10.3 Prophecies
Here we go again. 
However -- don't let those eyes glaze over just yet! -- this is slightly different than your run-of-the-mill 10.3 speculation thread. This one is for predicting 10.3, and guessing the final feature set as close as possible.
In other words, try to place yourself in the minds of Apple's software and marketing's head honchos. This is not the OS X of your dreams, but the OS you think will appear next.
Categories for prophecy:
* 10.3 name & box design
* date of release
* consumer-oriented feature set
* geek & power user-oriented feature set
* business-oriented feature set
* etcetera
* price
You can revise your posts up to the first developer seed leak. Who's ever closest next, say July, wins a giant stuffed big cat of your choice.
Here's my guesses:
name and design:
Panther (as widely rumored), with a black, rendered, sleek and glossy X on a white background.
date: July 2004.
consumer features:
Advanced Voice Synthesis
Greatly enhanced text-to-speech software (on par w/ AT&T Natural Voices), and further integrated into the system. More (very basic) voice recognition built in across the OS. Improved voiceprints return.
Junkyard
Program to protect and help retrieve deleted information. Basically Norton UnDelete, but with a very friendly, Apple interface.
? - Also ability to roll back and forth to various system upgrades? Not sure.
Screen Effects
For machines with QE, a GUI for the feature to put screen effects live on the desktop.
geeks & power users:
A Better File System
(You'll have to pardon my near-total ignorance in filesystems, so I'm just babbling.) An improved version of HFS+, with a MIME-embedded metadata system, courtesy of Dominic Giampaolo. Radical improvements in searching in the Finder (allowing live searches, a la iTunes, perhaps?), and true metadata that travels across platforms and E-mail.
Dock v.2.0
- A revamped minimize-in-place
- More customizable options (opaqueness slider, seperators, etc.)
- SLF in Dock (finally) added.
- Preferences for auto-hide in specific applications.
- Sharper, crisper minimized windows.
- Some snazzy new effect somewhere.
Fast User Switching
Catching up with XP, Panther will add the feature to save a user?s programs in RAM, allowing for fast user switching, w/o having to quit all apps before logging out.
Finder Improvements
Many continued improvements:
- Ability to erase CD-RWs from the Finder.
- Much improved labels (see FS above).
- Ability to double-click on a font and see a preview.
- Copy operations when minimized in Dock will show animated progress bars.
business:
- SMB browsing and Windows comptability, further improved and enhanced.
- the OS becomes smarter about leaving behind files on non-Mac systems.
etc.:
- a smarter, improved Installer (one can only hope)
- Preview 3.0 can select text, display transparencies
- PDF display model up to latest standard
- final parity of Carbon and Cocoa APIs (e.g. Carbon toolbars equal of Cocoa ones)
- faster, less buggy Open/Save dialogs across both APIs
price:
$129, of course. Perhaps this time a $99 upgrade fee will be introduced. Maybe.
[ 09-24-2002: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
However -- don't let those eyes glaze over just yet! -- this is slightly different than your run-of-the-mill 10.3 speculation thread. This one is for predicting 10.3, and guessing the final feature set as close as possible.
In other words, try to place yourself in the minds of Apple's software and marketing's head honchos. This is not the OS X of your dreams, but the OS you think will appear next.
Categories for prophecy:
* 10.3 name & box design
* date of release
* consumer-oriented feature set
* geek & power user-oriented feature set
* business-oriented feature set
* etcetera
* price
You can revise your posts up to the first developer seed leak. Who's ever closest next, say July, wins a giant stuffed big cat of your choice.
Here's my guesses:
name and design:
Panther (as widely rumored), with a black, rendered, sleek and glossy X on a white background.
date: July 2004.
consumer features:
Advanced Voice Synthesis
Greatly enhanced text-to-speech software (on par w/ AT&T Natural Voices), and further integrated into the system. More (very basic) voice recognition built in across the OS. Improved voiceprints return.
Junkyard
Program to protect and help retrieve deleted information. Basically Norton UnDelete, but with a very friendly, Apple interface.
? - Also ability to roll back and forth to various system upgrades? Not sure.
Screen Effects
For machines with QE, a GUI for the feature to put screen effects live on the desktop.
geeks & power users:
A Better File System
(You'll have to pardon my near-total ignorance in filesystems, so I'm just babbling.) An improved version of HFS+, with a MIME-embedded metadata system, courtesy of Dominic Giampaolo. Radical improvements in searching in the Finder (allowing live searches, a la iTunes, perhaps?), and true metadata that travels across platforms and E-mail.
Dock v.2.0
- A revamped minimize-in-place
- More customizable options (opaqueness slider, seperators, etc.)
- SLF in Dock (finally) added.
- Preferences for auto-hide in specific applications.
- Sharper, crisper minimized windows.
- Some snazzy new effect somewhere.
Fast User Switching
Catching up with XP, Panther will add the feature to save a user?s programs in RAM, allowing for fast user switching, w/o having to quit all apps before logging out.
Finder Improvements
Many continued improvements:
- Ability to erase CD-RWs from the Finder.
- Much improved labels (see FS above).
- Ability to double-click on a font and see a preview.
- Copy operations when minimized in Dock will show animated progress bars.
business:
- SMB browsing and Windows comptability, further improved and enhanced.
- the OS becomes smarter about leaving behind files on non-Mac systems.
etc.:
- a smarter, improved Installer (one can only hope)
- Preview 3.0 can select text, display transparencies
- PDF display model up to latest standard
- final parity of Carbon and Cocoa APIs (e.g. Carbon toolbars equal of Cocoa ones)
- faster, less buggy Open/Save dialogs across both APIs
price:
$129, of course. Perhaps this time a $99 upgrade fee will be introduced. Maybe.
[ 09-24-2002: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
Comments
Release: August 2003
Box: A graphite X layered onto the bridge of a big cat's nose (the whole box will barely capture the cat's face)...perhaps a Panther.
Consumer Features:
? iPhoto 2 (released MWSF 03)
? iMovie 3 (released MWSF 03)
? iDVD 3 (new with 10.3)
? iCal 2 (new with 10.3)
? iChat 2 (new with 10.3)
? A-Book 2 (new with 10.3)
? Mere updates for: Sherlock, iTunes, iSync
? System Preferences option in Apple Menu will become a menu where you can select any of the panes directly from a list rather than opening the app and then selecting. Otherwise will remain the same.
Finder Improvements:
? Spring-loaded folders will be refined to encompass more options for different user habits.
? Labels for folders, accesible via contextual menu, customized via Preference Pane. This will extend to Desktop items as well.
? Flexible Space icon for Toolbar
? Search field will automtically expand or contract based on how many items are in the Toolbar, so you can read more of your search terms.
? You won't have to hit the Back button to go back to a standard Finder view, once you've performed a search - you can simply click one of the three view buttons and it will take you back. No idea why it doesn't do this currently.
? Statusbar in Finder will display selected object's name and size, in addition to how much space is left on the disk. Again, not sure why they left this out of 10.2
So it would be: "Adobe Photoshop 7 (folder), 149MB; 16GB available"
or
"Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1, 53MB; 16GB available"
? Column View will get preset icon sizes up to about 32x32 (so your choices will be something like: 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 32).
? Probably some under-the-hood improvments
Technical Improvements:
? Updates for Project Builder, Interface Builder and GCC, as well as language support updates where relevant (Python, Ruby, mySQL, Perl, etc.)
? The Classic-only parts of the Carbon API will be axed - announced at WWDC 2003, along with 10.3 preview. I think this last WWDC was hugely successful in starting a buzz about 10.2, so they'll continue with this trend. As such Apple will cease supporting Classic-related issues with 10.3. This will be the logical extension of non-Class-booting Macs starting in January and the final Death Knell for Classic / OS 9.
? Carbon and Cocoa will achieve functional parity in fundamental areas such as toolbar support, Quartz extreme, etc.
? Updates to the Mach kernel, BSD subsystem, etc.
? A 64bit installation option will be made available for those who need / want it, based on their hardware. I believe the GPUL machines will be announced by this time, but probably not yet available. Either way, Apple will need to make the option available since 10.3 will be on store shelves for many months after its introduction.
Other Stuff
? I'm sure there will be some kind of new app announced, though I don't have the faintest idea right now what it would be. Seems just about every aspect of the digital lifestyle thing is covered or can be covered in the future adding on to existing apps.
? In short, I think 10.3 will be much more of an under-the-hood type release, where Apple makes a point of squashing as many bugs as possible, and optimizing performance in every area so that people with older G4's and G3's can finally relax about "speed issues" - though I feel they're most gone anyway (at least where my G4/500 is concerned).
Oh Yah, almost forgot - price: $109.
[jobs]So you get all this - over 75 new features and improvements, i___ ... a whole new Mac for just one - hundred - and - nine - dollars. $20 LESS than Jaguar. Simply amazing.[/jobs]
[ 09-24-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>
We might see a rewritten Cocoa Finder, as well as a rewritten Cocoa iTunes. Quicktime won't be updated for a while, but it's a crappy program and needs to be better both on Mac and Windows where the bugginess really hurts adoption rates.
I think the Print Center will fade away and instead be replaced by a Chooser-like Preference pane that controls all Printing and Scanning peripherals.
[ 09-24-2002: Message edited by: hotboxd ]</p>
-64-bit compatible
-New Cocoa Finder
-Cocoa iMovie 3
-iChat 1.2
-New file system
-iTunes 4 - supporting AAC
-Improved Dock
-Interface Tweaks
-Revamped QE that accelerates the WHOLE GUI.
-Sherlock 3.2 - Faster, Google support
-Metadata Labels
-iCal 1.2
-iSync 1.2
-Netinfo now understands /ect
Release data: March 2003
1. 10.3 will appear in about 12 months.
2. Apple will charge another $130.
A lot of us gasped (and laughed) when Microsoft announced its new "subscription" pricing, but at least it was upfront and honest.
Apple's being stealthy. $130 a year for an OS X upgrade, plus $99 for .mac, to get the "full" OS X experience.
$229 a year isn't chicken feed.
<strong>$229 a year isn't chicken feed.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You ain't seen the size of my chickens!
Anyways, my guesses:
NameMac OS X v10.3 Panther
I'm not going to argue with the accepted wisdom, or Apple being strictly logical with naming schemes.
Date of releaseAugust 2003
Although I reckon we'll get to 10.2.5 by next February
consumer-oriented feature set
iCal 3.0 (we'll hit 2 way earlier)
iMovie 3 with low-end compositing (yeah, I'm dreaming)
iPhoto 3
iTunes 4 with AAC and the ability to export visualisations as Quicktime movies and run them as wallpaper
iChat 2.5 with the ability to tie into ICQ, IRC and every IM format going, and webcams!
A replacement for SimpleSound, tied into iTunes
geek & power user-oriented feature set
A totally rebuilt file system with metadata
Disk Utility finallyacquiring a decent defrag and disk inspection toolset
Quartz acceleration for 2D
More customisable Dock
Finder FTP allowing read/write access
etcetera
Minimize in place, albeit implemented as per Windowshade.
Pop-up folders working as per OS 9 (folder-drilling, etc)
Appearances implemented at the OS level
price Oooh, tough... $99 (subject to revision
Name: Panther
Box: uber-minimal white on white (see Malevich)
* date of release
September 24, 2003
* consumer-oriented feature set
iPhoto 2 (more likely by MWSF)
iMovie 3 (ditto) featuring some eye-candy effects/compositing, new (mostly) single window UI.
iCal 2
iChat 2
Revamped Dock with customization feature like toolbar UI. Option for separate mini window Dock.
Improved Finder with "real" toolbars and other standard UI elements. Oh, and a new icon.
Tiered .Mac subcription prices.
* geek & power user-oriented feature set
Renderman frameworks.
* business-oriented feature set
Enterprise push with OS X Server, WebObjects bundle.
* price
$129
<strong>I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but here we go...
1. 10.3 will appear in about 12 months.
2. Apple will charge another $130.
A lot of us gasped (and laughed) when Microsoft announced its new "subscription" pricing, but at least it was upfront and honest.
Apple's being stealthy. $130 a year for an OS X upgrade, plus $99 for .mac, to get the "full" OS X experience.
$229 a year isn't chicken feed.</strong><hr></blockquote>
OS X is not a subscription, you pay 129 for it (or it comes with your new mac) and it works for the life of the mac. You don't have to update every year, that's your choice. If you think that 10.2 will work fine for you, then you don't have to upgrade to 10.3.
This is totally different from a subscription service, where you are forced to pay a yearly fee to CONTINUE using the product.
As for the .mac service, nobody is forced to buy it. I will NEVER pay for .mac because of the principle.
Why don't you quit whining for a moment and go look into the cost of Windows XP? Figure out how much it would cost to keep a Windows box up to date with yearly Windows updates. That is, if Microsoft even updates Windows as often as Apple updates OS X.
10.3 Codename Panther. Box is White with Panther "fur X"
Release is MWNY(July 2003)
Consumer Oriented Feature Set
iTunes 4- AAC support, CoreAudio support(Host)
iCal 2- Speed and general enhancements
iMovie 3.5- Lite Compositing via QE. CoreAudio.
iPhoto 2- Speed and general enhancements
iSync 1.5- Speed and general enhancements
iDVD 3- Chapters, Widescreen, CoreAudio
New App- Midi Sequencing/Audio recording plug in USB keyboard and you have a mini studio.
Geek Oriented features
New FS- Metadata to shut Siracusa up. Possible JFS. Database Driven.
Clustering Kernel
BSD 5.0 Base
Quartz Extreme- More functionality.
OpenGL 1.4
mLAN Support for Audio Headz
GUI Enhancements
Dock v2- Customizable. Ability to add tabs. Or a shelf that can holds popup menus.
New Finder. Speed and finally Multiple Workspaces. User switching with keen administration.
Price 130.00
[ 09-25-2002: Message edited by: hmurchison ]</p>
+Support for 64-Bit GPUL
+Small Speed Increase from new optimizations
+Voice Recognition Built-in at a System Level
+More channels for Sherlock
+New iBrowse Web Browser
+New Journalled File System with Metadata Support
+Support for Easy to Use Clustering (using Rendevous to find Macs in the vicinity that can help do heavy computations)
+iChat to support video and audio chat
+New Interface for CUPS printing (don't have to use web browser)
+New Defrag Utility
+Minimize in Place Option
+Multiple Desktops as a Power User Option
Release Date: Late July 2003
Update Price: $89
MacOS X: 10.3 Panther
The X will be in Apple's new font. It might be black, but won't be panther fur.
* date of release
Announced at Macworld NY, ships within three weeks there after.
* consumer-oriented feature set
Updates to the various iApps, including a full redesign of iChat (full support for things like groups, and profiles). First move away from the Brushed Metal look--onto something else and new.
XP style multiuser login.
Finder update, first steps towards the cool 3d finder we've all been hearing about (to be finished with MacOS XI). This includes the full realization of the Aqua interface: when you pull something off the dock it sinks and sends ripples throughout the screen (all configurable to the user's preferences kinda like the scaling effects are now).
I agree, 2D hardware pumping.
* geek & power user-oriented feature set
Journaling Filesystem, but not a full rewrite, yet.
Fast, this os will be a speed demon.
* business-oriented feature set
Added GUI configerations for SAMBA stuff--now you can change workgroups, etc via the sharing tab.
64bit support
* price
$129 for a full price upgrade, but there will be somesort of tie-in to .Mac where you get your one year renewal and 10.3 for just $100 or something like that.
So much wishful thinking!
Such high expectations!
So many people that will be let down and disappointed when they get the actual product!
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
What would it be called to convey these functions? "Chooser" is quite confusing and nebulous, and would be a step backwards. Is the Mac OS 9> Chooser Applescriptable? (/me plans more intutitive Applescript app.s)
Proper themes support?
Even Snappier™?
[ 09-25-2002: Message edited by: Stoo ]</p>
<strong>More smilies available in iChat, say in 10 months?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Come on! These predictions should at least be realistic, and part of the "great vision" of the Mac OS.
[ 09-25-2002: Message edited by: LudwigVan ]</p>
Box Design - Like the current Mac OS X server box, only a blue X.
Date of Release - Spring of 2003.
Consumer Oriented Featureset - All the annoying bugs in 10.2 fixed.
Geek & Poweruser-Oriented Featureset - I can use the '..' command again! Yay!
Business Oriented Featureset - More powerful iCal, iSync, iChat, Rendezvous.
Price - Free.
So much wishful thinking!
Such high expectations!
So many people that will be let down and disappointed when they get the actual product!<hr></blockquote>
Wow, actually - that's a good observation.
MacOS is back to being something people are excited about - and anticipate . .
Almost more so than hardware?
----
It'll be interesting to see how Apple positions the new filesystem - I'm betting somewhere near whenever MS releases the next major upgrade of windows which supposedly will be a lot more like web server software than OS software . . .
I think it's funny that so many people predicted the computer OS would go to 3d/holographic space next . . . when it's really something a lot less exciting: Content and context.
Sci-FI Writers everywhere will be sad.
name and design:
Panther with the X in pink
date: September 2003.
consumer features:
iBrowse
The long awaited Apple branded browser. After some criticism on Macs being slower than PC's when it comes to browsing Apple decides to act
Backup-Restore by date
Incremental backup allowing you to restore the state of your Mac back to a certain Date and even Time
iCal update from your PC at work
You're told you have a meeting next Tuesday at 10am and you update your iCal schedule from the browser of you workstation what ever platform it is. Then you log on that page when you get home and iCal is updated automatically. (As I've just downloaded iCal you must bear with me if this feature is already there.)
geeks & power users:
Faster Java
See my comments on iBrowse
The Dock
Much more customisation possibilities. This applies to the whole OS in general.
price:
$129
[ 09-25-2002: Message edited by: kelib ]</p>