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bonniescotland · Apr 1, 2013, 04:17 AM

I find the Mac OS X naming convention confusing.

I don't have a problem with apple calling it leopard or lion etc, what I do have a problem with is the fact that the actual computer doesn't tell you anywhere whether you have leopard or lion etc. For instance when I look my system settings/preferences up it says Mac OS X 10.... (Eg 10.5.8 or 10.6 or whatever) but it doesn't actually tell you whether 10.5.8 is leopard or lion or panther etc.

So every time I or one of family members upgrade to a new mac, new software etc we have to remember which cat corresponds to which OS so that we know we are buying compatible software. Naturally we can google it which is what I usually do, but it would be nice to be able to just glance at my mac settings and see that 10.5.8 corresponds to leopard or snow leopard or lion or whatever cat it is.

With us all having different operating systems and the constant upgrading of these, I don't remember offhand which animal corresponds to which OS.

I think it would be pretty simple for mac to do where they have the system settings/preferences info (about this mac or whatever it's called) they could have written Mac OS X 10.5.8 - Snow Leopard (or whatever the cat that corresponds to that OS is)

Does anyone else feel the same way? If so please post here.
I thought about emailing apple with this feedback but I figure that I'm one in a billion who email them compared with this forum which might be more effective as it might get a lot of posts.

abbaZaba · Apr 1, 2013, 01:08 PM

I don't see why this is such an issue that it warranted a post. Unless you are REALLY living in the past, you have to remember 4 (FOUR!) cats, which go in a logical order: Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion. How simple do you really need it to be?

mduell · Apr 2, 2013, 01:08 AM

Oblig xkcd:

andi*pandi · Apr 3, 2013, 12:28 PM

I have often found it confusing too, especially since I am slow to upgrade, and have several different computers at different stages of modernity.

It was easier when the icon had the fur pattern on it.

Thorzdad · Apr 4, 2013, 08:26 AM

The Apple naming convention I've always had trouble with is the way they identify the hardware model. "Mid-June-on-a-Thursday-2012-iMac" is pretty meaningless to a consumer, especially when such wording doesn't appear anywhere on the machine, or on the box, or in the System Profiler. It's even more confusing is you happen to purchase your Mac a few months after the name would indicate, or you purchased your "Mid-June" iMac a week before the "Late-November" model hits the shelves.

P · Apr 4, 2013, 10:14 AM

I think the official name of your Mac shows up in the "About this Mac" window these days, but I agree that it would be better to focus on the "iMac 11,1" version number names.

Thorzdad · Apr 4, 2013, 10:26 AM

That must be a post-Snow Leopard thing, then. My "About this Mac" only identifies my iMac by its processor.

Spheric Harlot · Apr 4, 2013, 10:59 AM

System Profiler identifies my machine as "early 2011".

10.8, early 2011 MacBook Pro 13".

P · Apr 4, 2013, 03:55 PM

Yup, the names in System Profiler is a Lion thing - at least that prominently. It got a pretty big makeover.

bonniescotland · Apr 6, 2013, 12:37 AM

Thanks for the supportive replies. And some of those other issues mentioned about other confusing name structures I had no idea about, wow!
As I previously mentioned I think it would be pretty easy for Apple to fix by stating the animal and OS in the About Mac area, wouldn't cost them anything and might make life easier for some of us.

By the way I'm thinking as most of the cats have been done maybe for the next OS they should move onto some other animals, personally I vote for the Sloth!

As David Attenborough says "The sloth only climbs out of his tree to eat and defecate." !

So I think it's the animal that many of us computer addicts glued to our seats can relate to! Hee hee!

bonniescotland · Apr 6, 2013, 12:50 AM

OS X 11 - The Sloth

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...y82njOPPnZM%3A

All this little guy needs now is a MacBook!

John B. Smith · Apr 6, 2013, 02:56 AM

Is Sloth snappy?

bonniescotland · Apr 6, 2013, 04:31 AM

He moves too slow to be snappy!
And he looks too smiley to be snappy too.
Though if you try and move him from his tree he might get snappy!
Or are you asking whether The Sloth is a snappy title for a new OS? Well I think it might more accurately describe most computer enthusiasts rather than Snow Leopard! Don't know about you but it's been a while since I've gone out and hunted my own food, speaking of food feeling a bit hungry but can't be bothered to get out of my chair to make something. Have I made my point?

Though this guy looks a bit snappy (but maybe he's yawning):
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...RvVBW9NWWaM%3A

bonniescotland · 04:36 AM

And here he is smiling, how can you resist this little guy, forget OS X 11 this guy needs to be the Mac ambassador!

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...Y-mhXen-2-M%3A

(Last sloth photo I promise!)

DarkStarRed · May 1, 2013, 04:42 AM

Maybe they'll call it Magic Mountain