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Franz · Oct 12, 2006, 10:59 PM

Today's update (build 9A283) is only available for ADC developers (Select and Premier) and is intended as a fresh-install (rather than updating the WWDC build of Leopard).

Changes listed from the WWDC seed include:

- new Parental Controls preference pane for content filtering, apps, and curfews
- Significant user interface changes to iCal
- 3D audio cues to indicate locations of items on the screen in the VoiceOver screen reader
- Basic editing in Preview

There are still several known issues documented.

Source: Mac Rumors: New Mac OS X 10.5 (9A283) Leopard Seed

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I am guessing iCal is no longer brushed metal and more, I would like to see some screenshots of it. Hopefully someone posts some soon .

Ozmodiar · Oct 13, 2006, 12:34 AM

Is there still any hope that they'll change the name to Calendar? That would be overhaul enough for me.

Adam Betts · Oct 13, 2006, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

Is there still any hope that they'll change the name to Calendar? That would be overhaul enough for me.

Ditto, iCal is such an ugly name.

rickey939 · Oct 13, 2006, 11:26 AM

Hmm, interesting.

monkeybrain · Oct 13, 2006, 11:49 AM

So apparently iCal looks like iTunes now.

rickey939 · Oct 13, 2006, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by monkeybrain

So apparently iCal looks like iTunes now.

Sweet, have you seen any screenshots?

esXXI · Oct 13, 2006, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by monkeybrain

So apparently iCal looks like iTunes now.

Ugh.

Someone bludgeon the iLife design team already.

blackbird_1.0 · Oct 13, 2006, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by rickey939

Sweet, have you seen any screenshots?

Seconded.

Macola · Oct 13, 2006, 04:40 PM

I don't care what the interface looks like--if I can just have recurring to-do's, I'll be happy!

CheesePuff · Oct 13, 2006, 05:27 PM

So no word on the new screen shots of iCal then?

imitchellg5 · Oct 13, 2006, 05:52 PM

Not unless someone wants to violate their NDA.

monkeybrain · Oct 13, 2006, 10:48 PM

I don't have screenshots, info comes from other forums. Looks like no one is willing to violate their NDA yet.

Previews in the Print Dialogue too, should be good (I hope they redesign the whole thing, using that menu to go from one option to the other seems less than ideal).

besson3c · Oct 13, 2006, 11:30 PM

There are so many possible Groupware-type features it could now have that could really help provide serious competition and feasible Exchange alternatives, the very last thing I care about is what shade the gradients are...

Franz · 02:35 PM

Here ya go, iCal in Leopard (click for bigger):

I think we can call brushed metal officially dead now. iChat, iSync, DVD Player, Automator and now iCal are all no longer brushed metal in Leopard. Everything is moving to the unified interface.

mitchell_pgh · Oct 16, 2006, 02:35 PM

Very interesting... I'm excited to see what Apple can come up with.

selowitch · Oct 16, 2006, 02:38 PM

Hmmph. As long as it's not horrifyingly ugly or difficult to read, I could care less what iCal looks like — let's have some new functionality instead! How about being able to share and group-edit iCal calendars over your home LAN, without dot-Mac? Now that would impressive.

TETENAL · Oct 16, 2006, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

I think we can call brushed metal officially dead now.

Really? What are the apps in this demo video?

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/timemachine.html

rickey939 · Oct 16, 2006, 02:52 PM

Looks good.

thebiscuit · Oct 16, 2006, 03:13 PM

I think they should have a prefpane for a choice of brushed metal, aqua or unified - although I like unified and I'm currently using UNO for my whole system, I'd like to go back to brushed metal in leopard when i feel like it. (old times sake)

Franz · Oct 16, 2006, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by TETENAL

Really? What are the apps in this demo video?

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/timemachine.html

Those apps just haven't been updated yet I'm sure - the interface changes in those are works in progress and haven't been completed yet. Just like the updated iCal look wasn't complete in that demo video yet.

There are only six brushed metal applications left (Address Book, Calculator, Finder, Font Book, Keychain Access, and Safari). Meanwhile NINE applications have dropped brushed metal recently (iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, iCal, DVD Player, Automator, iSync, iChat).

I am very confident that by the time Leopard releases there will be no brushed metal applications from Apple.

Dark Helmet · Oct 16, 2006, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

I think we can call brushed metal officially dead now. iChat, iSync, DVD Player, Automator and now iCal are all no longer brushed metal in Leopard. Everything is moving to the unified interface.

Yippie, but I rather they kill those stupid drawers. Thankfully it is gone in 10.5's preview app.

Dark Helmet · Oct 16, 2006, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Not unless someone wants to violate their NDA.

Ya that would never happen on the internet.

lpkmckenna · Oct 16, 2006, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

Here ya go, iCal in Leopard (click for bigger):

I think we can call brushed metal officially dead now. iChat, iSync, DVD Player, Automator and now iCal are all no longer brushed metal in Leopard. Everything is moving to the unified interface.

Ok, why does that app now need two toolbars? Put it all on the top, or put it all on the bottom. Sheesh, why waste so much space?

A new name is in order. How about Date Book? Goes with Address Book and Font Book, right? (iCal remains the lamest app name ever.)

And maybe Mail can be re-named, too? "Apple Mail" is a pretty lame name. iMail? Yeuch!

MartiNZ · Oct 17, 2006, 04:06 AM

Yeah I find it odd when they waste more space, especially vertical space, when all Apple displays shipping now are widescreen! It may be a work-in-progress thing anyway - the bottom toolbar buttons are still brushed metal style, maybe they're on their way up slowly.

Dark Helmet · Oct 17, 2006, 12:25 PM

I'm still expecting a much more drastic interface overhaul involving black and core animation so all this is just in-between sillyness.

kmkkid · Oct 17, 2006, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Ok, why does that app now need two toolbars? Put it all on the top, or put it all on the bottom. Sheesh, why waste so much space?

A new name is in order. How about Date Book? Goes with Address Book and Font Book, right? (iCal remains the lamest app name ever.)

And maybe Mail can be re-named, too? "Apple Mail" is a pretty lame name. iMail? Yeuch!

It fits in with the iTunes look. Main controls up top in 'plastic', secondary controls on bottom in 'ugly grey plastic'

chirpy22 · Oct 17, 2006, 02:42 PM

I just want to be able to see more than one line of text for full-day events in month view. I hate it when they get cut off at only one line.

besson3c · Oct 17, 2006, 03:09 PM

I want Apple to redesign iCal to match the color and look of my shoes.

It's no wonder that some don't take the Mac crowd seriously when conversation always seems to revolve around aesthetics.

Catfish_Man · Oct 17, 2006, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I want Apple to redesign iCal to match the color and look of my shoes.

It's no wonder that some don't take the Mac crowd seriously when conversation always seems to revolve around aesthetics.

Some people do seem to think aesthetics doesn't matter... their loss. Some other people mistake discussions of usability for ones about aesthetics as well.

That said, stuff like the black+CA comment is pretty ridiculous, I agree.

Dark Helmet · Oct 17, 2006, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

It's no wonder that some don't take the Mac crowd seriously when conversation always seems to revolve around aesthetics.

Aesthetics is only part of design, usability is the other.

Take away one and see what you got.

Either it looks good and doesn't work as well as a result or it looks like crap but works.

The trick is finding both which Apple accomplishes most of the time.

JKT · Oct 17, 2006, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

There are only six brushed metal applications left (Address Book, Calculator, Finder, Font Book, Keychain Access, and Safari).

You forgot Quicktime (which is somewhat ironic given that it was the first brushed metal application).

lpkmckenna · Oct 18, 2006, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by kmkkid

It fits in with the iTunes look. Main controls up top in 'plastic', secondary controls on bottom in 'ugly grey plastic'

I'd agree, but the bottom toolbar of iTunes is quite full: the center has info about your music library. iCal doesn't use that space.

imitchellg5 · Oct 18, 2006, 07:28 PM

Isn't Dictionary absent in Leopard now? A little off-topic, sorry.

Franz · Oct 18, 2006, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Isn't Dictionary absent in Leopard now? A little off-topic, sorry.

Dictionary is still there, and there is a Thesaurus in it now too. I will take a screenshot of it in a few mins since Leopard is not on this mac...

Sherlock was the app removed from Leopard.

ctachme · Oct 18, 2006, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

Here ya go, iCal in Leopard (click for bigger):

I think we can call brushed metal officially dead now. iChat, iSync, DVD Player, Automator and now iCal are all no longer brushed metal in Leopard. Everything is moving to the unified interface.

Meh, the new iCal doesn't look that great.

Personally, I'm a lot more curious what the new Preview.app is like. New editing features? Will I finally be able to ditch Photoshop Elements? That would make me a lot happier than this silly iCal.

TETENAL · Oct 18, 2006, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

Dictionary is still there, and there is a Thesaurus in it now too. I will take a screenshot of it in a few mins since Leopard is not on this mac...

No need to take a screenshot. There is a thesaurus in Tiger as well.

Franz · Oct 18, 2006, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by TETENAL

No need to take a screenshot. There is a thesaurus in Tiger as well.

Wow, I never even noticed that! Stupid me..

Anyway its still a bit different then the Tiger version, it now has a filter thing to choose:

 · Oct 19, 2006, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by ctachme

Meh, the new iCal doesn't look that great.

Personally, I'm a lot more curious what the new Preview.app is like. New editing features? Will I finally be able to ditch Photoshop Elements? That would make me a lot happier than this silly iCal.

Preview will not beat Elements, at least while iPhoto is still around. In fact, I am suprised that Preview hasn't been ditched for iPhoto.

TheoCryst · Oct 19, 2006, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by 

In fact, I am suprised that Preview hasn't been ditched for iPhoto.

They can't, for several reasons:
1) iPhoto does not come with Mac OS X, even though it comes with all new Macs.
2) While great for organizing pictures, sometimes you just want to read a PDF or look at an image without importing it into your library.

That being said, I'm looking forward to the new Preview and iCal in Leopard. Hopefully the iCal we see will ditch some of the empty white space that it has now. One thing I always liked about Tiger's iCal is how compact it is, with virtually no wasted space.

Oh, and I know I saw a pic of the new Preview somewhere... if I find it, I'll put it in here.

 · Oct 19, 2006, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by TheoCryst

They can't, for several reasons:
1) iPhoto does not come with Mac OS X, even though it comes with all new Macs.
2) While great for organizing pictures, sometimes you just want to read a PDF or look at an image without importing it into your library.

That being said, I'm looking forward to the new Preview and iCal in Leopard. Hopefully the iCal we see will ditch some of the empty white space that it has now. One thing I always liked about Tiger's iCal is how compact it is, with virtually no wasted space.

Oh, and I know I saw a pic of the new Preview somewhere... if I find it, I'll put it in here.

In response to #2, there would be a plugin that would allow you to view PDFs and images without importing it. I'm invisioning a compact window with options at the bottom: "Import, Close, Save," etc.

Franz · Oct 19, 2006, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by TheoCryst

Oh, and I know I saw a pic of the new Preview somewhere... if I find it, I'll put it in here.

Here you go:

TheoCryst · Oct 19, 2006, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

Here you go:

Bingo, thank you!

ctachme · Oct 19, 2006, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Franz

Here you go:

Oh, so does "basic editing" just mean annoation (plus all the stuff you can already do)? So you can't really draw like MS paint? Too bad, but I guess I can't complain since it's free with Mac OS X

MartiNZ · Oct 19, 2006, 10:20 PM

Hmm yeah that's something that is still missing from OS X, is painting, and possibly the one thing that AppleWorks is still good for

.

monkeybrain · Oct 19, 2006, 10:32 PM

Preview in Tiger has annotation, and basic editing too (cropping, image correction e.g brightness etc.). So I think they're still hiding the new features in Preview.

jasong · Oct 19, 2006, 10:43 PM

"I'm invisioning a compact window with options at the bottom: "Import, Close, Save," etc."

I'm envisioning them not making life overly complex by following your suggestion. Preview serves a completely different purpose from iPhoto and no good could come from trying to make a system-wide PDF and image viewer out of your photo library.

Art Vandelay · Oct 19, 2006, 10:53 PM

Agreed. The two should not be merged into one program.

Franz · Oct 19, 2006, 10:57 PM

Just to be clear the screenshot I posted was from an older build of Leopard, I did not upgrade to this latest build yet with the editing features.

Mediaman_12 · Oct 20, 2006, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by Franz

Here you go:

Looks like we will be getting more of those nasty buttons from Mail, why couldn't they kept with the smart 'white glossy' buttons from the Brushed apps.

jasong · Oct 20, 2006, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

Is there still any hope that they'll change the name to Calendar? That would be overhaul enough for me.

Seriously? Your only wanted improvement to iCal is the name? Just rename it to Calendar on your Mac and save yourself $129.00.