[cgc]

Originally Posted by goose

I'd just be happy if they got the icons to stop jumping around and to stay where I put them and for the snap-to-grid grid not to keep shifting.....

I'd love snap to grid in Dashboard too...need to align widgets somehow.

[blackbird_1.0]

Get rid of the aqua/graphite scroll bars.
Option to place scroll bar on left or right of a window.
Tabbed Dock for apps, windows, and documents.
Snap-to-grid widget organization in Dashboard.
Maybe a shelf for the Finder?
Option to customize background of Finder sidebar.
Piles!

[MacManMikeOSX]

I want a theme like Ubuntu's human theme, easy on the eyes and not all glassy.

[brokenjago]

Bring back hypercard!

[jpphipps]

Merge contents of folders when copying over them. This would be very much appreciated.

[GeeYouEye]

• ZFS as a file system option
• A Spatial Finder that actually works
• on that note: if I've got all my windows set to Aqua, and I hit cmnd-N, open a new AQUA window, not metal!
• Better yet, since Aqua is supposed to be spatial, an enforced 1-to-1 mapping of folders/windows would be wonderful. For this alone, I'd shell out $$$.
• Less resource-intensive Widgets! (I'm looking at you, Weather Widget) Not everyone has a G5 or Core Duo.
• More storage options for CoreData.
• Resource Fork manager/editor for Intel Macs; ResEdit won't run and there are at least Rosetta-compatible apps that use resource forks (EV Nova comes to mind).
• While I'm fantasizing, make Classic work with Rosetta! I badly want a new MacBook, but my retro games are important, dammit!
• iChat plugin scaffolding for adding new IM engines and smilies (Yahoo's are unbelievably better than AIM/iChat's, but Yahoo Messenger sucks badly on the Mac).
• Make iCal something less than dog-slow on the G4
• better CM's in the Finder (erase CD-RW, for instance)
• Stop dabbling in experimental UI's for release software (Mail...). If it's not considered experimental, put it in Interface Builder.
• Objective-C Garbage Collection done right (It's known already that GC is coming... they just have to do it right!).
• Io (http://www.iolanguage.com) or Smalltalk or Logo built in, as well as Objective-C/C/C++/Java.
• Also, if Apple had to introduce a new first-class language to Mac OS X, Io would be my choice. It'd mean significant work, but having programmed a bit in it, I think it'd be worth it.
• Piles would be nice, but not necessary.
• Undeprecate EOF-Objective-C! All the code is still there, all that needs writing is EOSchemaSynchronizationController. CoreData for the lightweight apps, EOF for the heavyweights. This would be in lieu of adding more data stores to CoreData.
• ProKit made non-private.
• Not as a technical thing, but from a marketing POV, market the hell out of the fact that WebObjects is free. Actually they could do that now. An updated (bug-fixed only!) version of EOModeler, or a working EOModeler plugin for Xcode, would be nice as well.
• Faster, snappier, etc.

[wancothesane]

recordable desktops as is already available in snapz pro
the ability to allow , deny, the use of ports and the ability to know when ports are being used by using system preferences as is available in little snitch
hell surely apple knows about all these "add ons' that we have to buy to make the operating system what it should be....

[wancothesane]

Originally Posted by Jacob

Personally, I would love to see 'live desktops'. Which are technically movie files which loop on your desktop. A couple of software designers have made apps like these, but are not very good. I'm sure if Apple implemented their own version of this idea into the OS, it would be superior, elegant, and compliment OS X. Let me give an example: A scene at the ocean. But the water ripples slightly, and the leaves blow every so often. (Although not too sudden-as to decrease confusion and clutter).

'Independant folder encryption' This is an idea I thought SOMEONE would implement by now, Winzip does it...but I would like to see it on normal folders too. What I mean is, give folders the option to be password protected. That way, if a user had certain files which were very important, they could lock it. Then enable a systemwide folder password. (Having different passwords allowed on individual folders would lead to certain doom...as users would most likely forget all the different passwords!).

as above...cant afford them all another app out there is multiple clipboards thats a good one......tucows has em....

[Judge_Fire]

Here's are two I've been persistently sending to Apple:

Spotlight keyword field in Save dialog
For quick tagging of files while they're being saved, a simple free form text field - similar to the one found in Get info.

On a related note, Vista will probably display file properties, including keywords, more prominently. With current screen real estate, I'd love a more usable 'Get info' view that's on by default. If it gets in the way, go ahead, turn it off, but think of the newbies who never find 'Get info' as it is now. Too many things are too well hidden in the Finder, aka. 'Why aren't there icon previews'.


Saveable folder view settings
Quite often, I like to view incoming images as '128x128 icons, name at bottom, sorted by date, on a dark grey background'. So often, actually, that I'd love to have it as a shortcut - say cmd-4 in the View menu. Having a 'save' button in 'View options' that would allow me to recall any of my three favorite views would suffice. And no, AppleScript Toolbar thingys are too slow.

Apple has been delegating image previewing to apps like iPhoto and Aperture, but this is the Finder's turf; managing files visually, without the overhead of yet-another-app.

J

[Catfish_Man]

Originally Posted by GeeYouEye

• ZFS as a file system option
• Objective-C Garbage Collection done right (It's known already that GC is coming... they just have to do it right!).
• Io (http://www.iolanguage.com) or Smalltalk or Logo built in, as well as Objective-C/C/C++/Java.
• Also, if Apple had to introduce a new first-class language to Mac OS X, Io would be my choice. It'd mean significant work, but having programmed a bit in it, I think it'd be worth it.
• Faster, snappier, etc.
• More storage options for CoreData.

win.

iChat plugin scaffolding for adding new IM engines

<dreaming>Or just make the iChat AIM engine public API so we can build on it </dreaming>

and smilies

Maybe support the adium emoticon format?

Or even better, the message view format shared by Adium, Kopete, GTalk, and Skype[Mac], and the unified logging format being worked on for Adium, Gaim, Kopete, Telepathy, and a few others.

[Eug Wanker]

Is there a list somewhere of what we actually know will be in 10.5 Leopard?

[lookmark]

We don't know much. Apple has kept the lid on this one nice and tight.

Here's my list from the top of my head, pretty much all from MOSXR, with some cautious chiming from MR:

- updated Finder code named "Chardonnay", w/ extensive use of Spotlight alongside an improved UI and performance improvement (mosxr + MR)
- built-in virtualization solution (mosxr)
- shared work/collaboration API (mosxr)
- Apple Spotlight patents on auto-generation of secondary metadata (Hrmpf)

[Eug Wanker]

It's this built in virtualization rumour that is preventing me from pre-paying for Parallels.

I've also heard about the Chardonnay Finder updates. The Finder definitely needs an update.

I'm surprised that not that much else is known, but I guess Apple hasn't said much to 3rd party developers yet. I look forward to August. 10.5 gets unveiled, as do the Mac Pro towers.

That also suggests to me that we won't see 10.5 released until 2007. If the first real unveiling of 10.5 is in August, then it seems too optimistic to expect 10.5 released by the end of 2006.

[Catfish_Man]

Originally Posted by lookmark

We don't know much. Apple has kept the lid on this one nice and tight.

Here's my list from the top of my head, pretty much all from MOSXR, with some cautious chiming from MR:

- updated Finder code named "Chardonnay", w/ extensive use of Spotlight alongside an improved UI and performance improvement (mosxr + MR)
- built-in virtualization solution (mosxr)
- shared work/collaboration API (mosxr)
- Apple Spotlight patents on auto-generation of secondary metadata (Hrmpf)

All of that's pretty rumorish, and from probably the least reliable site ever.

Some actual info, in order of how sure I am:

Improved Safari (significantly faster, SVG support, better html/css/js support)
Improved WebKit (cocoa bindings support for js-dom objects, improved js-objc bridging, + the above safari improvements)
Objective-C garbage collection
Resolution-independent UI
Quartz 2D Extreme (it was in 10.4, never got turned on. Sounds like 10.5 tech to me)
LLVM-enhanced GCC (they're working on it, but will it be done for 10.5? No idea)
ZFS support (I really doubt they'll be done with this for 10.5, but again they've said they're working on it)

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Catfish_Man

All of that's pretty rumorish, and from probably the least reliable site ever.

MOSXR not MOSR. MOSXR is not too bad as a rumour site.

Some actual info, in order of how sure I am:

Improved Safari (significantly faster, SVG support, better html/css/js support)
Improved WebKit (cocoa bindings support for js-dom objects, improved js-objc bridging, + the above safari improvements)
Objective-C garbage collection
Resolution-independent UI
Quartz 2D Extreme (it was in 10.4, never got turned on. Sounds like 10.5 tech to me)
LLVM-enhanced GCC (they're working on it, but will it be done for 10.5? No idea)
ZFS support (I really doubt they'll be done with this for 10.5, but again they've said they're working on it)

Yeah, resolution independence seems like a strong possibility, considering that the beginnings of it are in 10.4. I also have vague recollection of someone saying that 10.5 compatible icons are 512x512, or something like that. Dunno if that's true, but it would make sense.

Assuming they've got the drivers in order for Q2DE, I wonder how much of a speedup I'll get with my MacBook and its GMA 950.

ie. Will 10.5 truly be faster on existing hardware?

[lookmark]

Yup, all rumors. Mind you, though, MOSXR is not MOSR. No doubt MOSR is talking about Apple rewriting the Windows APIs and mind control technology and Octo-Core Duos and... god knows what else.

Your info is good (though just equally speculative whether it will make it into 10.5 or not). One thing I think will surely make it in: resolution independence, as evidenced by 10.4's developer trial run and Hyatt's recent public discussion about high resolution website design.

[lookmark]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

It's this built in virtualization rumour that is preventing me from pre-paying for Parallels.

Yeah, Parallels really has to make all the sales they can before August 7 if this is in fact true.

I've also heard about the Chardonnay Finder updates. The Finder definitely needs an update.

Agreed, the Finder has needed some love for a long while now, so it's hard not to see the Chardonnay rumor as being true.

That also suggests to me that we won't see 10.5 released until 2007. If the first real unveiling of 10.5 is in August, then it seems too optimistic to expect 10.5 released by the end of 2006.

Yup, early '07 for Leopard I suspect. I actually think Apple is aiming to release 10.5 at the same time as Vista, and try to capture some current from Vista's massive wave. Though with Vista's release date being unsteady as it is, that may actually be kind of tricky.

[bonaccij]

Originally Posted by jaydon34

This is a stretch... Running windows applications native in os x due to the switch to intel processors

This is a great idea.. Microsoft API's inside OS X 10.5.. I would love that... it would solve soooo many problems.

[siMac]

...and introduce all manner of new ones.

[dreamBweaver]

iTunes can play back WAVE files (are they really WAVE's i wonder) with Dolby Digital in them but gives us no real way to even convert an AC3 to that and AC3's don't play in iTunes. Therefore music from your DVD's is out of your reach. You may have an easier time converting DTS to WAVE but I found no tool after a week of searching to get AC3 (Mac The Ripper) to anything iTunes can handle. The tools out there are not Intel-based and not intuitive and manually mixing in QuickTime Pro each channel is not so great. Why bother with toslink on every system if we can only use it for DVD's and not just music? Once you hear something like The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots CD vs. AC3 you will know which you prefer, assuming you have 5.1 speakers. Many DVD's have music on them that you already own. We have to add support just like there is for Apple Lossless for the high-end. This is a good high-end feature that already has third-party software on the Windows as well but the key is not just making MP3's out of your DVD's but a lossless conversion that maintains the Dolby signal. Anyone can make an MP3.

[Salty]

DLed the new Uno gotta say I'm loving the dark feel.

[monkpea]

Search hidden and system files...

It's such a pain not being able to do this from the so called "finder".

[Simon]

I'd like to see Apple fix the inconsistency when it comes to keyboard equivalents in dialogs. Right now there's a whole bunch of methods and it seems almost every dialog follows another set of rules. There are:

• return for the default (can be yes, no, cancel or any other default button)
• there's esc for 'no' when yes is the default
• there's esc for 'yes' when no's the default
• there's the first letter of the button label
• there's cmd-letter where letter's the first letter of the button label

I want to so them stick with one sensible method that's followed by all dialogs.

[booboo]

I've been banging on in this forum, this thread - and others - for at least the last couple of years - how I'd like Mac OS X's Finder to gain all the iApp's meta-data browsing and editing abilities, and ultimately how I'd like to dispense with the proprietary virtual file systems of iTunes, iMovie, GarageBand in favour of the Finder's file system (this doesn't mean that these app's can't operate as 'smart' virtual filesytems, but that they should also be compatable with what the Finder showes.)

My preferred implimentation would be if there is just one file-system which shows all meta-data, MP3, tags, iPhoto tags, and that this is extensible via plug-ins (so we could get 3rd party meta data support say for FLAC , ape or .rom files, for example) and this would require that the iApp's functionality becomes system-wide, and iTunes and iPhoto (and the like) become front ends for this functionality.

Crucially, there would be no apparent change in the way these app's work, as far as the user is concerned, but every other app would also have access to their meta data.

Imagine file open/save boxes where a 3rd party audio editor can see the iTunes tags, name, rating , etc, where Photoshop can browse your iPhoto libraries as iPhone sees them, where Audion sees the same file hierarchy as iTunes and as the Finder, where the Finder shows the file name and the iTunes song name, where browsing an image file in File Open window allows iPhoto/Aperture functionality to zoom, and displays their edits . . .)

I think you get the picture?

Anyway, I recently read rumours to the effect that some of this is actually going to happen, yay! It's just that I can't find the site right now - boo!

Anyone remember where it was?

[taldrich]

I would like to see Sync and iDisk run more smoothly.

I run four different computers plus a PDA and although the theory is great, the reality is not as smooth as it should be. You can't save documents or other files directly to a sub-folder of Documents on iDisk, and retrieving them can be a little slow.

A mirror Desktop would be nice.

Oh, and running Windows apps natively in OS X is a brilliant idea.

[Judge_Fire]

Originally Posted by booboo

I've been banging on in this forum, this thread - and others - for at least the last couple of years - how I'd like Mac OS X's Finder to gain all the iApp's meta-data browsing and editing abilities, and ultimately how I'd like to dispense with the proprietary virtual file systems of iTunes, iMovie, GarageBand in favour of the Finder's file system (this doesn't mean that these app's can't operate as 'smart' virtual filesytems, but that they should also be compatable with what the Finder showes.)

[hsl]

there's only one thing i really want,

mount images in the finder with sftp, would be great!
and not just readible, but also writable an executable ...

[production_coordinator]

My one big ticket item... offer an "iBackUp" application. Where I can have numberous options to backup my data to DVDs (or CDs).

It should have checkboxes:
- Backup your iTunes music and library
- Backup your applications
- Backup your Documents folder
- Backup [specify folder]
- Backup your email [Entourage and/or Mail]
- Backup your OS X preferences
- Backup all [specify file type]

- Backup all data to: CD/DVD/External Drive/Network Location

The program should make it easy to recover from a catastrophic failure, and have a novice and pro mode.

[jbleisure]

I'd love to have a more inntegrated Mail/iCal/Address book. Perhaps integrated into one screen. I dropped Entourage last year as it was way too unstable but I really lilked being able to see all that information on one screen. It's so helpful when you work like I do, managing lots of work with email, meetings, dates, contacts etc,

[production_coordinator]

Originally Posted by jbleisure

I'd love to have a more inntegrated Mail/iCal/Address book. Perhaps integrated into one screen. I dropped Entourage last year as it was way too unstable but I really lilked being able to see all that information on one screen. It's so helpful when you work like I do, managing lots of work with email, meetings, dates, contacts etc,

While it could be nice... I like the idea of having them separate. IMHO, lumping them together makes them all weaker and more susceptible to bloat.

[generationfourt]

all I ask for is that the login box shakes its head if you get your pw wrong upon waking up from the screensaver, like the login box does upon startup

[Curiosity]

What would be nice would be a screen display that was easy to customize, including colours.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Curiosity

What would be nice would be a screen display that was easy to customize, including colours.

Yes, because when I sit down at somebody else's Mac to provide support, what I want to see is somebody's MySpace color scheme brought to the desktop.

[siMac]

In which case you would turn those customizations off as the first step.

I would like to see some kind of 'theme' support in 10.5 too, but it'll never happen...

[jyunderwood]

Does anyone think theming would lead to more adoption of Mac OS X?

There many better social networking sites out there but people do like crappy color schemes and cheesey animated clip art and thus myspace is more popular.

Though I don't know anyone personally who uses custom themes on windows xp.

Personally I like the simple blue/grey setup.

[Dillon-K]

Hey... I know this is a little bit off-topic in this thread, but I didn't want to start a new one for this simple (and very mac-newbish) question: When Leopard comes out, will programs that run in Tiger still run?

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by jyunderwood

Does anyone think theming would lead to more adoption of Mac OS X?

There many better social networking sites out there but people do like crappy color schemes and cheesey animated clip art and thus myspace is more popular.

Though I don't know anyone personally who uses custom themes on windows xp.

Personally I like the simple blue/grey setup.

No.

Theming is a niche market and creates support nightmares. End of story. You basically answered your own question in the two last sentences.

Dillon-K: Yes.

[Catfish_Man]

Originally Posted by Dillon-K

Hey... I know this is a little bit off-topic in this thread, but I didn't want to start a new one for this simple (and very mac-newbish) question: When Leopard comes out, will programs that run in Tiger still run?

A few programs will have issues with UI scaling and 256x256 icon support. iirc there's at least one place in Adium where we assume 128x128. Quickdraw apps will get kicked in the teeth by scaling.

[inkhead]

I promise you there will be NO virtualization in 10.5, that's the next OS release. Apple's solution for 10.5 will be bootcamp aka booting into windows. There will be VMWare, and Parralles which both will get faster with time.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by inkhead

I promise you there will be NO virtualization in 10.5, that's the next OS release. Apple's solution for 10.5 will be bootcamp aka booting into windows. There will be VMWare, and Parralles which both will get faster with time.

How do you know this for sure?

[digiology2]

Multiple clipboards, please! Allow it as an advanced feature and make sure it doesn't obstruct the way we are used to copying and pasting.
A backup program would be really handy.
A better automator, allowing people to create automated tasks (and also event invoked tasks) with optional lower level control over what can be done.

[lpetschauer]

Make .mac free! With AOL offering 5GB of free web space, free email, etc., the bar has been raised for other companies.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

My one big ticket item... offer an "iBackUp" application. Where I can have numberous options to backup my data to DVDs (or CDs).

It should have checkboxes:
- Backup your iTunes music and library
- Backup your applications
- Backup your Documents folder
- Backup [specify folder]
- Backup your email [Entourage and/or Mail]
- Backup your OS X preferences
- Backup all [specify file type]

- Backup all data to: CD/DVD/External Drive/Network Location

The program should make it easy to recover from a catastrophic failure, and have a novice and pro mode.

I guess someone got their wish granted, although what you were talking about already exists from Apple already of course.

[exonym]

1) Fix the fscking Finder.

2) End the interface schizophrenia.

3) 'Performance' section in System Prefs for easy toggling of the ever-expanding plethora of resource intensive gee-whiz bells & whistles which are currently scattered amongst several different System Prefs, or require a 3rd party utility to disable.

[sc_markt]

QUARTZEXTREME 2D. Its been over a week and I still haven't found out if its turned on and working in 10.5.

- Mark

[iREZ]

i just want uniform apps when it comes to appearance, and i want everything to turn grey when i switch from blue to graphite in appearances. it makes no sense to leave all folders blue along with the side bar highlight while everything else is grey. i thought apple = pretty in the computer world.

[Franz]

Originally Posted by sc_markt

QUARTZEXTREME 2D. Its been over a week and I still haven't found out if its turned on and working in 10.5.

Quartz 2D Extreme has been renamed to Quartz GL. You can keep it enabled after you quit the Quartz Debug application..

Originally Posted by iREZ

i just want uniform apps when it comes to appearance, and i want everything to turn grey when i switch from blue to graphite in appearances. it makes no sense to leave all folders blue along with the side bar highlight while everything else is grey. i thought apple = pretty in the computer world.

It seems that Apple is moving towards this...

A few brushed metal apps (iSync, iChat, Automator) and aqua apps (Preview) have become unified style. It looks like Safari may become unified too.

[sc_markt]

Originally Posted by Franz

Quartz 2D Extreme has been renamed to Quartz GL. You can keep it enabled after you quit the Quartz Debug application..



It seems that Apple is moving towards this...

A few brushed metal apps (iSync, iChat, Automator) and aqua apps (Preview) have become unified style. It looks like Safari may become unified too.

Thank you!

- Mark

[billy_d_goat]

I would say the biggest problem I have with 10.x is the finder and networking. Between servers hanging the finder and odd GUI problems while browsing file, I have tons of issues (though mostly minor irritations.)

[Curiosity]

A colour scheme like "Media Peach" in Knoppix would be much easier on the eyes. The ability to change the colours of different parts of windows easily would be nice as well.