Mysterious "Home Sync" technology spotted in Tiger

AppleInsider · January 24, 2005 11:59AM

Following a lull in its Mac OS X "Tiger" software seeding process that lead up to Macworld Expo, Apple Computer last week began redistributing newer builds of the next-generation operating system.

The latest builds, while seemingly fresher than those dispersed by the company late last year, do not include all the doodads featured as part of Steve Jobs' Macworld keynote presentation. The most prominent of omissions appears to be the new version of Dashboard, which in Jobs' presentation contained a sleekly remodeled interface and dock.

But eye-candy aside, the new builds?which reportedly fall in the 8A35x range?do offer some insight into the Tiger development process. Based on reports, it appears that Apple is continuing to build and add features to Tiger, although some are not yet functional.

One such feature is reportedly called "Home Sync." While little is known about the feature, a short description present from within the operating system says that Home Sync requires a 'portable home' folder. To create a 'mobile account and portable home,' Tiger then directs users to the system account preferences where an option to create and configure a mobile account should be present, but is not.

Sources speculate that Home Sync may represent the reincarnation of the long-lost 'Home on iPod' feature, but could also represent a more simplified approach to synchronizing the home directory of a desktop and laptop pair. A Home Sync menu, which appears in the Tiger menubar, contains options to set preferences or 'Sync Home Now,' but both lead to dead end within the system.

Meanwhile, it appears that with the release of Tiger, users will have to purchase a professional QuickTime 7 license to perform some previously free features such as opening a new player window. On the other hand, reports indicate that Apple is adding a basic, but built-in Dictionary/Thesaurus application, appropriately named 'Dictionary,' to Mac OS X.

Finally, at the core of Tiger is Spotlight, Apple's meta data-based search technology, which continues to see refinements and additions. The latest builds include a new preference panel designed specifically for Spotlight. Within the panel are two panes. The first pane lets users specify which categories or applications Spotlight is to search, and which it should not, while the second pane allows users to specify directories or folders that Spotlight should never search. Preferences to define Spotlight hot keys are also present.

Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" is reportedly on schedule to ship during the first half of 2005.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

denmaru · January 24, 2005 12:19PM

Hmm... maybe some "wicked frontend" for rsync?

I wonder why it wasn´t there earlier, given that many ppl have a laptop and a PC nowadays...

Between: Would somebody give me the Version Number of this Build? I didn´t load it by now, so I´m not sure...

durandal · January 24, 2005 12:21PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AppleInsider

Meanwhile, it appears that with the release of Tiger, users will have to purchase a professional QuickTime 7 license to perform some previously free features such as opening a new player window.

Hmm... the fact that it already requires a Pro license to enable full screen playback is silly enough. But to restrict QT even more... that's simply ridiculous

ch@os · January 24, 2005 12:31PM

Nothing "mysterious" at all, this is nothing more than the "Mobile Home Directories" that Apple announced back in June:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004...gerserver.html

Although, I've noticed they're now calling it "Portable Home Directories":

http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/tiger/

buonrotto · January 24, 2005 12:59PM

Quote:

Originally posted by durandal

Hmm... the fact that it already requires a Pro license to enable full screen playback is silly enough. But to restrict QT even more... that's simply ridiculous

Curious, anyway. It seems that Appleis trying to make QT another single window app like other brushed metal apps, and assumably the authoring (pro) environment can still open multiple windows so one can extract video as desired. Not a big deal in itself, but also seems like a bizarre thing to go out of you way and do if nothing else is happening with the app.

hugodrax · January 24, 2005 1:27PM

Maybe in the future Apple will charge for quicktime. eventually they could if they increase marketshare.

nagromme · January 24, 2005 1:31PM

That could mean two different things:

Does it mean you can't open multiple QT documents at once? That would be annoying and surprising.

Or does it just mean you can't open a new EMPTY player window from the file menu? THAT makes sense, since you wouldn't be able to assemble any content into it anyway, without Pro.

(I have Pro, so I don't know if opening an empty window from the File meny currently works without Pro.)

And yes, full-screen play really SHOULD be for everyone. And saving movies from the web, too. Those are NOT "pro" features, they are basic.

And if letting people have them meant fewer QT Pro sales... it would also mean more Tiger sales--and another little blow to competitors like MS WMP.

buonrotto · January 24, 2005 2:05PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hugodrax

Maybe in the future Apple will charge for quicktime. eventually they could if they increase marketshare.

And they would very quickly lose said market share with such a decision.

placebo · January 24, 2005 2:54PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hugodrax

Maybe in the future Apple will charge for quicktime. eventually they could if they increase marketshare.

It's bad enough that they charge for Pro.

louzer · January 24, 2005 2:57PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nagromme

And if letting people have them meant fewer QT Pro sales... it would also mean more Tiger sales--and another little blow to competitors like MS WMP.

I can't imagine anyone deciding to upgrade to tiger just because it let you save movies or do full screen. Hell, save $100 and just get the QTPro key, for goodness sakes.

And before you all start bellyaching about what QT can or can't do in v7, keep in mind that Tiger is in alpha/beta now, and things like 'bugs' sometimes exist in the code (so unless there's something that says "Hey, you freeloading non-QT Pro user, you can't open new windows anymore!", I'd take all abilities or restrictions with a grain of salt.

And don't go up in arms if the home sync feature doesn't make it to final, either. I'd like to be able to sync home folders, too, but if it don't make it, it don't make it. Software development is like that, sometimes.

bwhaler · January 24, 2005 4:22PM

It looks like Apple is still in development, although I suspect they are doing a hybrid development and testing model where bug fixes and feedback is on one track for more completed modules, while true development is going on simultaneously.

Anyway, I am VERY happy Apple is still in development given they have said that Tiger is going to be the last update for a couple of years.

I want to get as much wiz bang into the release as possible since this is what we are going to be using for a long time. And of course, since I always complain about it, I hope that iCal 2.0 is a real update and not just a numbering change.

I suspect given the news today, Tiger will be released at WWDC. It will give Jobs the ability to demo in front of the media and the developer community all of the features which are being developed right now and have not been previewed. I originally thought we'd see Tiger at the end of March, but it doesn't look like we have a solid beta right now, so I think if these reports are accurate, March is not the date.

While I would love to have Tiger sooner, I am very happy Apple continues to add more and more functionality.

Tiger is going to be the best release yet.

vox barbara · January 24, 2005 4:32PM

Quote:

Originally posted by durandal

Hmm... the fact that it already requires a Pro license to enable full screen playback is silly enough. But to restrict QT even more... that's simply ridiculous

This is one of these things i'll never quite understand.

It is such a bummer, if you just bought your

shiny new mac, and apparantly it is impossible

to simply watch Movies in fullscreen mode

out of the box.

I can hear already all these complaints by switchers:

"Oh what? This bloody Mini can't play goddamn fullscreen?

Hell with Apple!"

well, my2cents

ipodandimac · January 24, 2005 4:40PM

Quote:

Originally posted by durandal

Hmm... the fact that it already requires a Pro license to enable full screen playback is silly enough. But to restrict QT even more... that's simply ridiculous

you realize there are like 50 free apps on versiontracker that let you play full screen quicktimes right?

salmonstk · January 24, 2005 5:13PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ipodandimac

you realize there are like 50 free apps on versiontracker that let you play full screen quicktimes right?

Which could make one say:

1. See doesn't matter don't need full screen quicktime because I can download one of these.

or

2. If dinky xyz shareware place can do this why can't Apple

hobbes · January 24, 2005 5:25PM

Agreed, it's totally chinzy of Apple of to require a Pro key to play QT movies full-screen.

The least they could do -- if they insist on keeping this aggravating policy -- is reduce the price of QT pro to $19.

vox barbara · January 24, 2005 5:40PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ipodandimac

you realize there are like 50 free apps on versiontracker that let you play full screen quicktimes right?

The point is Apples QT policy

distracts, dilutes, disturbs, destroys, blurs

the entire "Out of the Box Experience",

which is beside that issue exceptionally good.

Fullscreen Video is so common sense

that nobody expects less than

fullscreen playback on any Mac.

york2600 · January 24, 2005 7:21PM

I work helpdesk at a University and I've had tons of freshmen coming in really upset that their new 1500 laptop wont even play a simple little full screen video let alone 1/2 the formats they download off the Internet. Full screen is not a Pro feature Apple. It's just about the most basic feature besides play and pause. And for those who say you could just download XYZ app. Sure you could, but that's defeating the purpose of having an easy to use computer that "just works" out of the box. Quit crippling your computers and making WMP look all the better Apple and get a clue. Keep QT Pro for the content creators and keep the standard QT full featured for all consumer needs.

foshizzle · January 24, 2005 9:16PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ch@os

Nothing "mysterious" at all, this is nothing more than the "Mobile Home Directories" that Apple announced back in June:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004...gerserver.html

Although, I've noticed they're now calling it "Portable Home Directories":

http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/tiger/

Hmm, only on OS X Server? That sucks. That's about the only feature that's piqued my interest in Tiger so far. It's looking like I'll skip this release so far.

applenut · January 24, 2005 10:10PM

Quote:

Originally posted by foshizzle

Hmm, only on OS X Server? That sucks. That's about the only feature that's piqued my interest in Tiger so far. It's looking like I'll skip this release so far.

seriously, that's very ignorant of you. but it'll be your loss.

foshizzle · January 24, 2005 10:14PM

Quote:

Originally posted by applenut

seriously, that's very ignorant of you. but it'll be your loss.

ignorant of me? or maybe i've read about and even used builds of tiger and haven't seen anything worth upgrading for yet.

nathan22t · January 24, 2005 11:30PM

Quote:

Originally posted by foshizzle

ignorant of me? or maybe i've read about and even used builds of tiger and haven't seen anything worth upgrading for yet.

did you upgrade to 10.3?

would you be happy with 8.6?

are mobile home directories the only thing you really want in an OS?

Mysterious "Home Sync" technology spotted in Tiger

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