Post-Tiger wishlist

Tiger isn't even out yet (some of us are counting the days til April 29) and some are already thinking beyond, to the next incarnation of Apple's OS X operating system (Leopard? Lemur? Kitty Kitty?). Macworld editor Jason Snell has got a few items on his wishlist for the next next Mac OS:

• Smart locations: Settings that change globally depending on the user's location, so there's no need to manually intervene to set up things like email, printer, etc. depending on whether you're at home, at work, on the road.

• Smart syncing: The ability to choose any arbitrary folder to sync with a remote server (iDisk or other).

• "Profile": Which he suggests needs a better name, which we'll humbly submit as "Centralized OS" — the ability to log in to any available Mac and have access to your preferences, documents, even applications. This would just rock for anyone who uses multiple machines in the line of duty.

• iChat as Productivity Tool: Snell asks for an archived chat browser and tabbed chats, both of which we can solve by saying "Use Adium X!" His other ideas are to also archive audio and video chats, and even generate text transcripts from the multimedia content with time-based indexes. Yeah, we want this!

So this is a little out of turn for a "how would you change…" since one just happened (Apple haters relax — there's plenty we want to change about Microsoft products, too; you'll get your turn!), but this is sort of begging for it, so what the hey: How would you change Mac OS X?

[randy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

what's a liger?

it's pretty much my favorite animal! it's like a lion and a tiger mixed.. bred for its skills in magic

[Dan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Napoleon Dynamite is the man!

[Morten Skogly from Pappmaskin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Dude, why does the package he's holding up say Liger? I'm not a MAC user but I thought I read somewhere that the name was Tiger?

[Austin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Flippin' sweet.

[danb @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It is a joke.

As in imagine 10.8 (possibly called liger) what you wou want in it....

[Dean @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

LOL, Morten, its just a joke, "Liger" is from Napoleon Dynamite, the movie. Since the last few OS's from Apple ... ah its just easier to call you stupid.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

A bug that is small but annoys the beejeezus out of me is that when I burn a disc in any program and then eject it from that program, Finder still indicates that there is a disc in the drive, which I then have to tell FInder to eject. I just hope they fix it in Tiger. Maybe by the time Liger gets around, its magical skills will automagically detect whether there is a disc in the drive or not.

I also wish they would change those ridiculous folder icons. The rest of the GUI is gorgeous but they have these hideous folder icons. They should get together with Xanthic or one of the other GUI artists and put something real nice together.

[Mike Cerm @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hey, here's an idea, maybe if Apple is going to release these upgrades every year, they should stop forcing you to pay $80-100 for them. If I was a Mac user, I'm sure that would be enough to get me to finally switch to Linux. Also, they should really focus on compatiblity. You can't buy a even printer today that will run on 10.1 or 10.2. If it's not 10.2.3, you're out of luck, and that's really annoying, but that's also how they force you to upgrade. Almost everything that ran in Windows 98 will run on XP, and the reverse is also fairly true.

[Sylvain @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I'm using tiger now, and there is a big LACK in Spotlight : it doesn't search through apple's own iPhoto... They could have added a plug-in that would go through iPhoto's database just like iTune's.
Hope this feature will be added soon (third party or apple).

[Kapila Wimalaratne @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

1. Preview would be able to open multiple PDFs
(or images, etc) and save them into one PDF
document.

2. Users would be able to place individual
System Preferences (e.g. "Desktop and
Screensaver") directly in the Finder menu,
the same way "Displays" can already be placed
in the Finder menu.

OR

There would be a Dashboard widget to allow
quick access to System Preferences.

3. Safari would have more of the functionality
of Firefox e.g. Bookmarks sidebar, ability
to instantly add multiple bookmarks into a
bookmarks folder, extensions, etc..

4. I'd make the Chess that comes with OS X
playable over the internet.

Kap

[_victor @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

All of the features mentioned in the article would totally rock the OS.

Add to the folder-level sync, a way to do that across multiple devices (your flash/usb drive for instance).

And how about the ability to key over to different dialog box choices? OK or Cancel should not force you to move to another input device.

Speaking of Win95 technologies, how about the ability to resize a window from ANY side of that window? Don't just lock us into one eeety beeety corner...

Universal keyboard macros would be cool too.

But I really want Dogcow to come back. Get rid of that grinning Blue Man Group reject for Finder and put Dogcow in charge. Yeah!

[J. Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

How about x86 support?

[ZildjianKX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

As a switcher, a few things I think would make the Mac OS nicer:

1. Built in slideshow in the finder. Downloading a bunch of photos on the net then wanting to see them in a slideshow would be nice instead of either using preview and opening them all or using iphoto. Windows XP has them beat with the built in slideshow that can go through all the photos in a folder.

2. I still miss being able to cut files and not just copy them, very handy.

3. For the "Get info" on a file, it should be able to tell you a JPEG's resolution, dpi, and an MP3's bitrate, etc.

4. Being able to burn 700 meg CDs in the finder.

5. Moving the ability to change the default mail and browser back into the system pref panel instead of in Safari and Mail.

6. A Samba file sharing GUI, it's stupid that you either have to pull up terminal or use a 3rd party app like Sharepoints, the same goes for FTP.

7. A GUI to manage program preference files would be nice.

8. Full built in file defrag for larger files and not just smaller files. Anyone who does a lot of work with very large files knows OS X still needs a defrag every once in awhile.

9. Perhaps quick boot options for laptops like Longhorn is suppose to have.

[mroach @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I feel that Finder in general is a nuisance if you're doing anything but navigating to one file or folder. Dare I say that I like the way Windows Explorer is designed? Having a tree view of all your folders and drives and a frame showing the contents of the currently selected folder is a great way to operate. I wish Finder were more like that. Perhaps there could be an "advanced" view option in Finder, so that the existing simplicity could be retained for those that want it. Also, it would be nice if Finder would refresh folder contents so you wouldn't have to use something like Nudge

[Morten Skogly from Pappmaskin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#5 Oh I see, it's make fun of the windozeuser-day. Bring it on, I can take it :)

I decided mac wasn't for me the day I had to put the cdrom in the wastebasket to release it. Now THAT is stupid.

[Phil @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Kill the OSX Finder and the Dock, replace them with something based around a clear conceptual model that's simple enough for novices to grasp, but flexible enough for actual use. Don't litter it up with gimmicks and tacked-on-one-at-a-time features; I don't want a sidebar, I don't want "stacks," don't want tabbed folders or chrome windows or 3D novelties. I just want to organize and navigate my stuff predictably.

Let me organize my files and applications the way I want. Classic did this well. My Applications folder looks like a bomb went off in there...I can't, for example, put all my media apps in a subfolder because then Software Update can't find them!

[adrian @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Port winamp to it. It's my biggest problem with OSX.

My biggest problem with my mac (as in hardware) is their stupid region locked dvd rom drives.

[Eric Carroll @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I guess its more of a change for iCal/iSync but iCal is simply one of the greatest Organizer programs out there, but it has serious limits that make it pretty much impossible to use for anything more than one person syncing to more than one computer (to be fair they don't claim it is anything more). But I would love iCal Pro (or whatever they call it), that would have a server-side app and allow many people to sync to it flawlessly (if you have ever tried to use iSync to sync iCal amongst more than 3 computers, you know how flakey it gets) and also have "personal" categories that don't get synced, and "public" categories that do. I would love Apple to flesh out Address Book/iCal/iSync into an app you could use in enterprise situations... Now-Up-To-Date seems to be the only game in town and although it is is good, it lacks the usability and style of iCal. They could bundle it with iWork, bump the price up to $99 and I'd be happy...

[addyourcommentshere @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

ZildjianKX, I must say that you've got some really good ideas.

I noticed the recurring point that it should be able to synchronize two directories. I've actually come across the need for this and was actually thinking the same thing.

Has nobody here tried to do anything with fonts on 10.3? Where should I put the fonts? Let me count the ways! /Library/Fonts; /System/Library/Fonts; System Preferences/Library/Fonts; /%user/Library/Fonts so hopefully you don't lose track of where you've been putting them, let alone change users and suddenly don't have access to them anymore. There must be a better way!

Ability to access other users' folders when not signed on as that user through authentication. It will do it sometimes, but I think that's only if the current user has administrative rights.

Speaking of rights, is there no easier way to manage user rights? I know you've always got the console, but a GUI can be a bit easier to navigate.

I'm really starting to notice the amount of 'mousing' I've been doing, trying to get the pointer up to one side of the screen only to have to move it back down to resize it and then back up to select a menu option... It never ends. There must be a better way.

Finally, the whole keychains thing sucks. It's a good idea, but if it doesn't work nothing does. Maybe I just don't have any luck with them, but I've had to recreate entire profiles just to log onto a server because I tried to put the logon in the keychain.

[Ed @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#13
I couldn't agree with you more. Not a fan of Finder. I can navigate much quicker in Windows Explorer than Finder. That preview sidebar in Windows is great. It's like Get Info, but on all the time. In Finder you have to go to columns view to do, and that view I never use.

They should also standardize the interfaces. Like why are some things brushed metal, while others are not?

Quicktime needs to be revamped to a iTunes like interface. Where you can organize your videos like a library and share over a network.

And someone said "cut files", yeah I miss that too.

iChat support for MSN? Maybe... possibly... no.

[Monkey See Monkey Do @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

1. Resizing windows from arbitrary corners

2. A thumbnail view in Finder that isn't maddeningly slow or flaky

3. Support for moving between controls using the keyboard (in the OS and the Apps). It sucks not being able to check a check box if you have a web form that consists of two text fields and a check box and you have to reach for the mouse.

4. Keyboard shortcut for home/end in Mail in the list view

5. Drop down boxes in Safari that allow you to jump to an entry by hitting the first letter or that have a scroll bar and don't force you to hover on the down arrow for ever.

6. Virtual desktops

[Emu Tree @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Morten, dragging a disc or drive to the trash to eject it actually makes a lot of sense. On macs, we delete files by dragging them to the trash, and essentially tell them "get lost, we don't want to see you anymore". When you want a CD/Drive to get lost, it would make sense to drag it to the same "get lost" location. And for the record, the trash changes to an eject icon when you select a CD/Drive to make this more clear. There are also eject buttons beside all of them in the Finder.

As for things I want?
FINDER-SPECIFIC:
1. Tabs. And let them be dragged around (unlike the Safari tabs), and switch to a tab when a file is held over top of it. And let tabs be dragged out to create their own Finder windows.
2. The option to show a Path bar above a window's contents of the folders leading up to the folder you're at now. I know there's a button, but it just isn't as nice as a bar. Oh, and this way you could drag files to folders in the path bar without actually going to them. This would be especially handy when searching, to see where a file is located. The Finder has a VERY weak implementation of this currently, shown at the bottom in search results. Weak because it is basically just icons of folders.
3. The ability to use 3-column view to go to folders before whatever folder you're in right now (for example, if I switch to 3 column view in Movies, I can't go up a folder to my Home folder, etc.)
4. In list view, right-clicking on list headings should show all the column options, like in iTunes.
5. In list view, one should be able to simply click under the column field to enter comments, rather than having to go into a get info window.
6. In fact, the get info window should be merged with the terrific item info column that shows up when you select an item in 3 column view. Have a basic info drawer or something of the like to show all the basic info on a file that can't be seen in icon view especially, without having to Get Info. Maybe not a drawer actually - they're kind of clunky. Maybe have like a designated info section of the Finder.
7. Speaking of which, the info that IS given (for example, displaying available space on harddrives) does not update like... ever, and thus is horribly unreliable
8. Allow folders to be "hidden" so that they don't show up until the user chooses to show hidden folders. That way things like my printer Data or Microsoft User Data folders (which i have never in my life opened) wouldn't crowd up my Documents folder.
9. Holding down on the back button should bring up a drop down menu of where I've been last.
10. Let files be "locked" so that they can't be moved, renamed, etc. and have a little lock icon at the bottom of their icon preview (or are greyed out in list/3 column view). This way I know at visual glance not to move my Final Cut capture files when cleaning up a folder. Also cool would be to password protect any file with this lock.
11. In fact, it would be amazing if when you moved a file, the Finder kept track of it's original and new location, and when an app looked for something in that old location, it was automatically re-directed to the new location (altho I suppose Spotlight could make this easier).
12. Open and Save dialogues - let files be dragged to/from the Finder sidebar. Let files be renamed.
13. Labels - why don't they show up in the sidebar?

SAFARI:
1. Allow tabs to be dragged around.
2. Allow plugins to be added to the search bar ala Firefox, and add shortcuts to switch to the plugins (ie: cmd-shift-i to switch to the IMDB)

iCHAT:
1. Take the reins for MSN away from Microsoft, and add a MSN iChat with webcamming support.
2. Tabbed chats (and you know I'm going to want those tabs draggable)
3. Better logging

DVD PLAYER:
1. Standardize shortcuts with Quicktime. Cmd-F should be fullscreen NOT Cmd-0!!!

Everything else I'm good with for now :)

[ZildjianKX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Few more things I just thought of:

Being able to tab or use arrow keys to change choices in dialog boxes (like save, don't save, quit). Very annoying that you have to use the mouse. Drives me nuts.

Also moving a file to the trash when you hit the delete key seems like it would be logical...

[holophile @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Barb: iChatAV 3 is/was supposed to have tabbed chatting (don't have it yet so I don't know if it got cut). And while there is no built-in tool for browsing chat logs (like Logorrhea), Spotlight will now be able to search them.
But, I like the idea of carrying my profile on a thumb drive.

ZildjianKX: Tiger now has a full-screen slideshow feature built into both Finder and Preview

Personally, I'd like to see a LOT more .Mac integration. Like the syncable folders and better web page tools. Like iBlog, or turning Pages into something like a wordprocessor/DTP app with dreamweaver-lite/WYSWYG features that my mother could use to post her family newsletter to the web instead of printing out mailers. As it is now, the html export sucks and posting to .Mac isn't even an option.
I'd also like to see them improve on voice recognition and text-to-speech to give us accessibility like no-one has ever seen before. Spoken Interface is a nice improvement, but you would think we could do so much better by now.

btw, I'm betting Mac OS X 10.5 will be called "Hello Kitty"

[san @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

"Also moving a file to the trash when you hit the delete key seems like it would be logical..."

That *is* a great idea! Maybe make it command-delete so it's not so easy to hit by mistake. In fact, you should go try that right now.

[ZildjianKX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

"That *is* a great idea! Maybe make it command-delete so it's not so easy to hit by mistake. In fact, you should go try that right now."

I did say I was a switcher, and appreciate the tip...

But doing so without being a jerk *is* a great thread courtesy. In fact, you should go try that right now.

[Yuji @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

There are a few request posted here which is already possible in Panther, just hidden deep inside... (not that deep, IMHO)

#20
"That preview sidebar in Windows is great. It's like Get Info, but on all the time. In Finder you have to go to columns view to do, and that view I never use."

Hey, you can conjure up Get Info Inspector by Opt-Cmd-I (not just cmd-I) and the inspector does just as the preview sidebar.

#21
"3. Support for moving between controls using the keyboard (in the OS and the Apps)."
It can be done by opening System Preferences, Keyboard and Mouse, Keyboard shortcut and enable the Full-Keyboard Access.

[Joe Clay @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

A good thing, which I hope is in Tiger, would be the ability to rename or delete files from the Save dialog.

[ZildjianKX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Yuji, thanks for the Full Keyboard Access tip, surprised it's not on by default.

[Patrick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

>> Almost everything that ran in Windows 98
>> will run on XP, and the reverse is also
>> fairly true.

My ass. I have install disks for program such as Office XP that install fine on XP and XP SP1, but dies on SP2. If that isn't clear: I have XP programs that I paid money for that I cannot install on XP 2.

XP has its fair share of issues and MS does everything it can to "force" you to upgrade.

-p-

[narco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

First off, before you mess with OS X, FIX .MAC!
FIX .MAC, FIX .MAC, FIX .MAC, FIX .MAC!

OK, sorry, pent up anger. I know I don't have to pay for the service, but I've been waiting around for Apple to fix small things like: the iDisk not taking an eternity to open up a folder/upload, more space, etc.

As far as OS X is concerned, there isn't a whole lot since it's damn near perfect. I think Apple hired all of God's programmers or something, because it seems they know what I want even though I'm not entirely sure what I want.

Some stuff I'd like to see changed:

- Buy Adium, and replace iChat with it (but keep that neat Video chat feature, even though I don't have a webcam).

- Fix mail.app, but it appears they have in Tiger so no complaints.

Damn, that's all I can think of right now. I use the OS every day for work and really have no complaints. But yeah, Fix .Mac please.

Fishes,
narco.

[iFelix @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

A liger is a cross between a tiger and a lion

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4080000/newsid_4082900/4082919.stm

As the box says 10.8 I guess we have a bti of a wait.

[Floach @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

"Centralized OS"?

It's existed for quite a long time - it's called LDAP, and we've had it deployed for close to two years now, in OS X. Between OS X Server and client machines we've set to authenticate against that server, I can log in, from any machine, in any of the eight buildings I oversee and get my profile. Any machine set up to authenticate - regardless of location - against the server can pull up a user's profile. We routinely have users log in from outside the country and pull up their profile.

Don't have a dedicated LDAP server, but have an Active Directory domain? No problem, 10.3 could do that, too. I doubt they've removed either LDAP or Active Directory support in 10.4.

:P

[Carl @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

*Immediatley saves pic to show to friends on psp; Ligers own!

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I just switched to a mac and the one thing I cannot stand is Quicktime!. It's annoying how it always opens in the browswer windows and not in a seperate one. Also, why can't they combine Quicktime with the DVD player?

[Martey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

More information on ligers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger

[AlexD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

>I decided mac wasn't for me the day
>I had to put the cdrom in the
>wastebasket to release it.
>Now THAT is stupid.

Likewise, I decided Windows wasn't for me the day I had to click on the "Start" button to shut down the computer.
Now THAT is stupid.

[shidoshi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

1: Finder. Current Finder is horribly under-featured, especially column view. Put some real work and effort into making the Finder the best possible file browser. Here (http://morningmayo.com/uploads/NewFinder.jpg) is a mock-up idea I came up with quite some time ago. Things like expanded file info tags, sidebar sets, image previews directly in column view, type sorting, etc. Of course, everything would be customizable, so you could take every away if you desired, and make it work like the current Finder.

2: Safari. Having a search box that only searches Google is so "yesterday" now. Don't do it like FireFox - do it like OmniWeb, where you just put the cursor in the search box of the site you want to add, and then you add it via a button or something. That, to me, is the worst part of Safari, after which would come the fact that Safari's prefs are still lacking - there is still no way to turn off link underlining without using a style sheet. (Unless it is fixed in Tiger.)

3: Quicktime Player. Looks pathetic next to Apple's own iTunes. Make QuickTime Player the iTunes for movies, with a library, playlists, detailed info for every file, ability to burn CDs/DVDs of files (burn to VCD/SVCD, burn to DVD, etc.). Of course, this will never, ever happen, as Apple won't acknowledge the shaky legality of video files that don't come directly from the user. I can still dream, though.

4: Open/Save dialogs. Gotta give credit to Windows in this regard. I should be able to do things like rename files, delete files, etc. in those dialogs.

5: Get back to GUI consistency. What the hell is up with Mail.app in Tiger? (Referring to the toolbar buttons.)

Those are currently my biggest complaints.

[san @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

ZildjianKX: I was being sardonic; I often am. I apologize if it seemed pointed at you. Really it's pointed at these "what if" lists. Which drive me up a wall. Which I am free not to read, so I guess I just made your point for you.

In apology: a funny on me. I've never owned anything but Macs. But for a summer job in college I had to use an IBM PC XT -- all DOS commands and such; far predating Windows. Then I bought my first Mac. I could not for the life of me figure out how to copy a file to disk. There was no copy command for files as on the PC. I tried for two days before I found the relevant passage in the manual. I wasn't even a switcher, just a numbskull.

[SWGS @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I'd like to hear what people's requests are for new features after we are already running Tiger. It seems to me that quite a few of the intelligent requests in this thread will be realized with this new upgrade to Mac OS X.

[area51 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

For those of you who think the Finder sucks, check out Path Finder at http://www.cocoatech.com/

You may carry on now.

[ZildjianKX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#38, it's all good, sorry I just took it wrong.

Thanks for the tip though, much appreciated.

[pr0vider @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Let's rename this OS to "Hello Kitty"...

[Frank L @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

By far, imo, the biggest problem with OS X is the Dock. It simply does not work well.

- Application windows are much much more important than applications so to have them take the same amount of space means I have no idea which window a minimized icon is -- I have to scrub over a list and read all the names as they pop-up to pick the one I'm looking for. The solution is simple: make the space for windows larger than for apps (even Microsoft, a normally horrible HCI offender, gets this and lets you at least read at a glance the name of minimized windows.)
- I should be able to put folders and apps where I want, not just where Apple wants -- splitting it so that all apps are on the left and folders and files on the right. If for example I want to make a folder of graphic utility apps, I want to put that *next* to the Photoshop and Illustrator icon on the left side of the doc.
- Why force us to have apps and folders/files in the same doc at all? Let me have a folder/file doc to the left and the apps along the bottom, or let me stack the folder doc above the app doc.
- Why can I not set the background colour and active triangles? Tinkertool also lets me fade back hidden apps which makes perfect sense!
- When I drag a file over a folder in a finder window, the folder opens up and lets me keep doing this until I find the location I'm looking for. But doing the same thing with the same folder held in the dock doesn't work. Why not? It's just a shortcut to that same folder.
- Finally, why doesn't Apple provide a folder in the dock to house all applications. Similar to Windows Start > Programs but just at the top level. Rooting around the Applications folder is a pain and not hand (CMD-N to create a new window, then clicking on the Apps shortcut, then finding the application's folder, then finding the application icon) and keeping all your apps right in the dock is impossible.

Bottom line: Apple truly screwed up with the dock and I suspect they know this but don't want to admit it. I wish they would stop worrying about adding "200 new features" to every OS point release and just fix what they have now!

[narco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I don't think Apple "truly screwed up the dock" at all. You do make some valid points and there is room for improvement, but I don't think it totally sucks.

Personally, I like having the folders and apps separated. Sure, I guess some people would like to have their utilities next to the program, but I keep all my popular apps open all the time, so it's easier to just put the folder on the right side and make a special icon for it, maybe the Photoshop icon for PS utilities?

What's wrong with manually putting aliases of programs in a separate folder, then putting that in the dock? It took about a minute to do 30 programs and only a few seconds to do it for all new programs. I just load the aliases into a folder on the dock, then holy down the mouse (or control+click) to bring the folder up as a menu and pick the app like that. EASY.

Apple does need to "fade out" apps that are hidden. Right now, I use ClearDock to make my dock clear (duh). You can also change the triangle with that utility. Apple could simply STEAL this utility, but then everyone would complain that Apple is ripping off Unsanity similar to the whole Dashboard/Konfab drama.

I also agree that hovering a file over the folder should open the folder in the finder. That is something that is annoying, but I've gotten used to opening the folder first, then dragging the folder, etc.

Overall, my biggest complaint is where to actually PUT the dock, but that's not really Apple's fault. If I put it on the left side, then I accidentally open a program when trying to click a tool in Quark, if it's on the bottom I'll do the same when using the measurements palette in Quark, or when adjusting the color when it's on the right side. I could solve this by purchasing a second display, but I like stuff to match and displays are EXPENSIVE!

Fishes,
narco.

[Emilio @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

OSX for PC

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Frank L points out why Apple does what it does..

Cuz if they gave you a million options.. anytime you used someone elses Mac you'd be totally lost..

Stackable Dock?! Rearranging where the icons for documents and icons for apps go? These are changes?! Having text there all the time..?? This is an improvement?! Can you honestly tell me that you often open documents and then forget what they are?!

If people want to change colours on the Mac OS, I guess Apple decides certain elements of the OS are 'off-limits' for changing because the colour, etc is so important.


If you're a Windows user perplexed by the dock.. just take a look at your Desktop (I forget what MS called it in 1995)... It's got a bunch of aliases (MS calls them shortcuts) probably, right? Well.. if you open an alias for Word, Word opens, yet the alias is still there, right?

In earlier Mac OSes, if you had an open program, that program's icon would be tinted..this is no longer the case..

My point is.. the dock is exactly like your alias cluster.. you can drag any thing you want on to there, as a 'commonly used file' and instead of tinting actige programs, there is a little black triangle under it.

Guys like Paul THurrott like to claim this is frustrating and impossible to understand.. but it's exactly like your aliases on your desktop. But now they're off your desktop. you can switch the dock to hide when you don't need it, it will come back when you put the mouse cursor at the bottom of the screen..

The vast majority of 'complaints' on here are.. lets make the Mac oS like Windows.. which is "I'm used to pulling all 4 courners to change a window size".. you're not actually trying to improve the OS

And for the record.. where do i find 700MB cd roms? 650 seems to be the limit for me...

[jaybee @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#45 get PearPc or pay for cherry OS, it's a mac emulator

[LaserBeams @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I hate to be prosaic, but a lemur isn't a cat. :P

[noby geek @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

1) make keyboard navigataion work _better_ than windows.


2) make yahoo chatrooms work in safari/Java.