intuitive and you could operation on reflex. You could move your mouse almost without thinking about it to the correct place on the screen to do what you wanted to do. Now you have to do something first, before you can see where you need to move your mouse.



    For example, each tab in Safari used to have an always visible close button, even if the tab wasn't the currently viewed tab. Now you have to actually move your mouse to the tab for the close button to appear and then correct your trajectory to get to where the tab button appears in order to close the tab.



    I know that's pretty minor, but it makes actions require more deliberate thought and less unconcious reflex, and I find it distracting. And it leads to a lot of the "hunting and pecking" behavior I see in a lot of Windows users.



    Well it's either this or they should combine iOS style icons and app folders by have it be one long dock. Having a dock and the launchpad to go to to launch applications is not a good idea. Choose one, Apple, and make it great. Don't have two doing the same thing.
  • Reply 39 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Trash only shows up (bottom-right) when dragging a file.







    The new 'dock' also shows any open apps. They dock cannot be adjusted, in any way.



    Your illustration is of the new Launcher, not the regular Finder screen, so that's not the Dock on the bottom.
  • Reply 40 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gustav View Post


    There's a third party product that lets you share your calendars on a local network.

    http://www.busymac.com/



    You can also share calendars thru MobileMe.
Sign In or Register to comment.