Still better USB and FW support: Bus scanning, and the ability to wake up from sleep just long enough to acknowledge a plug or unplug.
More speed. There are signs of just how fast OS X can fly: If Think Secret is correct, FCP 2 won't need the services of the $999 RTMac PCI card, because it can do real-time video editing in software. :eek:
Rage Pro support.
I like the idea of the Dock autohiding when a Classic app is in the foreground.
Finder still needs lots of polishing to get rid of inconsistent and unintuitive behavior. Networking needs to be optimized. Filesystem is fast, but it can be faster.
Hardware acceleration for Quartz (I don't expect that to appear until 10.5 or even 11, but I can dream).
Mirror every app's Window menu in the Dock, and allow the user to select a window and have that one come to the foreground.
Allow drag and drop to navigate the menus of Docked folders.
Implement something like spring-loaded folders, if only in column view (analogous to the drag-and-drop functionality above).
Make the navigation widget in the Open/Save dialogs a mini-Finder, with the same functionality as the full-blown Finder windows. Nothing is more confusing than two column view that look the same but behave differently.
Finish integrating SMB so that it really is transparent.
Ship OS X with a goddamn user's manual already. The dead tree variety.
Finish AirPort apps - I don't know first-hand, but I have heard, that the AirPort Setup Assistant is still iffy under 10.1, and the Software Base Station functionality is missing. Apple can just put a GUI front end on gNAT if they don't want to spend too much manpower on porting SBS.
<dream>Disable WEP security by default, and give Base Stations (hardware and software) the ability to encrypt wireless communications with SSL. Enable that by default.</dream>
<dream>With the frameworks in place, and a highly dynamic OS nicely refined, work on a component architecture. It can be retrofitted onto older apps via categories. Then, say, make a DVD component so that it can be embedded in a web page.</dream>
1)Double-clicking the title bar should windowshade, clicking the yellow widget should minimize. These are two different actions, both of which are useful for different reasons.
2)Spring-loaded folders
3)Fix the column view as kaboom suggested
4)Labels
5)Bring shading back to the list view
6)Italicize alias names
7)Carbon apps should recognize the Dock. This is so fscking annoying... when the dock fills the screen, clicking the green widget in IE... oh the horror
8)When switching apps by clicking a window in the background, all windows from that app should move to the foreground, not just the window you clicked on.
9)Energy Saver - Mac OS X needs to be able to auto-start and auto-shutdown.
10)Graphical implementation of Windows Networking (i.e. through the Finder)
But back to the subject at hand, I've thought of some further possible additions.[*]fix iTunes to use standard widgets[*]a customizable Apple menu-- not like the Classic Apple menu, though. Customizable for System Prefernces. For example, why the heck are Dock and Location options in the Apple menu? I never use them and I suspect that not many people do. Of course, there could be some overlap here between Apple items and *.menu things like the sound and monitors. I'll make a mockup of what I'm trying to describe.[*]remove the debug code :cool:[*]fix the clock "menu" back so that it shows the date when you click it rather than bringing up that rediculous menu each time (yes, I know the date is in the menu). You might be surprised how often I click that thing for the date-- days and weeks often seem to mesh together for me.[*]Ditto on the OSX forest-clearing paper manual.[*]make standard cmd-shift-H for Hide Others (like OmniWeb)[*]do my laundry[*]include some prettier alert sounds... these are rather old. How about a nice aqua "drip", "swish", "ripple" , or "splash" sound? No, the old System 7 "drip" doesn't count! [*]fix this bug with (PC) DOS formatted Zip disks: sometimes when the disk is inserted I get a message saying it's an unreadable format. By simply ejecting and reinsterting the disk, it works fine.[*]fix sleep for SCSI users... please!! OS9 sleeps a-okay. [*]give user a gui option to set the format of screenshots (it can be set in Terminal by changing NSDomain defaults)[*]labels?[*]include a global tool (in Sys Prefs?) that lists all file extension associations and can change them[*]include an extended "CPU monitor" or "Process viewer" type app (GUI, not command line ) that can monitor stats over a period of time (Windows 9x's "System Monitor" comes to mind)[*]assign cmd-` to "next window" in the Finder, damnit![*]fix Preview to recognize the arrows keys to scroll the window content[*]allow QuickTime Player to change the screen to 640x480 when you "Present Movie"[*]give QuickTime Player the option to use the "standard" (although far more advanced) movie controls. [*]when you tell the finder to show extensions, show all extensions including .app![*]fix the OS and apps so they actually work with Full Keyboard Access
Tear off menus (ala. DP1, 2, and Server 1.x) would be a nice addition, but I'm afraid they would be too big now that Aqua has giganticized the fonts. Ahh there's another request:[*]System-wide font management like TinkerTool
and to continue from my lists above...[*]Give TextEdit the speech options that were in SimpleText (yes, I know you can control-click a selection to speak it, but I doubt most people do)[*]fix that ugly text in iMovie so the exported video looks as good as the preview.[*]allow screenshots of DVDs[*]fix the "About Thus Mac" box so it shows the serial number. It worked in the pre-GM 10.1 builds... why not in the final?[*]allow control-click in the Finder toolbar[*]add an "up" button to the Finder toolbar to go up a level in the hierarchy[*]fix the timing on Finder file renaming when you click on the name... in X you have to select the icon and then click the name again. In OS9 you can simply click the name.[*]include a basic defragger/optimizer[*]context-menu for Change Desktop Background like in OS9[*]fix the resize widget in Finder windows to actually fit the content in icon mode when the window is set to "Keep arranged by"[*]don't recognize clicks in the volume overlay
[quote]<strong>[*]fix the "About Thus Mac" box so it shows the serial number. It worked in the pre-GM 10.1 builds... why not in the final?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually, it does... click on the version number to show the build number; click again to show the serial number.
- Speed it up in all areas dramatically - OS X 10.1 is ok but that's not what Steve has been telling us it would be. (kinda reminds me of all the PPC promises)
- hide Unix even further. I've often been told that "you don't have to use Unix if you don't want to" but even if you don't want to you still end up in the terminal now and again to empty the damn trash or change priveliges etc.
- Damn those file extensions to hell
- get on the phone to adobe, macromedia et al and get them to deliver the software
- windowshade
- get rid of all cryptic file names anywhere on the drive
- Quicktime that works rather than feeling like Quicktime 2 on a PC
[quote]- get rid of all cryptic file names anywhere on the drive<hr></blockquote>
... and there goes any hope of UNIX compatibility. Sorry, that stuff stays. Apple's done a pretty good job of keeping it under the covers, but there's room for improvement.
[quote]- Bring back Hot Sauce!!<hr></blockquote>
Ahhh, another great, orphaned Apple technology. I remember when Apple was hyping that. I even made my (crappy) web page Hot Sauce ready and posted the little graphic advertizing that fact.
Another cool idea with no place to go. 3D interfaces in general have not taken. I wonder how well the technology would work with the Web as it is now.
Wow. Lots of excellent suggestions here. I hope Apple looks at threads like these to get some feedback from its most hardcore users.
I feel most strongly about the windowshade and I agree that the yellow '-' widget should minimize to the dock and a double click on the title bar should windowshade.
One thing that was mentioned in passing is dock recognition when using the '+' widget. ALL apps need to not put their windows beyond the dock, wherever the dock is located. It is a real pain in the neck to get your window back...
... which leads to my next suggestion: the ability to grab a window on any side was one of the best innovations of OS 8. Sometimes one of my windows opens off the top of the screen (download manager in IE 5.1, for one) and I cannot get it back. I need a place to grab the window on every side.
I do really like that OS X won't let you move windows through the menubar, however I think that should also be applied to 2nd and 3rd monitors so that you cannot move windows off the top of the monitor (no menubar though, so use the first row of pixels as the highest point).
Allow for folders to be put in the finder toolbar. Going to the favorites and then to a folder and then to a file is too much work.
Um, I can't remember exactly what my problem was with favorites, but it was something about not being able to have aliases or programs or something in the favorites. I've been stuck in 9 for a week and CRS must be setting in
Nitpick: I don't like the heart icon for favorites.
Add support for 802.3 TCP/IP headers. Some routers (especially wireless), etc. aren't compatible with the new ones.
I'm sure there are other things, but as I said I've been away from X for too long. D@mn Adobe for not bringing us Photoshop/ImageReady sooner! And Baldur's Gate II performance suxors in X (I'm on a G4 500 DP with loads of RAM/HD performance). Gotta love the free dev tools though. Java 2 rocks!
* fix the clock "menu" back so that it shows the date when you click it rather than bringing up that rediculous menu each time (yes, I know the date is in the menu). You might be surprised how often I click that thing for the date-- days and weeks often seem to mesh together for me.
* I'm inclined to go the other way. I want the calendar that's shown by the preference panel to show up in the clock drop-menu. Even better would be if we could look "forward" or "back" with scroll buttons.
* A font menu that displays a selected word (or a default word) in the font the curser is hovering over. The display would appear beside the menu. I used to use a Windows machine that did this (is it standard?) and I really liked it (blasphemy I know).
* Allow Flash and SVG movies as desktop backgrounds. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
* Find out what happened to that ultra cool tile matching game that used to run on NeXTSTEP and bring it back as a goody. Beats the cruft out of solitaire!
* include a universal dictionary that any app can use. It should allow user dictionaries. It should be defined in XML so other companies/groups can create specialist dictionaries. It should also link in to any one of several online dictionaries--which include definitions. Apple could even start their own server via iTools. If it was multilingual with an easy interface they would have a big win in academic/world markets.
* a good XML browser/interpreter included with every system install.
* a port of Eclipse (www.eclipse.org) and especially the SWT libraries for making interfaces with Java.
* a basic media organiser, similar to Portfolio but more basic.
- when Mail needs your attention (like it can't connect to a mailhost), it SHOULD NOT bring itself to the front!! I don't know how many times my work has been rudely interrupted by this nasty behavior.
[quote]* I'm inclined to go the other way. I want the calendar that's shown by the preference panel to show up in the clock drop-menu. Even better would be if we could look "forward" or "back" with scroll buttons.<hr></blockquote>Well, that would definitely be favorable to what we've got now.
[quote]* include a universal dictionary that any app can use.<hr></blockquote>It's already there! TextEdit uses it, OmniWeb uses it, any program can use it (assuming it's coded to). Okay, it's more of a word bank than a dictionary, but it is there. The problem, however, is that there doesn't appear to be support for separate difctionary files... in fact, I still can't figure out where the words are stored.
Comments
<strong>Oh, and the Font/DA Mover.</strong><hr></blockquote>
More speed. There are signs of just how fast OS X can fly: If Think Secret is correct, FCP 2 won't need the services of the $999 RTMac PCI card, because it can do real-time video editing in software. :eek:
Rage Pro support.
I like the idea of the Dock autohiding when a Classic app is in the foreground.
Finder still needs lots of polishing to get rid of inconsistent and unintuitive behavior. Networking needs to be optimized. Filesystem is fast, but it can be faster.
Hardware acceleration for Quartz (I don't expect that to appear until 10.5 or even 11, but I can dream).
Mirror every app's Window menu in the Dock, and allow the user to select a window and have that one come to the foreground.
Allow drag and drop to navigate the menus of Docked folders.
Implement something like spring-loaded folders, if only in column view (analogous to the drag-and-drop functionality above).
Make the navigation widget in the Open/Save dialogs a mini-Finder, with the same functionality as the full-blown Finder windows. Nothing is more confusing than two column view that look the same but behave differently.
Finish integrating SMB so that it really is transparent.
Ship OS X with a goddamn user's manual already. The dead tree variety.
Finish AirPort apps - I don't know first-hand, but I have heard, that the AirPort Setup Assistant is still iffy under 10.1, and the Software Base Station functionality is missing. Apple can just put a GUI front end on gNAT if they don't want to spend too much manpower on porting SBS.
<dream>Disable WEP security by default, and give Base Stations (hardware and software) the ability to encrypt wireless communications with SSL. Enable that by default.</dream>
<dream>With the frameworks in place, and a highly dynamic OS nicely refined, work on a component architecture. It can be retrofitted onto older apps via categories. Then, say, make a DVD component so that it can be embedded in a web page.</dream>
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
<strong>
Font/DA mover lives in the same class as CrystalQuest, SoundMaster, and the Oscar extension...
I demand OSCAR for OS X!
1)Double-clicking the title bar should windowshade, clicking the yellow widget should minimize. These are two different actions, both of which are useful for different reasons.
2)Spring-loaded folders
3)Fix the column view as kaboom suggested
4)Labels
5)Bring shading back to the list view
6)Italicize alias names
7)Carbon apps should recognize the Dock. This is so fscking annoying... when the dock fills the screen, clicking the green widget in IE... oh the horror
8)When switching apps by clicking a window in the background, all windows from that app should move to the foreground, not just the window you clicked on.
9)Energy Saver - Mac OS X needs to be able to auto-start and auto-shutdown.
10)Graphical implementation of Windows Networking (i.e. through the Finder)
"I love it because it's trash..."
"Oh I looooove trash!"
:snif: It brings a tear to me eye.
But back to the subject at hand, I've thought of some further possible additions.[*]fix iTunes to use standard widgets[*]a customizable Apple menu-- not like the Classic Apple menu, though. Customizable for System Prefernces. For example, why the heck are Dock and Location options in the Apple menu? I never use them and I suspect that not many people do. Of course, there could be some overlap here between Apple items and *.menu things like the sound and monitors. I'll make a mockup of what I'm trying to describe.[*]remove the debug code :cool:[*]fix the clock "menu" back so that it shows the date when you click it rather than bringing up that rediculous menu each time (yes, I know the date is in the menu). You might be surprised how often I click that thing for the date-- days and weeks often seem to mesh together for me.[*]Ditto on the OSX forest-clearing paper manual.[*]make standard cmd-shift-H for Hide Others (like OmniWeb)[*]do my laundry[*]include some prettier alert sounds... these are rather old. How about a nice aqua "drip", "swish", "ripple" , or "splash" sound? No, the old System 7 "drip" doesn't count!
okay, that's enough for now I think.
And Oscar!
and to continue from my lists above...[*]Give TextEdit the speech options that were in SimpleText (yes, I know you can control-click a selection to speak it, but I doubt most people do)[*]fix that ugly text in iMovie so the exported video looks as good as the preview.[*]allow screenshots of DVDs[*]fix the "About Thus Mac" box so it shows the serial number. It worked in the pre-GM 10.1 builds... why not in the final?[*]allow control-click in the Finder toolbar[*]add an "up" button to the Finder toolbar to go up a level in the hierarchy[*]fix the timing on Finder file renaming when you click on the name... in X you have to select the icon and then click the name again. In OS9 you can simply click the name.[*]include a basic defragger/optimizer[*]context-menu for Change Desktop Background like in OS9[*]fix the resize widget in Finder windows to actually fit the content in icon mode when the window is set to "Keep arranged by"[*]don't recognize clicks in the volume overlay
Actually, it does... click on the version number to show the build number; click again to show the serial number.
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: ColorClassicG4 ]</p>
- hide Unix even further. I've often been told that "you don't have to use Unix if you don't want to" but even if you don't want to you still end up in the terminal now and again to empty the damn trash or change priveliges etc.
- Damn those file extensions to hell
- get on the phone to adobe, macromedia et al and get them to deliver the software
- windowshade
- get rid of all cryptic file names anywhere on the drive
- Quicktime that works rather than feeling like Quicktime 2 on a PC
- Bring back Hot Sauce!!
. . . Oh cr*p, I've just woken up
<strong>
- Bring back Hot Sauce!!
</strong><hr></blockquote>
OMG! I thought I was the only one that remembered Hot Sauce! What ever happened to that?
... and there goes any hope of UNIX compatibility. Sorry, that stuff stays. Apple's done a pretty good job of keeping it under the covers, but there's room for improvement.
[quote]- Bring back Hot Sauce!!<hr></blockquote>
Ahhh, another great, orphaned Apple technology. I remember when Apple was hyping that. I even made my (crappy) web page Hot Sauce ready and posted the little graphic advertizing that fact.
Another cool idea with no place to go.
2. Separate iSub volume control in the Sound preference panel, like the Sound Control panel in OS 9.x
<strong>Actually, it does... click on the version number to show the build number; click again to show the serial number.</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, it doesn't.
"Version 10.1.1"
"Build 5M28"
"Serial Number "
It's just blank, and I know I'm not the only one because I've read others with this issue.
I feel most strongly about the windowshade and I agree that the yellow '-' widget should minimize to the dock and a double click on the title bar should windowshade.
One thing that was mentioned in passing is dock recognition when using the '+' widget. ALL apps need to not put their windows beyond the dock, wherever the dock is located. It is a real pain in the neck to get your window back...
... which leads to my next suggestion: the ability to grab a window on any side was one of the best innovations of OS 8. Sometimes one of my windows opens off the top of the screen (download manager in IE 5.1, for one) and I cannot get it back. I need a place to grab the window on every side.
I do really like that OS X won't let you move windows through the menubar, however I think that should also be applied to 2nd and 3rd monitors so that you cannot move windows off the top of the monitor (no menubar though, so use the first row of pixels as the highest point).
Allow for folders to be put in the finder toolbar. Going to the favorites and then to a folder and then to a file is too much work.
Um, I can't remember exactly what my problem was with favorites, but it was something about not being able to have aliases or programs or something in the favorites. I've been stuck in 9 for a week and CRS must be setting in
Nitpick: I don't like the heart icon for favorites.
Add support for 802.3 TCP/IP headers. Some routers (especially wireless), etc. aren't compatible with the new ones.
I'm sure there are other things, but as I said I've been away from X for too long. D@mn Adobe for not bringing us Photoshop/ImageReady sooner! And Baldur's Gate II performance suxors in X (I'm on a G4 500 DP with loads of RAM/HD performance). Gotta love the free dev tools though. Java 2 rocks!
-Ender
* I'm inclined to go the other way. I want the calendar that's shown by the preference panel to show up in the clock drop-menu. Even better would be if we could look "forward" or "back" with scroll buttons.
* A font menu that displays a selected word (or a default word) in the font the curser is hovering over. The display would appear beside the menu. I used to use a Windows machine that did this (is it standard?) and I really liked it (blasphemy I know).
* Allow Flash and SVG movies as desktop backgrounds. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
* Find out what happened to that ultra cool tile matching game that used to run on NeXTSTEP and bring it back as a goody. Beats the cruft out of solitaire!
* include a universal dictionary that any app can use. It should allow user dictionaries. It should be defined in XML so other companies/groups can create specialist dictionaries. It should also link in to any one of several online dictionaries--which include definitions. Apple could even start their own server via iTools. If it was multilingual with an easy interface they would have a big win in academic/world markets.
* a good XML browser/interpreter included with every system install.
* a port of Eclipse (www.eclipse.org) and especially the SWT libraries for making interfaces with Java.
* a basic media organiser, similar to Portfolio but more basic.
- be able to copy text clipping contents
- when Mail needs your attention (like it can't connect to a mailhost), it SHOULD NOT bring itself to the front!! I don't know how many times my work has been rudely interrupted by this nasty behavior.
- faster WebDAV for iSnail, I mean iDisk.
- text should be selectable in Help Viewer pages.
[quote]* include a universal dictionary that any app can use.<hr></blockquote>It's already there! TextEdit uses it, OmniWeb uses it, any program can use it (assuming it's coded to). Okay, it's more of a word bank than a dictionary, but it is there. The problem, however, is that there doesn't appear to be support for separate difctionary files... in fact, I still can't figure out where the words are stored.
2-Mail.app dock icon show new message for any mailbox
3-modem sound for DUSB iBook
- Grey list backgrounds separated with white lines (it's easier on the eyes)
- On the dock, application name should be above the window's title when mousing over minimized windows
- Maxmize button should never, ever put the bottom edge of a window behind the dock
- Aqua buttons should be a little flatter looking, not complete gelcaps
- Put the ... of long file names at the end of the filename, not the middle