os x OS X Mountain Lion Discussion

[neo1911]

You won't, that's the whole point. However, like I said I don't see it happening anytime soon. If only because of cross-compatibility with other operating systems within a network.

You know how ridiculous that sounds?

So if I have to copy over few excel sheets on usb or move them over to my NAS box, I have to find another way because there is no finder? That version of OSX will be DOA. I have no faith/trust in cloud computing where you keep personal few files on some far away server.

[Elliott]

The thing is though - and something many fail to realize - that the Menu Extras area ≠ Windows notification area. Third-party applications aren't officially allowed to be there. However, some third-party developers "hack" their own app icon on the Menu Bar which isn't an actual Menu Extras item and as such can't be moved.

It's not a hack. It's a real API, but it's separate from the one Apple uses for its menu extras. Don't ask me why.

[.Neo]

It's not a hack. It's a real API, but it's separate from the one Apple uses for its menu extras. Don't ask me why.

Really? :blink: A dev told me it wasn't actually something official. Got me fooled all these years! :| What a dick...

You know how ridiculous that sounds?

So if I have to copy over few excel sheets on usb or move them over to my NAS box, I have to find another way because there is no finder? That version of OSX will be DOA. I have no faith/trust in cloud computing where you keep personal few files on some far away server.

That's exactly the reason why I don't see the Finder disappearing anytime soon... It's pretty obvious though that Apple is moving away from conventional file management: It started with iTunes, then Spotlight, took things even further with iOS, Launchpad and now iCloud. The average user probably spends a whole lot less time navigating around the Finder as they did back in the Mac OS 9 days. However for reasons already mentioned the company can't get rid of it altogether in OS X like they did with iOS.

Since I've been working with my new iPad I can't stand how Apple did things with iOS. I can't even export multiple Pages documents to iTunes, I have to export them one by one. :/

[Elliott]

Really? :blink: A dev told me it wasn't actually something official. Got me fooled all these years! :| What a dick...

He might've been talking about apps that mimicked Menu Extra functionality (like the Command+Drag reordering). Here's the official NSStatusItem API though: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ApplicationKit/Classes/NSStatusItem_Class/Reference/Reference.html

[.Neo]

He might've been talking about apps that mimicked Menu Extra functionality (like the Command+Drag reordering).

Nope. Just the regular third-party kind.

[PyX]

They still predict Mountain Lion for Late Summer. I can?t believe they won?t add major features to it, they?re already at DP3 in late April ? IMO they could finalize it before the Summer if they wanted.

[.Neo]

Late summer is still five months away, which gives Apple plenty of time to add more features.

At this point I'd hardly consider OS X Mountain Lion a real new OS X version. Above anything else it's something I'd expect to appear in Software Update for free with a note saying "Sorry guys a mistake has been made! We totally forgot we had all this stuff for OS X Lion still lying around." Basically 2001's OS X Puma all over again.

I wouldn't know why I'd pay ?24 for this or recommend anyone else to really. Apple renaming iCal to Calendar, Notifications, Twitter integration and a new Safari address bar loading animation seems hardly worth it now does it? :/

[Jub]

...and a new Safari address bar loading animation seems hardly worth it now does it? :/

You can also search from the address field. :shiftyninja:

On a more serious note, I'll gladly pay that price to make my MBP usable again, haha. It's a bit ridiculous really, and yet I miss my iMac... I can't stand Windows, but alas, one has to live with his decisions.

There is still plenty of time before "late summer", so one can hope they will add some more features at least. Wouldn't mind a tabbed Finder or improved font management. Or... a new iTunes.

[.Neo]

You can also search from the address field. :shiftyninja:

I can already do that with Safari 5.2 beta for OS X Lion? :p

Or... a new iTunes.

iTunes is never updated as a part of OS X and it's highly unlikely iTunes 11 will drop support for OS X Lion.

[.Neo]

Speaking of which, Safari 5.2 beta 3 has an annoying bug where the drop shadow of the tabs become ever stronger on mouse-over.

[Jub]

I can already do that with Safari 5.2 beta for OS X Lion? :p

Ok then, Messages will become Mountain Lion exclusive! :p Or did they decide to keep support for Lion in the end?

iTunes is never updated as a part of OS X and it's highly unlikely iTunes 11 will drop support for OS X Lion.

Ah, I see. Well, embuggerance. I would like to see iTunes 11 soon, they've been releasing minor updates to 10 for quite a while now. And yeah, I would assume it'll support Lion, too.

Actually, let's hope for an iTunes 11 beta along with iOS 6. Or, perhaps more importantly, significant updates to the front-end.

Speaking of which, Safari 5.2 beta 3 has an annoying bug where the drop shadow of the tabs become ever stronger on mouse-over.

Haven't noticed this, but I haven't used it very much. I assume it's the Lion version you're referring to? Haven't tried that one.

[Elliott]

Speaking of which, Safari 5.2 beta 3 has an annoying bug where the drop shadow of the tabs become ever stronger on mouse-over.

Yea, that only happens in the Lion version.

I'm looking forward to the tighter iCloud integration, Gatekeeper, AirPlay Mirroring, Notification Center, the Share Sheets API (which will be great for doing something like Instapaper/Pocket integration throughout the OS), and of course the performance boost.

While I'm not exactly excited about the Reminders/Notes split off from Calendar/Mail, I'm glad they're doing it. Reminders always felt wedged into iCal, and the same goes for Notes in Mail.

I want to be excited about Messages, but it's ultra-buggy right now.

[.Neo]

Haven't noticed this, but I haven't used it very much. I assume it's the Lion version you're referring to? Haven't tried that one.

Yeah, the OS X Lion version.

[PyX]

I wouldn't know why I'd pay ?24 for this or recommend anyone else to really. Apple renaming iCal to Calendar, Notifications, Twitter integration and a new Safari address bar loading animation seems hardly worth it now does it? :/

There?s always new APIs that will push developers to support OS X Mountain Lion only because they?re so much better than in any previous versions ...

But seriously, if you have all the entire Apple ecosystem at home (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iMac) and an iCloud account, it?s worth it. They?re standardizing a lot of stuff across iOS and OS X. But as I said, I?m confident that they will add major features to it, let?s wait and see what they have to offer at the WWDC. Otherwise, they would release it like in a month or two, not late summer.

[protocol7]

Major features will probably start thinning out if they're going to be releasing a new cat yearly.

[.Neo]

At this point I only have one real question on my mind: Where the **** is the next major iWork version?!

[PyX]

At this point I only have one real question on my mind: Where the **** is the next major iWork version?!

Was about to forget this one? but seriously !!! What are they doing ? Letting Microsoft release Office 2011 and 2013 or 2014 without even releasing a single iWork version ? iWork is so incomplete, I would never be able to use *just* that at work.

At this point, I hope they bundle an upgraded version of iWork into Mountain Lion for free and call it a new feature. That would be an incentive for a lot businesses, we could really "do things out of the box" with a Mac. Bundling creativity suites is nice, but the rest lacks.

[BumbleBritches57]

I agree. It's slightly disappointing so far. I don't know much of the development cycle of OS X, but isn't it quite unlikely that they'll throw in something major at this point?

Also, they need to improve the new address bar graphics in Safari. The idea and effect is great but the actual graphic looks very Windows XP.

Apple has probably reserved some features for the Mountain Lion announcement at WWDC

[Julius Caro]

One thing I find annoying when transitioning from Windows to Mac is that I can't right-click and install fonts through the context menu. I have to open up the Font Book app just to have the install dialog to appear and with the large collection I have it's just a hassle.

There's plenty of things they can do better. Add in an Aero snap-like feature and a rearrangeable menubar, for instance.

i know this is a hassle, but wasn't windows like this not too long ago? i remember it always being a hassle to install a font, having to go thru some menu. i think it's different on windows 7 now.

as for osx, they'll probably announce new features at wwdc

[Rudy]

Apple has probably reserved some features for the Mountain Lion announcement at WWDC

Very likely, it would also give developers enough time to work with them a bit before the actual release

[PyX]

When I double-click on a font file, it automatically fires Font Book and asks me to install. Is it really that much of a hassle for you -KJ ?

[bbfc_uk]

Speaking of which, Safari 5.2 beta 3 has an annoying bug where the drop shadow of the tabs become ever stronger on mouse-over.

I get that too on Lion.

[AltecXP]

i know this is a hassle, but wasn't windows like this not too long ago? i remember it always being a hassle to install a font, having to go thru some menu. i think it's different on windows 7 now.

as for osx, they'll probably announce new features at wwdc

Ever since Windows XP all you had to do was drag the fonts into the Font folder.

[SteveMackinnon]

Sorry if this has already been raised (I haven't looked through all 30 something pages)

EVERYTIME my MacBook is either restarted or goes to sleep / wakes back up it resets my desktop wallpaper to the default Mountain Lion one. It is quite possibly the most irritating thing in the world! lol

thinking of going back to Lion just because of this annoying bug. Is it happening to anyone else?

I'm running ML on an early 2011 15" MBP with the 1GB Discreet GFX....

[protocol7]

That wallpaper bug popped up in DP2. Is it still there in DP3? I didn't check because my DP3 time was limited severely by the broken graphics drivers.