I think that the networking beachball was the worst problem with osx up until very very recently. They seem to have really improved it in later versions of 10.4 (the finder doesn't totally choke anymore when waiting for a nonexistent server)
The thing that I hate about OSX are the little things that windows does better or that os9 did better.
Windows allows you to do more in a find open dialogue, like renaming and deleting etc (trust me you want to be able to do this when working with 10 versions of a file)
OS9 provided some of the coolest ways to keep files easily accessible, yet neatly out of the way (docked windows or drawers is what I am speaking of) I wouldn't have to clean off my desktop so much if I could dock about 10 folder aliases to the side of my screen and keep different categories of immediately useable files there.
I am mostly happy with OSX, but Honestly, I haven't seen an exciting idea for Leopard yet that didn't have me going 'meh'. Google maps in addressbook, big wow. Ichat is going to be like skype, wow. (although whiteboarding would be cool and different, they should instead make stupid iChat work on more protocols, and update the interface) Apple dumping money into a microsoft office clone, arg.
Apple needs to blow us away with new UI paradigms that make it better to work and play on our machines, not fool around with services that third parties do better. What about a versioning system built into the OS for our documents? What about saved workspaces and application sets? What about better voice recognition and activation? What about uncrippling the free version of Quicktime Player to break out of the 1990s? What about dockable / appendable / tab'able windows? What about a program that kept and synched notes as well as ical keeps appointments and addressbook keeps contacts? What about a news / media center that does a better job of rss categorizing than safari, but offers tv over ip as well (perhaps just my world cup dream
I want to walk by my computer on the way to get a cup of coffee, allow the isight to recognize my face so it will switch to my user and aloud I say "web project" so it will open the 4 apps I use with the right window positions, log into my development servers, fire up itunes with the right playlist, set my im to dndisturb for anyone not in my web collab group and the girlfriend, scan my mail for anything super urgent before I dive in, punch my time clock, and then lock my screen so that all I have to do when I get back with the hot java is type the password and start jamming. When I get burned out, I want a single command 'break' to put all that work stuff away in 10 seconds, and have it pull up my , newsfeeds, voicemail records, errands list and my email client so that I can tell where I am in the day. Likewise, as I get up for lunch I would have set it to remind me to call my aunt for her birthday as I walk out for a sandwich. I don't want to tell it to beep me at 12:35 with X alert, I want to tell it "when I switch gears for lunch, that's a good time to remind me about birthdays and appointments"
I know I can do most of the above with automator or applescript, but this is what I want Apple to be thinking about making more easily possible. We have the processing power, but the hooks into the operating system and supporting applications are just beginning to appear. We are moving in this direction, but we need to think about the computer as a tool that is used for different tasks, but more in the sense of allowing people to create awesome work and play environments for themselves easily. Make everything work together Apple, its your big advantage!
On the hardware front apple needs to give us a subnotebook for those of us who want something between a laptop and a palm (or tablet if they can bring something new to the table)? What about building an easy media storage server that can also run your house lighting or anything else ripe for the automation? What about multi touch screens where you can use both hands to throw your content around? New screen tech, new virtual keyboard tech etc.
Hey, there is a lot to be done, and some low hanging fruit, but I haven't heard many big ideas out of cupertino recently. The Macbook is a fine machine, but its a refinement, not a real step forward. Come on Apple let that crazy guy with the big ideas back out!
Does anyone know of a way to turn off the Dock? It would be great to create a little more real estate on the desktop. I would love an always-available Applications menu....perhaps positioned right next to the Apple menu.
Yes you can easily hide it with with Cmd-Opt-D. If found this out totally by accident. When you bring your mouse to the bottom of the screen, then it will pop-up temporally.
I tried a few other program launchers, but the one I like the best is Quicksilver (any Quicksilver fans here?) It's great program with a lot of other great features (still kinda under development.) The best feature that is still in process of being hashed out is the triggers function. It works very well but when you quit the program the triggers are not saved (they did in older versions though.) You can make mouse gestures that will do just about anything thing, very cool. Quicksilver is a hard program to describe, but once you get the hang of it it's really cool!
The need for dragging things to the trash can also drives me nuts...
when in Finder:
Command-delete <- moves selected files/folders to Trash.
Command-option-shift delete to empty trash.
Quote:
<mad fresh ideas by Curufinwe>
Hear hear!
I also find it very disturbing that MPlayer can play many movies, ie: avi, without dropping frames or stuttering audio, using ~10% CPU at full screen, on files that Quicktime chokes on. MPlayer is free. At the very least, Apple could poach source code and make QT plugins that fill in the holes in the QT codecs.
Agreed that Apple needs to provide a much faster way of accessing all Apps/utilities... only workaround I've found is to put my Apps folder in my dock, which I right-click to expose the contents and then I can pick an App.
. At the very least, Apple could poach source code and make QT plugins that fill in the holes in the QT codecs.
Fortunately, because it is released under the GPL, you can't just poach its code, and "write" your own codecs with it. Any and all modifications you do to the code, must be released back, in an open manner, for everyone else to see.
The GPL is not the BSD licence. You can't just take away code from it and "poach it"._
Command-delete <- moves selected files/folders to Trash.
Command-option-shift delete to empty trash.
I also hate that you can't move the trash out of the dock without a third party utility. It would be nice to be able to place the trash icon in the finder (the only way to open the trash folder in the finder is to click on the icon in the dock, correct?).
"This decision was so wrong that several replacement desktop trash cans have appeared to address it."
The trash can is less hidden now than it was.
I can see your point, but if you think the best approach for YOU is to have the trash in the Dock, then you should have that choice (not by default). I would like to have the trash can (or at least aliases) in the Finder and the desktop. Hell, I'd probably put'em everywhere to make it more "ubiquitous."
Er, making GPL'ed plugins for QT out of GPLed code will not compromise QT. I'm not suggesting Apple make QT open source, just that they harness better code than they write as a plugin for QT. They can release the plugin's source code for free, of course.
Select that line, copy it, open Script Editor and paste it in, save as an application (not as a script) "Trash" on the Desktop, then drag the icon of that script to your Finder Toolbar. Presto - one click opens the Trash. You could put it in the SideBar too.
Not a third-party solution, because AppleScript is a peer of Aqua.
Quote:
Originally posted by Neruda
I also hate that you can't move the trash out of the dock without a third party utility. It would be nice to be able to place the trash icon in the finder (the only way to open the trash folder in the finder is to click on the icon in the dock, correct?).
Comments
The thing that I hate about OSX are the little things that windows does better or that os9 did better.
Windows allows you to do more in a find open dialogue, like renaming and deleting etc (trust me you want to be able to do this when working with 10 versions of a file)
OS9 provided some of the coolest ways to keep files easily accessible, yet neatly out of the way (docked windows or drawers is what I am speaking of) I wouldn't have to clean off my desktop so much if I could dock about 10 folder aliases to the side of my screen and keep different categories of immediately useable files there.
I am mostly happy with OSX, but Honestly, I haven't seen an exciting idea for Leopard yet that didn't have me going 'meh'. Google maps in addressbook, big wow. Ichat is going to be like skype, wow. (although whiteboarding would be cool and different, they should instead make stupid iChat work on more protocols, and update the interface) Apple dumping money into a microsoft office clone, arg.
Apple needs to blow us away with new UI paradigms that make it better to work and play on our machines, not fool around with services that third parties do better. What about a versioning system built into the OS for our documents? What about saved workspaces and application sets? What about better voice recognition and activation? What about uncrippling the free version of Quicktime Player to break out of the 1990s? What about dockable / appendable / tab'able windows? What about a program that kept and synched notes as well as ical keeps appointments and addressbook keeps contacts? What about a news / media center that does a better job of rss categorizing than safari, but offers tv over ip as well (perhaps just my world cup dream
I want to walk by my computer on the way to get a cup of coffee, allow the isight to recognize my face so it will switch to my user and aloud I say "web project" so it will open the 4 apps I use with the right window positions, log into my development servers, fire up itunes with the right playlist, set my im to dndisturb for anyone not in my web collab group and the girlfriend, scan my mail for anything super urgent before I dive in, punch my time clock, and then lock my screen so that all I have to do when I get back with the hot java is type the password and start jamming. When I get burned out, I want a single command 'break' to put all that work stuff away in 10 seconds, and have it pull up my , newsfeeds, voicemail records, errands list and my email client so that I can tell where I am in the day. Likewise, as I get up for lunch I would have set it to remind me to call my aunt for her birthday as I walk out for a sandwich. I don't want to tell it to beep me at 12:35 with X alert, I want to tell it "when I switch gears for lunch, that's a good time to remind me about birthdays and appointments"
I know I can do most of the above with automator or applescript, but this is what I want Apple to be thinking about making more easily possible. We have the processing power, but the hooks into the operating system and supporting applications are just beginning to appear. We are moving in this direction, but we need to think about the computer as a tool that is used for different tasks, but more in the sense of allowing people to create awesome work and play environments for themselves easily. Make everything work together Apple, its your big advantage!
On the hardware front apple needs to give us a subnotebook for those of us who want something between a laptop and a palm (or tablet if they can bring something new to the table)? What about building an easy media storage server that can also run your house lighting or anything else ripe for the automation? What about multi touch screens where you can use both hands to throw your content around? New screen tech, new virtual keyboard tech etc.
Hey, there is a lot to be done, and some low hanging fruit, but I haven't heard many big ideas out of cupertino recently. The Macbook is a fine machine, but its a refinement, not a real step forward. Come on Apple let that crazy guy with the big ideas back out!
Originally posted by bketchum
Does anyone know of a way to turn off the Dock? It would be great to create a little more real estate on the desktop. I would love an always-available Applications menu....perhaps positioned right next to the Apple menu.
Yes you can easily hide it with with Cmd-Opt-D. If found this out totally by accident. When you bring your mouse to the bottom of the screen, then it will pop-up temporally.
I tried a few other program launchers, but the one I like the best is Quicksilver (any Quicksilver fans here?) It's great program with a lot of other great features (still kinda under development.) The best feature that is still in process of being hashed out is the triggers function. It works very well but when you quit the program the triggers are not saved (they did in older versions though.) You can make mouse gestures that will do just about anything thing, very cool. Quicksilver is a hard program to describe, but once you get the hang of it it's really cool!
-Scott
The need for dragging things to the trash can also drives me nuts...
when in Finder:
Command-delete <- moves selected files/folders to Trash.
Command-option-shift delete to empty trash.
<mad fresh ideas by Curufinwe>
Hear hear!
I also find it very disturbing that MPlayer can play many movies, ie: avi, without dropping frames or stuttering audio, using ~10% CPU at full screen, on files that Quicktime chokes on. MPlayer is free. At the very least, Apple could poach source code and make QT plugins that fill in the holes in the QT codecs.
Agreed that Apple needs to provide a much faster way of accessing all Apps/utilities... only workaround I've found is to put my Apps folder in my dock, which I right-click to expose the contents and then I can pick an App.
Originally posted by 1337_5L4Xx0R
. At the very least, Apple could poach source code and make QT plugins that fill in the holes in the QT codecs.
Fortunately, because it is released under the GPL, you can't just poach its code, and "write" your own codecs with it. Any and all modifications you do to the code, must be released back, in an open manner, for everyone else to see.
The GPL is not the BSD licence. You can't just take away code from it and "poach it"._
GPL sucks.
Originally posted by 1337_5L4Xx0R
when in Finder:
Command-delete <- moves selected files/folders to Trash.
Command-option-shift delete to empty trash.
I also hate that you can't move the trash out of the dock without a third party utility. It would be nice to be able to place the trash icon in the finder (the only way to open the trash folder in the finder is to click on the icon in the dock, correct?).
FTFF, I guess.
(GPL sucks
Originally posted by Chucker
I've never understood this notion. The Trash is in the Dock so it's ubiquitously available, always in front. Makes sense to me.
Apple: "What's that? You'd like to put the trash where YOU want it. We've decided that it belongs in the
Dock because we know what is good for you."
I want to move it and put it where I want it. And that is reason enough. Users shouldn't have to resort to third party hacks to do this.
Number 5:
http://www.asktog.com/columns/044top10docksucks.html
Disclaimer: I generally like the Dock, though it does have its problems.
Yes, for all the OS Classic diehards.
"Of course they do! That's because having a hidden, constantly-shifting trash can sucks!"
Bullshit. The trash can is less hidden now than it was.
Originally posted by Chucker
"This decision was so wrong that several replacement desktop trash cans have appeared to address it."
The trash can is less hidden now than it was.
I can see your point, but if you think the best approach for YOU is to have the trash in the Dock, then you should have that choice (not by default). I would like to have the trash can (or at least aliases) in the Finder and the desktop. Hell, I'd probably put'em everywhere to make it more "ubiquitous."
Originally posted by tonton
Lots of trash, eh?
Tons
Think Safari on OSX.
Select that line, copy it, open Script Editor and paste it in, save as an application (not as a script) "Trash" on the Desktop, then drag the icon of that script to your Finder Toolbar. Presto - one click opens the Trash. You could put it in the SideBar too.
Not a third-party solution, because AppleScript is a peer of Aqua.
Originally posted by Neruda
I also hate that you can't move the trash out of the dock without a third party utility. It would be nice to be able to place the trash icon in the finder (the only way to open the trash folder in the finder is to click on the icon in the dock, correct?).
FTFF, I guess.
(GPL sucks