QuickLook feature, Dashboard tweaks in latest Leopard builds

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Developers exploring the latest pre-release builds of Apple Computer's next-generation Leopard operating system have recently discovered a handful of changes and enhancements not apparent in the company's online preview.



QuickLook (Screenshots 1, 2)



For instance, Leopard's Finder includes a new contextual menu item called "QuickLook," which will display an enlarged preview of image files in a semi-translucent Finder window (similar to slideshow mode) without first having to launch the "Preview" app.



At the base of the QuickLook window are two options, one to expand the image to full size and another to add the file to an iPhoto library.



Time Machine (Screenshot 3)



Leopard will also recognize the first time a new external hard disk drive is connected to a Mac. A system dialog then appears, asking the user if they'd like the enable the drive for use with Leopard's built-in file backup software called Time Machine.



Dashboard Web Clip enhancements (Screenshot 4)



Developers testing the latest build of Leopard, 9A303, have also spotted some improvements to Dashboard Web Clip in Safari 3, a feature that allows users to turn any portion of a web page into a custom Dashboard widget.



Under the initial preview release of Leopard, an "Open in Dashboard" button in Safari would created new widget containing the frontmost web site, which users could then crop and manipulate.



In the latest builds, Apple has taken the feature a bit further by allowing users to select portions of websites which they would like to turn into widgets directly from within Safari. Users simply use a marquee tool to select the portion of a website they'd like as a widget and then click an "Add" button.



Spaces interface tweak (Screenshot 5)



Lastly, developers point out subtle and ongoing interface tweaks to the floating Spaces palette in the Leopard Finder. The latest version features a gloss black finish, similar to the icon Apple developed to represent the workspace management component.



Apple last updated its pre-release distribution of Leopard earlier this month when it seeded build 9A303 to correct a number of stability issues.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 88
    mac~n~cheesemac~n~cheese Posts: 45member
    Leopard will allow part of any webpage to be made into a widget.



    Do you realize what this means?!



    Porn Widgets!



    *Rats! Did I say that out loud?*
  • Reply 2 of 88
    yamasyamas Posts: 16member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac~N~Cheese


    Leopard will allow part of any webpage to be made into a widget.



    Do you realize what this means?!



    Porn Widgets!



    *Rats! Did I say that out loud?*





    Apple announced this at wwdc, just without the porn link!
  • Reply 3 of 88
    bacillusbacillus Posts: 313member
    I wonder if the black color will be a system-wide view option...other then the silver/white.



  • Reply 4 of 88
    fooeyfooey Posts: 52member
    id say it will be the grey ( non steel brushd) with lots of black windows.

    Like iTunes :-)



    More and more of those black windows popping up in screenies.
  • Reply 5 of 88
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    That black, transparent looking interface reminds me of iPhoto's full screen mode.
  • Reply 6 of 88
    ricksbrainricksbrain Posts: 517member
    iWeb, too. Actually, it's been around a little bit before the same theme was announced in Vista.
  • Reply 7 of 88
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Such HUD windows actually originate from Motion, if I'm not mistaken.
  • Reply 8 of 88
    waytogobuddywaytogobuddy Posts: 205member
    "Leopard will also recognize the first time a new external hard disk drive is connected to a Mac. A system dialog then appears, asking the user if they'd like the enable the drive for use with Leopard's built-in file backup software called Time Machine."



    eeeee.... That screams of windows....

    "New hardware has been found....do you want do some asinine thing with it that you weren't thinking about before but now you're being forced into - then click teh "yes" dialog box.....
  • Reply 9 of 88
    ricksbrainricksbrain Posts: 517member
    If it did that for everything, then maybe. I bet it will do it once for each drive, then rely on you to do enable it manually for Time Machine.
  • Reply 10 of 88
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Yeah, the current dialog seems obnoxious.
  • Reply 11 of 88
    eaieai Posts: 417member
    Is Quick Look really better than Preview? Preview opens pretty fast anyway... Maybe I'm missing the point....
  • Reply 12 of 88
    chrisgchrisg Posts: 239member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eAi


    Is Quick Look really better than Preview? Preview opens pretty fast anyway... Maybe I'm missing the point....



    The don't show it there but QuickView will be able to QuickView anything, movies/documents/pictures/etc. So for example if you click on a URL and hit QuickView it previews the actual web site. I think they also will allow for developers to expand it to "QuickView" their documents.
  • Reply 13 of 88
    blackbird_1.0blackbird_1.0 Posts: 724member
    Nice.
  • Reply 14 of 88
    waytogobuddywaytogobuddy Posts: 205member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ricksbrain


    If it did that for everything, then maybe. I bet it will do it once for each drive, then rely on you to do enable it manually for Time Machine.



    I hear you, but I'm not so sure I agree

    Everytime a new HD connects could be often: friends sharing files, client presentations, data, video content......

    And will every USB Hard drive get this message? does this include USB stick "Hard Drives"?



    -EDIT: Everything else looks pretty cool though - can't wait. The quickview stuff especially
  • Reply 15 of 88
    trevorlsciacttrevorlsciact Posts: 224member
    Leopard looks better and better each day, by spring it will be perfect.
  • Reply 16 of 88
    caribou killacaribou killa Posts: 134member
    perverted or not the porn widgets will be cool. And a new extra to show off to windows users. "yeah ive got all the joys of expose AND a porn widget!"
  • Reply 17 of 88
    maimezvousmaimezvous Posts: 802member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Caribou Killa


    perverted or not the porn widgets will be cool. And a new extra to show off to windows users. "yeah ive got all the joys of expose AND a porn widget!"



    "And no risk of a virus just for looking!"
  • Reply 18 of 88
    jasongjasong Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waytogobuddy


    I hear you, but I'm not so sure I agree

    Everytime a new HD connects could be often: friends sharing files, client presentations, data, video content......

    And will every USB Hard drive get this message? does this include USB stick "Hard Drives"



    Yeah, if only they had put a "don't ask me again" checkbox to keep the system from ever asking you again if you don't want it to.
  • Reply 19 of 88
    mugwumpmugwump Posts: 233member
    Context menu for a quick view?



    Alert dialog box for time machine every time you connect a drive?



    Sounds like Microsoft engineers are at work here. How about doing a long click for quick view? Call it ClickView™.
  • Reply 20 of 88
    zwebenzweben Posts: 75member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mugwump


    Context menu for a quick view?



    Alert dialog box for time machine every time you connect a drive?



    Sounds like Microsoft engineers are at work here. How about doing a long click for quick view? Call it ClickView™.



    Guess what, you can't activate every single little feature of an OS from a single click of a one button mouse. You can do it from the menu, you can do it from a control click.



    And that box is not going to pop up every time you plug in a drive. One time for each drive. Unless you get a new external hard drive ever week and are also incapable of clicking "Do not ask me again", it is a non issue.



    Stop complaining about useful features.
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