Brain Storm Features
I don't care if people think there will or wont be new features other then what was revealed for Leopard. but for one second, lets brain storm and think of features that could be in Mac OS X Leopard.
I have one idea that may not be possible, but it would be a very nice addition to any OS: Virtual Processing. What is this? Well, what is Virtual Memory? It is using your HD as extra RAM. What if Apple had a feature that let you use your Sound Processor/GPU's clock speed to aid you in smaller tasts such as Text Edit/Adium/and such app's that don't take a lot of power. it could possible speed up larger applications such as Pages, Photoshop and even part of iLife. People may say that it's impossible, because you need your GPU/SPU -- which is true. But, it would be a cool feature.
What other things could Apple implement into it's OS?
I have one idea that may not be possible, but it would be a very nice addition to any OS: Virtual Processing. What is this? Well, what is Virtual Memory? It is using your HD as extra RAM. What if Apple had a feature that let you use your Sound Processor/GPU's clock speed to aid you in smaller tasts such as Text Edit/Adium/and such app's that don't take a lot of power. it could possible speed up larger applications such as Pages, Photoshop and even part of iLife. People may say that it's impossible, because you need your GPU/SPU -- which is true. But, it would be a cool feature.
What other things could Apple implement into it's OS?
Comments
I would like Audio processing in the GPU as well. Core Audio should be able to leverage the GPU just as well as Core Video/Image do.
You know, I never thought of that, but that would be amazing.
Nuance doesn't seem to want to give Apple any love with Dragon Naturally Speaking. What if Apple created an API that lets "any" supporting app employ flawless Dictating functionality. This would automatically strenghten Apple's influence for Disabled individuals. Couple this Dictation API with improvements in speakable voices and items and you have a vestiges of a computer that all people can interact with on a new level.
You know, I never thought of that, but that would be amazing.
Sad to see these guys seem to have gone away. BionicFX
http://www.nforcershq.com/article1853.html
BionicFX Harnesses Power of Graphics Cards for Audio Processing
Programming uses GPU as Audio Effect Processor
BionicFX announced a technology for music production that turns NVIDIA video cards into audio effects processors. Audio Video Exchange (AVEX) converts digital audio into graphics data, and then performs effect calculations using the 3D architecture of the GPU. The latest video cards from NVIDIA are capable of more than 40 gigaflops of processing power compared to less than 6 gigaflops on Intel and AMD CPUs.
BionicReverb, the first effect to use AVEX, will debut at Winter NAMM Conference in January 2005. BionicReverb is an impulse response reverberation effect that runs as a plug-in inside VST compatible multi-track recording software. The audio effect is generated by combining an impulse response file with digital audio. Impulse response files are created by firing a starter pistol inside a location, such as Carnegie Hall, and recording the echoing sound waves. Combining the two files through mathematical convolution is a CPU intensive process that is reduced by moving expensive calculations onto the GPU.
AVEX works by transforming audio streams into the structure and colors of graphics data. The graphics data is processed on the video card by pixel or fragment shaders that run audio effect algorithms, which read and write to textures in video memory. The final calculations are retrieved from off-screen buffers and decoded into audio.
For more information, visit their web site at www.bionicfx.com.
A bigger feature will be flick-based, 2-finger scrolling (essentially how you scroll on the iPhone, but on a trackpad instead of a screen). it would be a more intuitive approach than the current scrolling techniques. including current 2-finger scrolling.
Oh and the ability to access all iLife-based media from anywhere in the system via sidebar in the finder. I think this was shown in a Leopard screenie at onepoint, but I can't find it.
See my thread about this, but here's my idea.
A bigger feature will be flick-based, 2-finger scrolling (essentially how you scroll on the iPhone, but on a trackpad instead of a screen). it would be a more intuitive approach than the current scrolling techniques. including current 2-finger scrolling.
Oh and the ability to access all iLife-based media from anywhere in the system via sidebar in the finder. I think this was shown in a Leopard screenie at onepoint, but I can't find it.
I don't know why, but you reminded me of another cool feature -- which isn't a feature at all, but an inclusion of a new software suite, like iLife. It would be called the "Digital Market Place", and what it is is a way for users to sell their GarageBand tunes (which iPhone users could use as possible ring tones) -- and will add another program to iLife -- iGame. It could be called what ever they want to call it, but what it is (basically) is a simple, easy to use game maker software. It could be as advanced as you want it to be -- or so simple a baby could use it. But within Digital Market Place, you could sell your games.
(The Digital Market Place could be a new feature for the iTunes store, or a separate piece of software.
Dictation would also be useful for the voicemail features of iChat which could transcribe the messages and e-mail them to you. Even better would be dictated logs of the voice chats you had with people to let you search through them.
To go along with the dictation feature, which would rock even for the non-disabled, I would love it if they would build OCR into Preview, so that when I open a scanned document, it would start OCRing it automatically in the background and map it to the image, so I could text search the document. Just store the info in the metadata for the file.
Dictation would also be useful for the voicemail features of iChat which could transcribe the messages and e-mail them to you. Even better would be dictated logs of the voice chats you had with people to let you search through them.
Co-sign. I can't believe I forgot about this. OCR and Dictation go hand in hand for easy document creation and reusing older documents.
I also think Apple should redo their mouse strategy. Take the scroll wheel and move it the the thumb area. I think the thumb is actually more accurate for scrolling. Make the wheel concave and as flush as possible with nice tension for the "click"
To go along with the dictation feature, which would rock even for the non-disabled, I would love it if they would build OCR into Preview, so that when I open a scanned document, it would start OCRing it automatically in the background and map it to the image, so I could text search the document. Just store the info in the metadata for the file.
Dictation would also be useful for the voicemail features of iChat which could transcribe the messages and e-mail them to you. Even better would be dictated logs of the voice chats you had with people to let you search through them.
I totally agree about the OCR feature in general. But I have a few modifications to your idea... 1) Make OCR more of a system-wide feature or an app that will do batch OCR, or OCR a file whenever the system sees a PDF/jpeg saved to the drive. 2) Include JBIG2 compression in this new app/feature. 3) Make this app/feature store the OCR data somewhere other than in the meatadata of the file so that it won't be stripped out of the file when transferring across certain network protocols. But YES, a superb OCR engine built into the system would be AWSOME! Apple should license the technology from the makers of PDF Compressor (Windows-only). PDF Compressor is wicked-FAST, very customizable, accurate, and features JBIG2 compression!
Oh, another feature Apple should include in Leopard (or in iWork) is a Personal Finance Manager to end all personal finance managers. Like the iTunes of Personal Finance Managers. Quicken SUCKS on both platforms, but REALLY sucks on the Mac.