Anyone else disappointed in the direction of OS X?
I've been using a Mac for years - my first was a Performa 630. I can't pretend to be a power user but I did get the developer versions of OS X and was very excited about the move to it. I was a big fan of the upgrade to Snow Leopard too - for me it was the fastest and most reliable version. While I like some of the features and UI changes of Lion I haven't been wholly convinced and was underwhelmed by the Mountain Lion press release.
The addition of a few iOS apps into the system, like Notes and Reminders, feels to me like an incremental update - almost what we would have used to expect in an x.x.x update, not a whole new version. Similarly, whilst I like the multi touch gestures and scrolling between full screen apps there are certain aspects of implementation that baffle me. For example, in Mail full screen, if I write a new message and wish to go back to a previous email - to check something, copy and past etc. - I either have to cancel the new email and save it as a draft or exit full screen mode so I can cycle through the windows. This seems ridiculous - why can't one cycle through windows in that full screen mode? It makes no sense to me to bring in that kind of iOS functionality in a more high-end, multiple windows desktop/laptop system.
I also worry that iOS looks a little tired. I've seen a couple of Windows phones and like the tiles, I like that lots of your most important information is on the home screen. I think the home screen in iOS looks tired. I also don't think the look of it is as adult or classy as much of OS X. I worry about OS X failing to innovate in its own right but merely bolting on the functionality of a system that is, after all, meant to be simple, small in size and highly consumer oriented.
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I also don't use Launchpad at all. I'd like to use it but it's just not integrated into the experience and I rely on the dock as I've always done.
Changing the Finder to "All My Files" by default was a move I don't understand. I can't see the purpose of that file view at all. I highly doubt that the Apple engineering team are opening their coding projects that way so why make it the default view?
I wouldn't say that I'm disappointed with OS X but I'd rather that they stopped adding features that are clearly detrimental to the user experience. Using Lion, I actually feel like I was more content with Snow Leopard and I shouldn't feel that way.
Things like Quicktime too. Why can't I do an edit in Quicktime X and export to ProRes? Why can't I do a 'save as self contained'? Why remove these great features from the latest versions of their software? Even on Mountain Lion, I'm going to have to install Quicktime Pro 7 but one day, it's not going to work.
The Quicktime frameworks should have all the export options that QT7 had. This way you wouldn't have to use Compressor for every FCPX export.
They've messed up Textedit too. If you open a .html file, make a change and save it, it renames the file to .txt without asking. Why is it making changes without my permission? Auto-save has very little benefit but TextEdit is also happy to auto-lock files that haven't been used in a while and prevent me saving files at random because of permission errors that are resolved by reopening TextEdit - that's Microsoft-level software.
There seems to be a motivation at Apple to keep adding features now without actually caring if they are practical. I don't like that trend. I do like some of the moves towards iOS because I love using iOS but I don't use iOS in a productive way. If I need to be productive, I have no choice but to go back to Mac OS. I'd rather see iOS allow me to be more productive than see Mac OS make me less productive.
Yes the "All my Files' makes no sense to me either nor is hiding Library. I'd agree that I was happier with Snow Leopard. I also worry that the kiddy feel of iOS apps will migrate to OS X, losing further the coherence across the UI.
Well as I also said in my first post I fear functionality - really basic functionality, like being able to refer to emails whilst writing a new one - is being jettisoned for faux coherence with iOS when the two are meant to do different things anyway. I can understand that screen estate on an iPhone is such that to have multiple windows or scroll back to another window to refer to past emails is problematic but I don't expect to be fenced in like that on Macbook or 27" iMac. I just feel that too many UI decisions are based around an iOS look and feel, not what provides the best user experience on a computer system, utilising iOS only where appropriate.
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Originally Posted by mpw_amherst
…really basic functionality, like being able to refer to emails whilst writing a new one - is being jettisoned for faux coherence with iOS…
In what version? Does that show up in 10.8 DP 3.1? I still haven't updated to that yet…
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…but I don't expect to be fenced in like that on Macbook or 27" iMac.
And you're not.
I agree that All My Files makes no sense. And well from my experience it's confusing to a lot of people.
I think Lion is getting better with the point updates. But Mountain Lion is what Lion should have been in the first place.
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In what version? Does that show up in 10.8 DP 3.1? I still haven't updated to that yet…
In Lion. If you have Mail full screen and are writing a new email you cannot refer back to previous emails without either cancelling the new mail and saving it as a draft or exiting full screen mode so you can cycle between the windows. I'd have thought the latter should be possible without exiting full screen mode, not to mention the inability to keep threads expanded and not having to select the option every time you open Mail.
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Originally Posted by mpw_amherst
In Lion. If you have Mail full screen and are writing a new email you cannot refer back to previous emails without either cancelling the new mail and saving it as a draft or exiting full screen mode so you can cycle between the windows. I'd have thought the latter should be possible without exiting full screen mode, not to mention the inability to keep threads expanded and not having to select the option every time you open Mail.
Yeah, you're writing an e-mail, fullscreen, on a 2560x1440 screen. This isn't 1994. Screens aren't 800x600 anymore. I understand a desire to change that, and I actually know an incredible way to make it much better (it just requires multitouch), but that's not the way Mail was designed to be used. Next you'll be saying you still fullscreen your browser.
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Originally Posted by dkwiseguy
I actually like the way we are headed. And i think apple is being real clever about the way the make the splice. I read your post, and other that your worry about 'the kiddy feel of ios app' I don't understand what you mean... Care to elaborate?
Not speaking for the person who posted this but if I wanted simple little apps I would use iOS. OSX is a desktop OS, not a mobile. My biggest fear is that Apple will eventually close of the Unix part of the OS, no terminal, no X11. Also discontinuing side loading of apps, forcing everyone to install their apps via iTunes, the next version of OSX is already showing signs of this future.
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Originally Posted by Relic
Not speaking for the person who posted this but if I wanted simple little apps I would use iOS. OSX is a desktop OS, not a mobile. My biggest fear is that Apple will eventually close of the Unix part of the OS, no terminal, no X11. Also discontinuing side loading of apps, forcing everyone to install their apps via iTunes, the next version of OSX is already showing signs of this future.
Not really. In fact ML shows that installing apps from sources other than the Appstore will be supported for a long time. If they were planning on making the only source of apps the Appstore, they wouldn't have bothered developing Gatekeeper.
Marvin your posts are spot on. They are actually exactly the same as my main issues...
Safari losing webpages is infuriating. I might have to switch back to Firefox. I have always liked Safari's UI but this bug is a killer! It happens to me, too in Snow 10.6.8 with Safari 5.1.5.
QT X is a disaster. They gutted the Export options. I wonder when they will add that back. I hope they do for Mountain Lion. But it would be nice if they released a QT XI with those back for Snow Leopard too. I am sure they won't, though.
My wife has Lion. I have used it plenty so I'm not talking out of my butt. For me, Snow Leopard is far more powerful in that is has key features that were removed (expose) and also the UI is better, for me anyhow.
One nice thing I read is that Expose is finally back in Mountain Lion! As it was in Snow. I hope Mountain Lion continues to evolve in a positive way before it's released. More color in the OS at least for icons would be nice. Perhaps an OPTION (like choosing "Aqua" or "Grey" in Appearnce" would be nice that had a more far-reaching impact, e.g. on icons in sidebars.
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Originally Posted by Aquatic
One nice thing I read is that Expose is finally back in Mountain Lion! As it was in Snow.
In what fashion was it taken away in Lion?
The part where it worked. All the windows are hidden in Lion. Like Windows 7. You can't SEE them.
A bit of an improvement could possibly be grouping apps together and then when you click them they explode into a group of windows for that application. However, I'd still like a global Exposé option. I'm glad it's back.
I think the reason a lot of people have reservations with Lion is until recently Apple was ADDING features, not taking them away. It has started to dumb down the OS. I am all for options. Simple Finder, sure fine, make it an option. But now it looks like it's iOS X by default in Lion. And the GUI is increasingly monotonic and, well, flat. I really like the transparent "black" overlays like the UI of QT, actually. I am not saying all new things in OS X updates, even in ML or Lion are bad. But the overall feeling for me and apparently many others is that starting in Lion, we get one or two nice things, and a bunch more steps backward, or loss of features outright. From their "streamlining" mobilme, to losing Expose and Spaces, to stunting support for ipv6, to neutering QT X Pro, to removing features arbitrarily like Rosetta (why not just leave it there, and with a disclaimer saying it will not be updated anymore nor supported, and leave as an unsupported features, would that really have killed Apple, at least for another year or two?)...And a lot of additions, too are annoying. Mail and iCal and Address Book continue to get goofier and uglier.
I love Snow Leopard, though. I'm happy with my MBP I've beefed up with RAM and an SSD and I'll wait and see how Mountain Lion comes out. I hope they take some feedback from the user reception of Lion. It looks hopeful in that they already have, with adding Exposé back in the latest ML preview.
What are your thoughts? Tallest Skil are there any things in Snow Leopard you like better than in Lion/ML?
Funny you brought up Gatekeeper up because that is one of my biggest concerns. Thats why I said what I did, I'm afraid it's a dry run to see how many people actually go outside of iTunes to install programs. If the number turns out to be low, then comes the biggo ax flying down. I'm not saying it's going to happen, it's just my biggest fear. Plus I really don't want Gatekeeper to even be present on my system and I will find a way to uninstall or deactivate it. I don't need my system telling me that installing something could be dangerous to my computer. Why after 12 years of OSX is it now a problem, its not, it's this pussification or nuetering the complete control from the user that seems to be the trend now with modern consumer OS's. Will I ever type, "sudo rm -rf /" in my terminal one evening because I'm tired of looking at it, probably not but I still want that power when I need it. OSX and Solaris are my two favorite OS's because they are so powerful and open. I know Apple has had some great luck with iOS because it's simple and elegant but please Apple leave your mobile OS seperate from your desktop.
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Originally Posted by Relic
Plus I really don't want Gatekeeper to even be present on my system and I will find a way to uninstall or deactivate it.
Yeah, it's called click the radio button.
Yay, oh thank god. That was really freaking me out. I wasnt looking forward to a popup everytime I wanted to install a program. Where did you find that article from?
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Originally Posted by Relic
Yay, oh thank god. That was really freaking me out. I wasnt looking forward to a popup everytime I wanted to install a program. Where did you find that article from?
Article? It's just in System Preferences/Security & Privacy.
Or at least it will be when Mountain Lion comes out.
Would you know much money Apple charges for a app certificate? Quite the racket their building,
Will it still popup and say something like, "You are installing a application that doesn't have a certificate that has been blessed by the Apple Pope, are you sure you don't want to continue? You could possibly hurt your computer or this program might even kidnap a family member." "I see you've clicked Yes, may god have mercy on your soul you atheist, where's your daughter?".
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Originally Posted by Relic
Will it still popup and say something like, "You are installing a application that doesn't have a certificate that has been blessed by the Apple Pope, are you sure you don't want to continue? You could possibly hurt your computer or this program might even kidnap a family member." "I see you've clicked Yes, may god have mercy on your soul you atheist, where's your daughter?".
Took a while… all of my applications are grandfathered… If you're downloading it, you get the standard download popup the first time, but you never get a warning afterward.