[Big Mac]

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: the Ars Technica review: Page 1

Enlightening as always. The API framework discussion is very interesting - Cocoa is becoming the only first class citizen.

[reader50]

Very complete review. Go read it if you haven't already.

The internals are updated much more than I'd thought they would be. Unfortunately, the UI glitches and all the install issues we are seeing here suggest Leopard needed another month of polishing before release.

Application code signing. I hope they mean only the application binary located in application.app/Contents/MacOS/application . If they block the entire application bundle from execution if it's modified ... then we can no longer do ResEdit-type mods. Like swapping graphic UI elements. Even viewing package contents will deposit .DS_Store files within the bundle, throwing off the hash. I already feel a particular urge to fiddle some Finder graphics, and I don't even own Leopard yet.

I'll wait to get Leopard until Resolution Independence gets turned on sometime in 2008. That will give Apple plenty of time to fix the menubar/Dock appearance & behaviors/Finder icons too. Or let the modification community take care of that.

Besides, that may be how long it takes for 750 GB drives (Time Machine use) to become the sweet spot in the storage price range. Currently, they're about 30% more per GB than 400/500 GB drives. Since I already have a 500, the TM drive ought to be bigger if it's to back up everything.

[peeb]

First decent review I've seen - very good. Actually, I think the UI needed less polishing. His comments on the dock and the folder icons are spot on - they were not broken - now they are.

[Big Mac]

Regarding the Dock: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: the Ars Technica review: Page 13

Oversight: He laments the loss of being able to click on a folder and get a Finder window, but apparently he never used Dock folder menus.

[MartiNZ]

Well so far the review is amusing me more because I'm getting "Alex" to read it to me, than because of the content. I started out with it at normal speed and found it a bit quick and still "skippy" like the old voices, so I turned it to slow ... and boy is he out of it then. Useful though, I can happily keep browsing in other tabs and so on while he talks - I don't assume this is a new feature but who would have wanted to listen to the voices so long before .

[thunderous_funker]

Epic review. He's got to be one fierce two-fisted coffee drinking insomniac.

I can't disagree with his UI complaints, although I think its only fair to admit that not all Apple users are graphic designers, font nazis or UI fetishists who are savagely tortured by the changes.

Yes, some of the changes are arguably downgrades, but not everyone is that annoyed by such things. Let's be honest, the mac user community has some REALLY tough customers. I can't remember how many times there has been a new preview or hot new feature and all anyone on the interwebs can talk about is "zomg can you believe they used that font???"

Smile, Mac-fanatics. You know it to be true.

[MacosNerd]

Quite an indepth review, my eyes glazed over a few times. I'll have to go back and re-read it again.

He seems quite critical of the changes to the UI, but seems pretty pleased with the changes that occurred in the kernel.

[lpkmckenna]

I love Siracusa's reviews. I always learn so much. This one seemed less techie than the previous two, though.

[besson3c]

You see *this* is real usability critique... Not many of our "I hate the look of the new folders/scrollbars" threads... He actually lays out good arguments how aesthetic changes affect usability, which is far more interesting to me than weighing in on what looks the prettiest.

[Big Mac]

That's nice, besson, but most of us don't get developer seeds and thus aren't entitled to write exhaustive reviews of that type about prerelease software. We all know that the majority of the UI critiques brought up around here aren't as substantive as Siracusa's critiques. However, he does speak about the same types of UI aesthetics and problems with "features" like the new Dock and Stacks, just as we have.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

That's nice, besson, but most of us don't get developer seeds and thus aren't entitled to write exhaustive reviews of that type about prerelease software. We all know that the majority of the UI critiques brought up around here aren't as substantive as Siracusa's critiques. However, he does speak about the same types of UI aesthetics and problems with "features" like the new Dock and Stacks, just as we have.

Good point. In some cases the screenshots that have been available for months have provided us with enough fodder to critique certain aspects of the UI in the way Siracusa has, but I suppose nothing beats actually sitting down and playing with it. It wouldn't have occurred to me that there is little distinction between the Apple defined home directory folders, for instance, without actually putting them next to each other in the Dock like Siracusa did.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

I hate his reviews. He spends 3 pages talking about some coding that 99.9% of users would never see or care about and spends a paragraph on spaces and other selling features.

[CharlesS]

That's why I like his reviews. He gives you the full picture of what's new in the OS, and explains the deep kernel-level stuff in plain English. It's the only place where you get a nice, understandable rundown on what's really changed in a new OS. By contrast, there are probably a few thousand reviews out there that spend all their time on the "selling features". Just go read one of those if you're interested in those. Personally, I find them boring, because the "selling features" are usually things you can discover on your own in about 5 minutes of using the thing yourself. Except, of course, for the little "hidden" features like option-clicking the '+' button in the Find button to get a nested clause, and whose reviews are you going to find tricks like that in? Siracusa's!

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Good point. In some cases the screenshots that have been available for months have provided us with enough fodder to critique certain aspects of the UI in the way Siracusa has, but I suppose nothing beats actually sitting down and playing with it. It wouldn't have occurred to me that there is little distinction between the Apple defined home directory folders, for instance, without actually putting them next to each other in the Dock like Siracusa did.

Thank you. it's true - there's a lot you don't know just from screen shots. I don't really know how I'll react to the new window type and deep foreground drop shadows right now. I don't know how I'll react to the menu bar. There's a lot I don't know. I didn't know that the spatial Finder gets screwed over even more. I really wish someone will pull Apple's head out of its ass on that one and finally separate the two modes cleanly. The things I do know about, however, I have been very vocal about.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

I hate his reviews. He spends 3 pages talking about some coding that 99.9% of users would never see or care about and spends a paragraph on spaces and other selling features.

Strange. You may not be a geek. His discussions of OS X architectural improvements are very interesting to me, but I've always loved such aspects. But I was surprised by his short treatment of Spaces as well - I guess he ran out of things to say about it.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

I hate his reviews. He spends 3 pages talking about some coding that 99.9% of users would never see or care about and spends a paragraph on spaces and other selling features.

I disagree strongly... His reviews are the *only* reviews where people can learn about the nuts and bolts. If I wanted to learn about what pretty new icons and screensavers have been included I'd read InformationWeek, CNet, Macrumors, Thinksecret or something...

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Good point. In some cases the screenshots that have been available for months have provided us with enough fodder to critique certain aspects of the UI in the way Siracusa has, but I suppose nothing beats actually sitting down and playing with it. It wouldn't have occurred to me that there is little distinction between the Apple defined home directory folders, for instance, without actually putting them next to each other in the Dock like Siracusa did.

Yeah, and those who were able to sit down and play with it weren't able to talk about it at the time. I was kind of surprised when you didn't show up for my "Besson3c Technical Stuff Thread" on launch day.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Yeah, and those who were able to sit down and play with it weren't able to talk about it at the time. I was kind of surprised when you didn't show up for my "Besson3c Technical Stuff Thread" on launch day.

I guess I missed this thread... Is it still active?

[CharlesS]

Nah, it dropped off the front page. It didn't get as much activity as I had hoped.

Here's the link, if you'd like to try and resurrect it.

[Peter]

Great review, as always

[voodoo]

I waited for Siracusa's review with great anticipation after thoroughly enjoying his Tiger review. This review was worth the wait.

It's the only review needed for Macintosh users today.

V

[Big Mac]

More technically inclined users, at least.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

More technically inclined users, at least.

Were you replying to my post or just making a general comment..? It seems you are replying to my post but it doesn't quite make sense.

Like if I wrote "That car is good." and you reply "More technically inclined drivers at least".

V

[peeb]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Were you replying to my post or just making a general comment..? It seems you are replying to my post but it doesn't quite make sense.

Like if I wrote "That car is good." and you reply "More technically inclined drivers at least".

V

I think he meant that the review was good for more technically inclined users.

[MartiNZ]

Exactly... that's why I skipped at least 3 pages of the review. Just listened to MacBreak Weekly - they had John on, and stuck to the easier to understand things, and happily all were rather against stacks .

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by peeb 

I think he meant that the review was good for more technically inclined users.

Everyone who reads MacNN forums is technical enough.

V