Friday, October 26, 2007

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (20 сообщений)

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  • Macworld reviews Leopard

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    Macworld's head Honcho, Jason Snell, has posted his thoughts on Leopard. Overall Jason thinks the upgrade is worth it, if not for all the big ticket items than for all the small changes and additions that add up to lots of new oomph in Apple's latest cat. That's not to say that all is right in the Leopard world. Jason dings Apple for a few things including:
    • The new transparent Menubar
    • Stacks
    • The Dock
    Head on over to Macworld to read the whole review.
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    http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/26/macworld-reviews-leopard/#comments



  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Spotlight

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    Feature: Spotlight

    How it works: Spotlight was another Tiger innovation that just never quite lived up to its billing. It was hobbled by slowdowns and some bad design decisions on Apple's part regarding what sort of searches you could run. While it's a bit too early to say if it's substantially faster at least Leopard Spotlight goes part of the way towards improving things by allowing you to run Boolean searches with the AND, OR, and NOT operators as well as narrow your search results in various ways. In addition, like Google, Spotlight now knows how to add and define words, so you can run simple arithmetical calculations (e.g. "7+5") or look up words in the dictionary, just by typing them into the Spotlight search box. Spotlight can now also search other Macs on the same local network as well.

    Who will use it: Everyone who needs to find things on their Mac(s).
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  • Let's see your Apple-themed Halloween costumes

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    Leopard isn't the only fun we'll have this weekend. Wednesday is Halloween in the US, and Apple lovers everywhere will spend the next few days constructing their Apple-themed costumes. If you're planning to make one, we want to see it!

    Will you be "iPod Family," with poppa iPod Touch, Mom iPod Classic and nano kids? Maybe you'll grab a black shirt, jeans and New Balance sneakers. Perhaps you'll be a giant Sad Mac or a vintage bomb icon. So scary!

    Whatever you create, send a photo to us at the address below. We'll pick our favorites and post a special gallery on Halloween (Oct. 31th). Now get busy! We can't wait to see what you've made.

    PLEASE NOTE: Be sure to read and complete our little photo release. Complete "rules" (this is not a contest or giveaway of any kind, but we still gotta have some rules) after the break.

    halloween AT tuaw DOT com

    Continue reading Let's see your Apple-themed Halloween costumes

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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Finder

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    Feature: The new Finder

    How it works:     People have been complaining about the Finder since OS X was first released. Finally, Leopard brings a variety of long-awaited features. Perhaps most important is the one-two punch Quick Look and Cover Flow, but there are a many other new features as well. The new Finder takes its design cues from iTunes, with the sidebar now looking very much just like the source list. Taking a cue from Cocoatech's Path Finder, Leopard adds a live path bar to the bottom of the Finder windows. There are also new folder view settings and the option to make particular folders sharable.

    Who will use it: Everyone, and while it's unlikely all the critics will be fully satisfied, the improvements will likely make third-party Finder replacements seem less necessary.
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    http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/26/24-hours-of-leopard-finder/#comments



  • Leopard How-to: Clean install

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    Happy Leopard Day! Reader Zach wrote in asking us how to perform a "clean install" of Leopard and the best way to back-up programs/settings. Let's take a look. Before doing anything, make sure you read Mat's Guide to preparing for Leopard - there are some great tips about backing-up and preserving your program data.

    After backing up your system, insert your shiny OS X 10.5 DVD into your Mac and restart the computer, holding down C, so that the Mac boots off of the DVD-ROM.

    After a few moments, you will be presented with a Leopard installation screen and presented with a number of options (some options may not appear on all systems, depending on model, previous OS version, etc.).

    Continue reading Leopard How-to: Clean install

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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: "Alex," the new voice of Mac OS X

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    Feature: Alex, the new voice of Mac OS X

    How it works:     Voice synthesis on the Mac has been around for more than 20 years now, but outside of screenreading and special applications it's never been a marquee feature (that is, if you don't count Talking Moose -- now once again available for OS X. Woot!). Even though the Macintalk and Speech Manager voices have improved a lot over time, the best of them still sound distressingly artificial.

    Enter Alex, a dramatically more comprehensible voice (YouTube demo movie) that includes fine breath and pause control to enhance understandability, especially for high-speed reading; you can listen to a sample of Alex at this post. From the samples of Alex that I've heard, he compares favorably with high-end synthesis voices like AT&T's Natural Voice and Cepstral. For anyone using VoiceOver or wanting to be able to track information while not watching the computer, Alex is a natural.

    Who will use it:     VoiceOver users, who'll be thrilled; all Leopard owners who occasionally need things read instead of displayed.
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  • Leopard starting to land for lucky users

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    Good morning everyone! As our 24 Hours of Leopard marathon continues, our UK, Aussie and Kiwi readers are beginning to report in that their mail-order copies of Leopard have arrived (although it's hard to read the tips; apparently the drops of drool and little bits of torn shrinkwrap are clogging up their keyboards). TechCrunch's Duncan Riley had his copy by 9 pm Pacific time and has already upgraded two machines to mostly positive results. One warning from Riley that I can echo from experience with the dev seeds: if you turn on Time Machine right away, be prepared for a slow go until the initial full backup is completed. You may want to wait to activate TM until you sign off for the night; by the time you wake up that first pass should be all done.

    Not everyone's install experience was so smooth -- Bryce's upgrade got wedged and he had to erase and install before everything got back to normal. Fortunately, he had backed up first; a wise warning for us all... remember, Carbon Copy Cloner and/or SuperDuper! are your buddies.

    Are you blogging your Leopard installation experience? Let us know.
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Quick Look

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    Feature: Quick Look

    How it works: Quick Look has the potential to change the way Mac users interact with their computers. It brings super-quick access to your files by allowing you to preview a variety of files without opening them in their associated applications. Instead of opening a file by double-clicking on it in the Finder, if you hit the spacebar you'll see a live preview pop up. Also with Quick Look, the various supported document icons become live preview thumbnails. Supported file types include "images, text files, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, and Microsoft Word and Excel files." Third

    Who will use it: Everyone. Like Cover Flow, Quick Look has the potential to really speed up the process of finding a particular document since you can scan contents without opening them.
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Automator

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    Feature: The new and improved Automator.

    How it works: When Tiger was released Automator was a highly touted new feature, and though it's certainly developed a certain fan base on sites like Automator.us and MacScripters, I can't help but feel like it hasn't quite not taken off the way Apple had hoped. Leopard brings a substantial upgrade to Automator, most marked by the addition of UI Recording and Playback. Basically, you can have Automator watch you perform a task such as a mouse-click and then save that task as an Automator action that can be integrated into a Workflow. The new Automator also adds a significant degree of sophistication to Workflows by allowing the use of variables.

    Who will use it: As I suggested above, Automator is intended for all users, but it hasn't quite lived up to its promise of allowing everyone to "program" their Macs. Nonetheless, the Leopard version may just be the ticket for getting average users to take more control of their Macs.
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Back to My Mac

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    Feature:     Back to My Mac

    How it works:     For Leopard-running .Mac users who roam away from home, Back to my Mac provides a breadcrumb trail to the master machine. By registering the home IP address with the .Mac servers, B2mM lets you access your entire hard drive, transfer files, or control the screen of the remote machine without having to configure dynamic DNS or set up VPNs, VNC or anything else beginning with V.

    Who will use it: Those lucky souls (.Mac subscribers only) with a Mac at home and another one at work or on the road.
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Cover Flow

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    Feature:     Cover Flow in the Finder.

    How it works:     Just like album Cover Flow in iTunes, Leopard brings the side-scrolling view to the Finder, allowing your "flip" through your files and see live previews (including paging through mutli-page documents and playing movies).

    Who will use it:     Everyone at one time or another. When I first heard of Cover Flow in the Finder, like Matt Neuburg, it seemed like pointless eye candy. But like him I'm beginning to think otherwise. Cover Flow makes quickly flipping through a bunch of files to look for something much easier. This becomes particularly important when you're looking through folders you're not that familiar with. So even if you're more inclined to keep the Finder in a conventional view, Cover Flow will still probably come in handy on occasion.
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  • 24 hours of Leopard: Unix certification

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    Feature: UNIX certification: Sure, we're all for nonconfirmity in our non-computer lives--but when it comes to UNIX, specs matter. Leopard brings Open Brand UNIX 03 with SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 conformity.

    How it works: That highly leaded UNIX runs as the core of your operating system. You never have to touch it or know that it is there until you're ready to dive in via the Terminal command line.

    Who will use it: UNIX certification is fab for hardcore geeks. You can deploy all sorts of goodies that demand that 100% purebred UNIX-y atmosphere. It's like getting a perfect greenhouse for your exotic orchid collection. Assuming, that is, you're some sort of computerized version of Nero Wolfe.

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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Stacks

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    Feature: Stacks, which are what Apple is calling clickable icons on the Dock that fold out to show other clickable icons.

    How it works: It's actually an updated implementation of the old "Piles" idea, in that you can have one icon that gives you access to lots of different things. But Apple's Stacks fill another role-- they get icons off of the Desktop for good, and down into the Dock without looking cluttered. For years and years, almost every Desktop on every computer ever has had icons all over it, from apps to various downloads to whatever ended up there. But Leopard is different-- all of its icons aren't spread on the Desktop, they're piled into the Dock. Click them, and they span across the Desktop (or line up in a grid, if you're boring), click them again and they disappear. That's the real innovation here-- now, finally, you can work your way down to a completely empty, icon-free desktop.

    Oh, and I should also mention that Stacks aren't just static. Leopard comes with two stacks-- Documents and Downloads, and the Downloads stack will automatically fill out with anything you download from Safari, Mail, or iChat. No more downloading random files to the Desktop and using Expose to let you go find it. Now, just click open the Stack, and get access to everything you need without ever leaving the window you're working in.

    Who will use it: Everybody! And Windows users in 2010, too, since it's almost guaranteed that Microsoft is already working on a way to get this into Windows 7.
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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/26/24-hours-of-leopard-stacks/#comments



  • 24 Hours of Leopard: iChat screen sharing

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    Feature:     iChat screen sharing

    How It Works: Hello, Mom? Yes, I know, I meant to call yesterd-- what? You've got a little picture that looks like a little Jack O'Lantern sitting on your desktop? Gosh, well, that is weird. Mind if I take a look?

    Yes, I said "take a look" -- now that we're both running Leopard, we can share our screens in a jiffy, straight from an iChat. Uh, iChat? Yes, the icon that looks like a word ballo-- yes, that one. If I start a screen sharing session, we can share control of the mouse and keyboard... it even starts an audio chat automatically to make it easier to... yes, that's why it's all echo-y now. Well, I'll just mute it and we'll use the phone, OK?

    See, there, that icon does look like a pumpkin... well, if you let the grandkids download stuff... mmm hmm. Yep. OK. Love you too.

    Who Will Use It: Anyone with a parent, spouse, cousin, co-worker or random acquaintance who has ever needed help using a Mac, and particularly when the recipient of that help has a tendency to describe UI features as "the thing with the glowy bit" or "not that button, the other button." Also, anyone who collaborates on documents or projects and needs a colleague's instant signoff.

    See all of our 24 Hours of Leopard posts here.
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Web Clips

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    Feature: Web Clips, little roll-your-own widgets for Dashboard that will tell you anything the Web can.

    How it works: Making a Dashboard widget isn't really that hard now, but it's about to get a lot easier. There'll be a little button in Safari that you can press to take a "clip" of a web page and turn it into a widget on the Dashboard that updates as that page does. Found your local weather forecast somewhere, or a webcam that watches the outside of your house? Clip that section of the page into a web clip, and you've got a simple, custom-made widget so easy Grandma can make one. Here's what it looked like in an old build, and it's probably going to be even easier in Leopard.

    Who will use it: If it's as easy as Apple says it is (and all indications say yes), everybody. Anything on the web can be clipped into a widget, so if you can access constantly updated content (say, the top story of TUAW?) then you could use it as a web clip.

    You can check out all our 24 Hours of Leopard posts here.
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  • 24 hours of Leopard: Boot Camp
    Leopard Boot camp

    Features: Boot Camp

    What it does: Atten-HUT! No more whinin' about how yer Mac won't run Windows without kickin' it around the block a few times. Leopard now comes with Boot Camp so you can tell your machine whether to come to the party dressed in its Leopard or Windows togs. (You, Soldier, better be wearin' yer camo!)

    Stop yer complainin' that yer drivers won't work right, neither. Our fine Admirals up at the Cupertino H-Q got ya covered. The Leopard DVD comes with everythin' you need -- if ya think you've got what it takes to handle it.

    Already running Boot Camp Beta? Well, ain't you special? Leopard walks you through the upgrade and gives you the new drivers that ya need.

    Who will use it:     Soldiers who alternate OS X and Windows Vista or XP. Too much dual-bootin' goodness for ya? Toughen up! Get used to it. This is Leopard, ya big lug. Now drop and give me 20!
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  • 24 Hours of Leopard: Improved DVD player

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    Feature: The DVD Player is almost all new, with video improvements, an Autozoom feature, and a new interface.

    How it works: Strangely, this big update has gone relatively unnoticed. But it will be noticed as soon as you put a DVD in-- the app has a whole new fullscreen interface, including a time slider, and what Apple is calling an "Image Bar" (those are artist's renditions, so hopefully it'll look a lot better than that), which will let you access your chapters while watching the movie. There's an AutoZoom feature to deal with letterboxing, and it will "float" above your other applications, making it easier to watch movies while you're supposed to be working. Finally, videophiles will be happy to know that Apple is promising better video quality with "Adaptive Video Analyzation technology." Sounds good to us.

    Who will use it: Anyone who likes movies is the obvious answer here, but I'm going to go a little more subtle-- anyone who likes movies and working on their Mac. So, you know, Roger Ebert. And the folks at Pixar.
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  • Ask TUAW: Uninstalling, kickstarting the Dashboard, iSight replacements and more

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    In this round of Ask TUAW we're tackling questions about uninstalling Adobe reader, keeping OmniOutliner after an OS upgrade, playing just one track in an iTunes playlist, kickstarting the Dashboard at login, iSight replacements and more.

    As always your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. And now on to the questions!

    Continue reading Ask TUAW: Uninstalling, kickstarting the Dashboard, iSight replacements and more

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  • 24 hours of Leopard: Spaces

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    Leopard Spaces

    Feature: Spaces

    How it works:     Enable Spaces by clicking its icon in the Dock, then create as many different desktops as you want and fill them with the apps you need to have open-- one for work, another for personal stuff, a third for miscellaneous. Or maybe one workspace for communication where you'll park Mail.app, Twitter, Facebook, and Adium; and another space to hold the things you need for the Keynote presentation you're working on: iPhoto, Text Edit, and Skitch.

    Switch easily from one workspace to another with the arrow keys, drag and drop apps from one workspace to another, add more Spaces, and assign apps to always open in a specific Space. There are tons of ways to make Spaces work for you and make your desktop, er, desktops look and behave just the way you want.

    Who will use it: Multi-taskers and people who like to have dozens of apps open at once.

    You can check out all our 24 Hours of Leopard posts here.
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    http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/25/24-hours-of-leopard-spaces/#comments



  • POLL: Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, and...

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    Oh my. There's nothing we blog monkeys like more than casting our minds forward to the next greatest thing. Now that Leopard is about here and soon to be common place, what's next? What's Apple's codename for Mac OS X 10.6? You know it's already in development. So what do you TUAW readers think the next great codename will be? Let us know in this unspun poll.
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