The peasantry is getting restless
So you don´t need to click the link below:
"
Leopard's ten new features dissected
It's funny. Apple calls Microsoft a copy-cat, and yet, I feel like I've seen some of these features somewhere before. Many of the features, however, are just sad. Is this really the best they had to show off right now?
1. Time Machine. "With Mac OS X Leopard and Time Machine ... you can go back in time to recover anything you?ve ever backed up. Time Machine?s time-based browser [lets you] see a snapshot of how your entire system looked on any given day ? file by file." Wow, neat. It was especially neat when Microsoft included it in Windows Server 2003 over three years ago and called it Volume Shadow Copy. And yes, Windows Vista has it too, built right-in. It even has the backup stuff. Obviously.
2. Mail 3.0. This might just be my favorite one, because even a normal person will see this for the BS hyperbole it is (Time Machine will fool people that don't know any better). Leopard?s Mail includes breakthrough new features that have never been seen before in a Mail application: Mail Stationery, templates, Mail Notes, To Dos [with iCal integration], and RSS news feed [compatibility]." I keep waiting for someone else to laugh. Those aren't seriously the "new" features are they?
3. iChat includes "video and photo backdrops" (which is a fun idea, but hardly a huge OS feature), Photo Booth effects (eh), screen sharing (done before in many an IM app), a tabbed interface, and .. hm. That's it.
4. Spaces. It's multiple desktops, just like Linux and UNIX have had for years. Except this is Apple, so it's described as "an intuitive new way to group applications required for a given task," even though it's not particularly new. Useful, sure. New, no.
5. Dashboard. This one was actually a new Tiger feature two years ago, but now it's been improved with Dashboard synching across multiple Macs (but only with .Mac, which means it's not technically just an OS feature), and a new Dock icon. That's pretty much it for end user features. Whoop-de-freaking-do.
6. Spotlight. This was also a new Tiger feature two years ago. Now, it's got network searching, document previews (like Vista), and better search querying (again, like Vista). Yawn.
7. iCal. It's got iCal sharing via CalDAV, group scheduling, and document sharing (like MeetingSpace in Vista). Seriously, this was important enough to be one of the ten new features.
8. Accessibility. This one is genuinely interesting, though it will impact the smallest group of people (kind of like the Mac market in general). There's a new synthesized voice (English only) that sounds very good, Braille display support, and Closed Captioning. Good stuff.
9. 64-Bit. After shipping a generation of 32-bit-only Intel machines, Leopard will support 64-bit operations on the new Mac Pros only. That means butt-loads of RAM, which is A Good Thing but hardly A New Thing.
10. Core Animation. Doesn't impact end users directly and thus is not of interest.
To recap, Apple just announced that Leopard is a seriously minor update. Is anyone else shocked about this? And if not, what the heck is wrong with you?
"
(Source: http://www.internet-nexus.com/)
At first,I was tempted to write a "reply", but then I realized it,this is FEAR.
What do you think?
To clarify:
-)Most if not all of the changes/new features/etc. shown are relevant to devs,because of (new) APIs and/or the possibility for plug-ins with the possible exception of Spaces....and this guy mentions that Core
Animation is "not relevant to users"??
-)Also,quite a few of the improvements to Mail/ICal (and hoepfully ISync) actually could turn that suite into a semi-decent competitor to Outlook,which,last time I looked,costs money and has to be purchased separately.Of course good old Paul would not mention that.
-) To top it off,he misquotes (Spaces).
"
Leopard's ten new features dissected
It's funny. Apple calls Microsoft a copy-cat, and yet, I feel like I've seen some of these features somewhere before. Many of the features, however, are just sad. Is this really the best they had to show off right now?
1. Time Machine. "With Mac OS X Leopard and Time Machine ... you can go back in time to recover anything you?ve ever backed up. Time Machine?s time-based browser [lets you] see a snapshot of how your entire system looked on any given day ? file by file." Wow, neat. It was especially neat when Microsoft included it in Windows Server 2003 over three years ago and called it Volume Shadow Copy. And yes, Windows Vista has it too, built right-in. It even has the backup stuff. Obviously.
2. Mail 3.0. This might just be my favorite one, because even a normal person will see this for the BS hyperbole it is (Time Machine will fool people that don't know any better). Leopard?s Mail includes breakthrough new features that have never been seen before in a Mail application: Mail Stationery, templates, Mail Notes, To Dos [with iCal integration], and RSS news feed [compatibility]." I keep waiting for someone else to laugh. Those aren't seriously the "new" features are they?
3. iChat includes "video and photo backdrops" (which is a fun idea, but hardly a huge OS feature), Photo Booth effects (eh), screen sharing (done before in many an IM app), a tabbed interface, and .. hm. That's it.
4. Spaces. It's multiple desktops, just like Linux and UNIX have had for years. Except this is Apple, so it's described as "an intuitive new way to group applications required for a given task," even though it's not particularly new. Useful, sure. New, no.
5. Dashboard. This one was actually a new Tiger feature two years ago, but now it's been improved with Dashboard synching across multiple Macs (but only with .Mac, which means it's not technically just an OS feature), and a new Dock icon. That's pretty much it for end user features. Whoop-de-freaking-do.
6. Spotlight. This was also a new Tiger feature two years ago. Now, it's got network searching, document previews (like Vista), and better search querying (again, like Vista). Yawn.
7. iCal. It's got iCal sharing via CalDAV, group scheduling, and document sharing (like MeetingSpace in Vista). Seriously, this was important enough to be one of the ten new features.
8. Accessibility. This one is genuinely interesting, though it will impact the smallest group of people (kind of like the Mac market in general). There's a new synthesized voice (English only) that sounds very good, Braille display support, and Closed Captioning. Good stuff.
9. 64-Bit. After shipping a generation of 32-bit-only Intel machines, Leopard will support 64-bit operations on the new Mac Pros only. That means butt-loads of RAM, which is A Good Thing but hardly A New Thing.
10. Core Animation. Doesn't impact end users directly and thus is not of interest.
To recap, Apple just announced that Leopard is a seriously minor update. Is anyone else shocked about this? And if not, what the heck is wrong with you?
"
(Source: http://www.internet-nexus.com/)
At first,I was tempted to write a "reply", but then I realized it,this is FEAR.
What do you think?
To clarify:
-)Most if not all of the changes/new features/etc. shown are relevant to devs,because of (new) APIs and/or the possibility for plug-ins with the possible exception of Spaces....and this guy mentions that Core
Animation is "not relevant to users"??
-)Also,quite a few of the improvements to Mail/ICal (and hoepfully ISync) actually could turn that suite into a semi-decent competitor to Outlook,which,last time I looked,costs money and has to be purchased separately.Of course good old Paul would not mention that.
-) To top it off,he misquotes (Spaces).
Comments
Is it really worth wasting space on what Paul Thurrott (winsupersite OMG) has to say about an Apple product?
I suppose you are right,simply felt the need to express my feelings.
Sorry about that
Don't worry man the link was fine. Paul Thurott is the typical windows fanboi. Let me address what I can see.
1. Time Machine- Yes MS has VSS and has been delivering that in Server OS but until Vista it has not delivered at the consumer level. What we'll need to look for is ease of use. Note in the video how easy it is to drill down through "time" in just a single window. I know I can get snapshot software like Ghost or Acronis that will save whole images but I have to sift through the whole image. Time Machine locks in down to the folder it seems and that to me is damn cool. I'll be looking to see if Vista's snapshot capability offers this specificity.
2. Mail 3.0- - Ok did he really dubunk M3.0 here or did he just ramble on incoherently? What "I' saw was something akin to very nice CSS support in email. The ability to pop in my pics to the template and then switch templates around is nice. The iCAL integration with the notes is nice as well. Did he really offer an informative rebuttal or just scoff out loud here?
3. iChat- The big feature here is display sharing. That's a collaborative tool that could become very handy. The photo backdrop is actually nice in that it doesn't require a green screen but of course that's the toy it's the collab stuff that folks should be looking at. How often have you wanted to just assume control of a friend or family members computer so that you could "show them" ? Typical Thurrot though tells you "that's been done before" that is his MO. It may have been done before but in a crappy way but he never offers insight about who so you can see for yourself.
4. Spaces- I agree with him here. Workspaces are useful and not particularly new though they will have extended life because of VM machines now.
5. Dashboard- He conveniently skips the nice feature of Dashboard where you can turn ANY webpage into a Widget. Again no insight in his rebutall just a negative reaction
6. Spotlight- "like Vista" it isn't even shipping yet! Spotlight predates Vista. We'll have to wait and see which is the more mature implementation.
7. iCAL- Yes it is important. People aren't looking for Exchange here just a way of sharing their calendars and scheduling accurately.
8. Accessibility- Why pick on a feature that exists to ease the computing life of the disabled. His response was crass and tactless.
9. 64-bit- Sheesh man Apple didn't say everything was NEW to the entire computing market they're saying full 64-bit support is new to Macs. Capt oblivious here.
10. Core Animation.- How does he know it doesn't impact end users? I'm looking forward to seeing ways of incorporating animated elements into applications. The thing that is needed is a framework that is guaranteed to be in the OS. Core Animation and Quicktime will be that infrastructure.
Paul Thurrot simply doesn't have the analytical skills to run a site like Internet Nexus. Everyone knows he makes his living being a shill for Microsoft and their products. This is fine for me but his weaknesses in objectivity are glaring and his credibility is regarding all things Macintosh is nil.
I can always sum up a PT rebuttal because he'll make everything sound like it's ho hum evolution. We all know Apple isn't always first but they usually have the better implementations of said features which is why we choose Macs.
So you don´t need to click the link below:
"
I gave him a click because he is dead on thee money...cold hard truth is the Apple stock should have went DOWN after that dismal announcment laced with petty backstabs worthy of a 14 year old cheerleader.
They did so great with the hardware but they really fucked up if this is all leopard is...these "secrets" will hurt either way though; if they are lame, it pisses off the community, if they are exciting and dramatic, it pisses off devs who will have been coding and testing against what amounts to a turd for months...
At any rate, hidden features may await. With Vista, it was the opposite.
I gave him a click because he is dead on thee money...cold hard truth is the Apple stock should have went DOWN after that dismal announcment laced with petty backstabs worthy of a 14 year old cheerleader.
They did so great with the hardware but they really fucked up if this is all leopard is...these "secrets" will hurt either way though; if they are lame, it pisses off the community, if they are exciting and dramatic, it pisses off devs who will have been coding and testing against what amounts to a turd for months...
I think it is petty of MS to bury VBA for the Mac; the backstabs were actually very well done media and dosage wise.
Which parts of the demo do you consider to be "dismal"?
Steve and others sure have not shown us any revolutionary features ,but
I have just watched the keynote and am pretty sure Leopard is not anywhere feature complete,simply because of the way the presentation was done.
"But I can't swing it!"
Atari
Don't worry man the link was fine. Paul Thurott is the typical windows fanboi. Let me address what I can see.
....... choose Macs.
Thanks man,you have lifted my spirits
The more I think about it ,the more I am convinced it´s true.(My earlier fear statment)
Some of the usual suspects for Mac bashing (and I am talking about people whose livelihood at least partly depends on Microsoft´s continued success),
have resorted to distortion and self-deceipt,the same thing Mac heads had/have been been accused of for years......I sense panick.
Arguing with Thurrott is like trying to tell a lumberjack he should buy a chainsaw.
"But I can't swing it!"
ROTFL,have to remember that one.
I gave him a click because he is dead on thee money...cold hard truth is the Apple stock should have went DOWN after that dismal announcment laced with petty backstabs worthy of a 14 year old cheerleader.
They did so great with the hardware but they really fucked up if this is all leopard is...these "secrets" will hurt either way though; if they are lame, it pisses off the community, if they are exciting and dramatic, it pisses off devs who will have been coding and testing against what amounts to a turd for months...
No you are wrong and you're basically looking for a partner to enjoy your misery with. Apple divulged what they needed to divulge and the developers will have access to more info under NDA of course.
Time Machine nothing like Windows Restore it is snapshot technology that is brain dead simple. Open up a folder or volume and click a button and begin to navigate back in time. What's petty is you throwing a messageboard tantrum because "you" didn't see what you wanted to see.
Apple is about the correct "application" of technology. It has to work and generally they get things humming nicely by version 2 and 3.
And Thurrot missed a giant point - this is what we're showing now. There's more to come.
There will be three more info releases:
1) Dev previews, leaked to the web, pirated and scoured for clues.
2) Paris Expo, I expect to hear something
3) MWSF - with possible shipping date pre-Vista. Almost assuredly out pre-Vista.
Steve could never please Thurott. If Leopard ran every Win32 and Vista app at 300% native speeds, could run on a Performa, was controlled by telepathy, had a "you dream it, we compile it" API, and wiped his ass when he shat, he'd complain that he's paying $129 for a "minor decimal point upgrade".
They did so great with the hardware but they really fucked up if this is all leopard is...these "secrets" will hurt either way though; if they are lame, it pisses off the community, if they are exciting and dramatic, it pisses off devs who will have been coding and testing against what amounts to a turd for months...
One word: CoreAnimation.
Trust me, Leopard is going to be good. After today's developer sessions, things are buzzing here. There will be some exciting things coming out of third party apps that are powered by some of the new Leopard stuff under the surface.
Don't forget, it's not just the features that the OS gives you, it's the things it gives developers. If some cool apps come out that require Leopard, that instantly gives Leopard some more worth. And I think such apps will come out.
Amorya
I gave him a click because he is dead on thee money...cold hard truth is the Apple stock should have went DOWN after that dismal announcment laced with petty backstabs worthy of a 14 year old cheerleader.
They did so great with the hardware but they really fucked up if this is all leopard is...these "secrets" will hurt either way though; if they are lame, it pisses off the community, if they are exciting and dramatic, it pisses off devs who will have been coding and testing against what amounts to a turd for months...
The devs *know* the "secrets" as they have a copy of the OS in their hands.
The devs *know* the "secrets" as they have a copy of the OS in their hands.
The developer preview does not contain any of the secrets. It doesn't even have the quick preview feature.
The devs *know* the "secrets" as they have a copy of the OS in their hands.
None of the developer previews seeds have the secretive features. Those are in house Apple only features. Probably until weeks before MWSF which is when I hope it will be shipping.
BTW good breakdown hmurchison. That guy is a clown.
The developer preview does not contain any of the secrets. It doesn't even have the quick preview feature.
I expect that the developer preview is mostly for the devs to look at the the core animation api, run their apps on the new kernel, start integrating the "to do" system service in apps, make sure accessibility stuff works, compile their programs with the next X Code, start working on 64bit apps... stuff like that. Its not to play around with the end user features.
I also bet that some of the "secret" features were cool things that weren't polished enough to be shown. At least some of them.
The shipping product will have a new finder, you can bet on it. And it will be based on the new UI. That was one of the secrets
iLife '07 and iWork '07 is coming out around the same time, so look for some cool stuff in that area too. all your base will belong to Leopard.
I expect that the developer preview is mostly for the devs to look at the the core animation api, run their apps on the new kernel, start integrating the "to do" system service in apps, make sure accessibility stuff works, compile their programs with the next X Code, start working on 64bit apps... stuff like that. Its not to play around with the end user features.
There are some features in it not shown at the keynote though.
iLife '07 and iWork '07 is coming out around the same time, so look for some cool stuff in that area too. all your base will belong to Leopard.
iLife and iWork 07 will have to work on Tiger too.
"Vista is not available for purchase."
It's the easiest game in the world to promise everything, and then pull features out one by one. Until MS ships Vista - and arguably Vista SP1 which will probably make the thing actually almost work properly - it's totally academic to say 'vista has x,y and x' - because no, it doesn't.
What you should say is "vista [i]will[i] have" or, even better "vista might possibly have"...
As for Paul Theurot's comment about Core Animation - "it doesn't affect the end user, so it doesn't count", erm. right Paul. In the same way that any of the other OS API's don't affect the end user ? WTF ? I mean, that's what an Operating System is all about, isn't it ? Providing a foundation of technologies that user-facing applications can build on ? Maybe he's forgotten then, having to use Windows all the time ?