Apple's Leopard has its eye on Redmond

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  • Reply 121 of 144
    turnwriteturnwrite Posts: 372member
    Thanks Chucker, you are my GOD.



    I am definitely gonna go and try that right now. I'll have to install the Xcode Tools, but this is the solution to my biggest problem. I can deal with the minor drawing flaws and stuff in exchange for more screen real estate.



    Thanks a TON!
  • Reply 122 of 144
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aegisdesign

    I wouldn't get too excited about it. I think it's not totally unlikely that Apple won't drop G3 support in Leopard.



    That is easily the most confused sentence I've seen since middle school. Sorry, but that confused the heck out of me. It's like a triple negative.



    Anyhow, you can probably hack support back in. Someone has 10.3 or 10.4 on a PM 8600. I think in some cases, Apple just doesn't have your computer on a list on the install CD/DVD, so all you'd have to do is rip the DVD, change the file to add your computer model (and remove one other model, as it counts the number of lines), and burn the image onto a new DVD, then install. If you lack a DVD-ROM drive on the iBook, you need to do TDM to install.
  • Reply 123 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Wow, Chucker, that is really interesting. One DOES learn something new everyday on AppleInsider



    In any case though resolution independence means a complete vector-based user interface. Along with the challenges of antialiasing on the fly all vector-based user interface elements. I don't think it will be in 10.5 though. 10.6 maybe...
  • Reply 124 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by turnwrite

    I am definitely gonna go and try that right now. I'll have to install the Xcode Tools, but this is the solution to my biggest problem. I can deal with the minor drawing flaws and stuff in exchange for more screen real estate....






    What's really interesting is you still running on 800x600
  • Reply 125 of 144
    aegisdesignaegisdesign Posts: 2,914member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    Wow, Chucker, that is really interesting. One DOES learn something new everyday on AppleInsider



    In any case though resolution independence means a complete vector-based user interface. Along with the challenges of antialiasing on the fly all vector-based user interface elements. I don't think it will be in 10.5 though. 10.6 maybe...




    Not the way Apple do it. They store bitmaps at various resolutions and scale up and down the nearest bitmap. This is because most GPUs can scale bitmaps incredibly quickly (for games) but not draw vectors quickly at all. It's a compromise but a good one.
  • Reply 126 of 144
    aegisdesignaegisdesign Posts: 2,914member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by turnwrite

    But wait, about this "resolution independence."



    I have a hopelessly outdated iBook that maxes out at 800x600, so this feature really interests me....







    I wouldn't get too excited about it. I think it's not totally unlikely that Apple won't drop G3 support in Leopard. iLife06 refuses to install on my later G3 dual USB iBook although you can install the apps separately by unpacking their individual installers.



    Support for older G3s and ancient GPUs is likely quite slim.
  • Reply 127 of 144
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker



    I'm using Quartz Debug, a developer utility that ships with Xcode Tools. It has a slider that lets you go from scale factor 0.5 all the way to 3.0. This change affects applications that launch afterwards; you cannot "live-change" this value. (Currently running applications will continue to use the previous scale factor.)




    Didn't know it did it that well. I'mm definitely be running it at .75 or lower with the new Mac just to save space onscreen.
  • Reply 128 of 144
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    It would be using the Google Maps API which Google supplies so that any webpage or program that wants to can access image, coordinate, and tag data from Google Maps, can.
  • Reply 129 of 144
    minderbinderminderbinder Posts: 1,703member
    This article still links to those fake screenshots? What, the article couldn't be updated to say that they are fake?
  • Reply 130 of 144
    turnwriteturnwrite Posts: 372member
    Yes, I realize that my poor little iBook is terribly old and clunky. But as a student, I don't have NEAR enough cash to shell out for a MacBook, much as I'd like to.



    So any little thing helps, and this resoltuion independence is a pretty big thing.
  • Reply 131 of 144
    yevgenyyevgeny Posts: 1,148member
    Kasper you noob you made me come out of retirement to debunk your BS. I have bugs to fix and no time to spend cleaning up your trash.



    Quote:

    One of the rumored features is said to be OS-level integration of a geographical mapping technology, similar to Microsoft's Virtual Earth. In recent months, Microsoft has made several acquisitions aimed at bolstering its Virtual Earth division, including a buyout of Vexcel Corp.



    According to sources, Apple has been working on a similar approach, but modeled after Google's Maps feature. The technology will presumably allow Leopard users to scour the globe through satellite imagery and whisk up driving directions on the drop of a dime.



    Ok, "OS-level integration" can mean alot and can mean



    OS APIs for driving directions + pictures

    iApp for driving directions + pictures

    Mac friendly App

    Sherlock plug in for something else



    So speaking as someone who knows more than all of you about google earth/virtual earth and all that stuff, I can say that there is no way that apple has the time/energy/desire to run some mapping web service and expose it as a Web API.



    As for an iApp, Apple would have to compete with Google Earth for dock space because GE has a mac version that is probably 100x better than what Apple could whip up.



    As for a Mac friendly app, there are basically five competetiors that Apple would have to deal with (in order of the ones you know)



    Google Earth

    MS Virtual Earth

    NASA's World Wind

    ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer

    France's Geoportal



    Apple doesn't like doing things poorly and makes software that costs money, so they would have to actually make a product that was good. Apple would be competing against:



    Google- bottomless cash and investors who think that GE will conquer the world and one day actually make money, but will throw money into the project anyways.



    MS- bottomless cash and a bottomless desire to crush google and without a care for making money on virtual earth.



    NASA- someone with federal backing (hence cash) and the open source community backing.



    ESRI- the world leader in GIS and the only company who actually makes money with all this 3-D globe stuff.



    France- a nation that has makes software to compete with google a matter of Gaulic pride and will throw money at the project in the theory that somehow it makes their tech sector more competetive.







    Apple is going to hop into this market? I think not. Maybe at most they might integrate Google maps into sherlock better.
  • Reply 132 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by aegisdesign

    Not the way Apple do it. They store bitmaps at various resolutions and scale up and down the nearest bitmap. This is because most GPUs can scale bitmaps incredibly quickly (for games) but not draw vectors quickly at all. It's a compromise but a good one.






    I would contend that true resolution-independence means vector-based. Apple would have to figure out a way to do it well and fast and antialiased well on-the-fly.



    Yes, you could have pre-rendered bitmaps, but let's say I want really big icons, I'd have major pixelation eg. when you look at textures up close in 3D games.



    Vector-based would mean unlimited scaling while maintaining high image quality.



    If using pre-rendered bitmaps, how would Apple decide on the max resolution of an icon? 200x200? 600x600? Yes, perhaps a compromise of some sort may be worked out to get a *start* on something moving towards "resolution-independence"....
  • Reply 133 of 144
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by sunilraman

    Quote:

    Originally posted by aegisdesign

    Not the way Apple do it. They store bitmaps at various resolutions and scale up and down the nearest bitmap. This is because most GPUs can scale bitmaps incredibly quickly (for games) but not draw vectors quickly at all. It's a compromise but a good one.






    I would contend that true resolution-independence means vector-based. Apple would have to figure out a way to do it well and fast and antialiased well on-the-fly.



    Yes, you could have pre-rendered bitmaps, but let's say I want really big icons, I'd have major pixelation eg. when you look at textures up close in 3D games.



    Vector-based would mean unlimited scaling while maintaining high image quality.



    If using pre-rendered bitmaps, how would Apple decide on the max resolution of an icon? 200x200? 600x600? Yes, perhaps a compromise of some sort may be worked out to get a *start* on something moving towards "resolution-independence"....



    Yes...true resolution independence would need a fully vector-based GUI. But:



    1. No computer today, tomorrow or in 4 years would be able to handle a full-fledged vector-based GUI. A few complex vector images can bring a Quad G5 to it's knees.



    2. There's a limit to what the human eye can see. Beyond a certain pixel density, it would be almost stupid to try to pack more pixels inside a square inch. That said, even a 300 ppi screen would yield icons that are slightly smaller than an inch and half in size at 512x512...this is very reasonable...and considering that at 300 ppi, you'd barely see pixels unless your face was right up against the screen, I think it won't be until 15 years from today that we'll see any displays with denser pixels (if we haven't moved to some other means of display computer images such as 3D holograms and such.)
  • Reply 134 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    What if the UI *was* vector based, but each time you set the resolution it then pre-renders the UI elements as appropriate for the resolution.



    Sort of on-the-fly caching so that you have the speed with pre-rendered bitmaps, but then you have the flexibility of having the vector elements as "templates" -- saves having to have loads of different bitmap resolution elements.



    Use the vector "templates" and then pre-render to bitmaps as required during a resolution change... just an idea



    A bit silly idea though, cause one would have to render tons of icons and stuff and then write it to disk.
  • Reply 135 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by Chucker

    [B]Yep! Obviously, not all applications respect the setting properly, and there's lots of weird drawing bugs, some caused by OS X and some caused by application-specific problems. But:



    I'm using Quartz Debug, a developer utility that ships with Xcode Tools. It has a slider that lets you go from scale factor 0.5 all the way to 3.0. This change affects applications that launch afterwards; you cannot "live-change" this value. (Currently running applications will continue to use the previous scale factor.)



    So, you can change the factor, then reboot or even just log out and back in, and? tada.



    Yes, that's right. There's an awful lot of bugs with this right now, however (mainly in terms of how things are displayed; behaviour is mostly perfectly fine). It's not ready for prime time.






    Fun hack to play around with but major drawing bugs.

    Thanks for the info though chucker
  • Reply 136 of 144
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    [QUOTE]Originally posted by Chucker

    Yep! Obviously, not all applications respect the setting properly, and there's lots of weird drawing bugs, some caused by OS X and some caused by application-specific problems. But:



    I'm using Quartz Debug, a developer utility that ships with Xcode Tools. It has a slider that lets you go from scale factor 0.5 all the way to 3.0. This change affects applications that launch afterwards; you cannot "live-change" this value. (Currently running applications will continue to use the previous scale factor.)



    So, you can change the factor, then reboot or even just log out and back in, and? tada.



    Yes, that's right. There's an awful lot of bugs with this right now, however (mainly in terms of how things are displayed; behaviour is mostly perfectly fine). It's not ready for prime time.






    Fun hack to play around with but major drawing bugs.

    Thanks for the info though chucker
  • Reply 137 of 144
    akheron01akheron01 Posts: 152member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    What if the UI *was* vector based, but each time you set the resolution it then pre-renders the UI elements as appropriate for the resolution.



    Sort of on-the-fly caching so that you have the speed with pre-rendered bitmaps, but then you have the flexibility of having the vector elements as "templates" -- saves having to have loads of different bitmap resolution elements.



    Use the vector "templates" and then pre-render to bitmaps as required during a resolution change... just an idea



    A bit silly idea though, cause one would have to render tons of icons and stuff and then write it to disk.




    Sounds like a decent idea on paper, but would you really put up with waiting .5 to 4 minutes everytime you change the resolution or dpi?
  • Reply 138 of 144
    dazabritdazabrit Posts: 273member
    Building GPS/Mapping services into the OS is a great idea. Not to compete directly against Google Earth etc; but to push new innovations in the portable market.



    If Apple integrates GPS into the Portable computers, the iPods and an iPhone; they can start developing features like a buddy-discovery service and start mapping and connecting 'people'. The iPod/iPhone would be able to function as a car navigation device and a discovery device for Audio/Text/Video communications.



    I'm only scratching the surface here. It could be exploited in many ways the same as the motion sensor and integrated iSight.
  • Reply 139 of 144
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by akheron01

    Sounds like a decent idea on paper, but would you really put up with waiting .5 to 4 minutes everytime you change the resolution or dpi?



    Yeah, because I really do that regularly.
  • Reply 140 of 144
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by akheron01

    Sounds like a decent idea on paper, but would you really put up with waiting .5 to 4 minutes everytime you change the resolution or dpi?



    You'd do that, what, once a year?
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