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System Preference changes, new Preview toolbar in latest Leopard build
The latest Leopard build has dropped, and screenshots, legal or otherwise, are making their way out into the world. Over the weekend, we posted what looks like the opening movie, and here's a shot of Leopard's System Preferences screen. There are a few changes in there-- the Dashboard and Exposé panel is now called "Exposé and Spaces," and quite a few of the icons, including the Dock, Displays, and Sharing icons. And as reader Dave told us, the Command key on the Keyboard and Mouse icon no longer has the Open Apple. Sad.Apparently there's also a new toolbar for Preview.app as well, but I haven't yet seen a screenshot of that one yet. October is just over a month away!
Save the Open Apple key (or should we?)
Thomas from the German site Rettet die sent us this English version of his petition to save the Open Apple key-- that little Apple icon on the Command key that's missing from the new Apple Keyboards. Already, he's received 1600 German comments in favor of keeping the Apple key, and he asked us to bring the petition to America and join the fight to save the Apple key.But is it a fight we want to join or not? Sure, the Open Apple key is a tradition by now-- ever since I was a kid, I've learned to use the Open Apple key instead of the Ctrl key on Windows keyboards, and even when Microsoft trotted out their "Windows key" in Windows 95, it was just a copy of the classic-- their flag didn't come close to the icon design of the bitten apple.But Apple has to have a good reason for taking the key off, don't they? So far, all I've heard is that they did it from a design standpoint-- they didn't want Apple logos all over the place, and the Command key is (and works) exactly the same anyway.For me, that's not a good enough reason. Having a logo on the Command key is a uniquely Apple standard, and no one said that it cluttered up the keyboard before now. Of course, Apple is Apple, and they'll do what they want-- even 16,000 petition signatures probably won't get them to change their product. But that doesn't change the fact that they're wrong to kill the Open Apple.
Sticking with the Apple Remote
On that unboxing video we posted the other day (sorry about the ads-- point taken), it was noted that the Apple Remote no longer stuck to the side of the new iMac. Reader Sal emailed me this morning to point out that not only did his Remote not stick either, but apparently he rang up Apple, and the "product specialist" said the Remote should stick. I also called Apple, and they told me the Remote should stick as well.But neither the Unboxing Remote or Sal's Remote actually stuck, so what's the deal? Our commenters have noted over the past few days that aluminum eats magnetic fields, so it could be that the aluminum makes sticking the Remote on a no go. I don't know exactly how it worked with the old iMac (whether there was just a magnet inside or in both the Remote and the iMac), but Sal points out his Remote won't stick to the fridge either. After he told Apple that, they even offered to send him a new Remote, so maybe the Remote he has is defective (which means this is the second new defective product we've heard about in the past few days). One more wrinkle-- other commenters have suggested that instead of the side, the Remote now sticks to the "chin" of the iMac, but Sal tried that and said it didn't work either.At any rate, Apple says the Remote should stick, but everything we've seen says it doesn't. Which is it? Anyone have a new iMac and want to confirm that it sticks? It's not a big loss, of course, if it's really not sticking. But like the Open Apple button, that's another special Apple touch that's been lost on the new iMac.Update: This video, courtesy Rizza in the comments, shows the Remote stuck on the front right corner of the glass (which is one way to get around the aluminum, I guess). So looks like Apple moved the magnet there.
Open Apple no more
When we first wrote about the then rumored new Apple keyboard old time Mac users discounted it as a fake because of one little detail: no Open Apple on the Command key. That's the Apple logo that which, until today, appeared on the Command key.Sadly, it is true that the Apple logo has been banished from the keyboard, replaced with the much more useful label 'command.' At least this will help Mac support folks educate their users ('You want me to look for an Apple key?! That doesn't even make sense. Remind me again why I called the Help Desk!'), but I'll miss that little Apple logo. Call me old fashioned if you like, but Open Apple will always have a fond place in my heart and I'm not afraid to admit it.[This post was inspired, in part, by John Siracusa's tweet.]
