What is still missing in OS X?

R

rperkins

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I was just wondering what was still missing from MacOS X (both software and hardware) that 1. stops people upgrading from Mac OS Classic and 2. What most windows users want to see that you can't get for Mac OS X?

For me personally - the one thing that i would dearly love to see on Mac OS X is matlab for my enginerring degree (and im sure the AltiVec engine on a G4 would love the signal processing functions of Matlab).

Rob
 
I think apple really needs to add the window shade feature. I know you can get a shareware add-on, but apple should just put it in. And we need the good old app switch back too. (you can also get a freeware add-on for that)
 
  • Spring Loaded Folders
  • Software Base Station
  • Optimized/Fast Finder
  • Finder Labels
  • Input/Net Sprocket support for Carbon Games
  • Some accessability stuff
  • Transparancy that actually looks good when ontop of a Classic App
  • SMB Network Browsing via Finder
  • ATI Drivers for first gen G3 Macs

I'm sure I'm missing a lot.
 
Just remembered some more.

  • Those Finder noises that are kinda cool
  • High Quality Speech Characters
  • Printer Sharing
 
I second printer sharing (with and for Windows computers, too). and an SMB network browser in the Finder. I live in a mixed OS household, and while these things are manageable, it could be so much better.
 
1. Finder Labels
2. Spring Loaded Folders
3. USB Printer Sharing
4. Software Base Station
5. Scrapbook
6. NotePad (not a huge deal, as there are several free good ones)
7. Better implementation of Appearance options... They should all be under one option, like in OS 9.
8. Improved network browsing through the Finder (let us view SMB shares graphically, FTP through "Connect To" in Finder)
9. Appearance Sounds
10. Improved OpenGL performance. Apple claims it's fast, but anyone working in a 3D application will tell you it needs to be much better.
 
Originally posted by serpicolugnut

10. Improved OpenGL performance. Apple claims it's fast, but anyone working in a 3D application will tell you it needs to be much better.
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Hmm...I have to say that I think only the Carbon OpenGL API is slow as a dog (see Cinema4D XL on OS 9 and OS X...). But if I take a look at Cocoa 3D programs (Maya PLE), I think it is really good. Also, OpenGL performance of games is really good, in some occassions even better than on Windows (Quake3). But I agree that the Carbon OpenGL API sucks...
 
My Epson Perfection 1250 does. Epson released beta drivers some time ago. Check Versiontracker.com.
 
There's a lovely article at AtAT about beta scanner drivers. I'd find the exact link but I'm too lazy right now... :)

I second the vote for Software Base Station.

I'd also like (very much) to be able to use my laser printer -- HP LaserJet 1100. OS X goes so far as to recognize it ("Yup, that's a LaserJet 1100") but doesn't know what to do with it... :(
 
Many designers will be unable to upgrade for quiate a while Quark Xpress is still a OS9 application.

SPSS is still unavailable as well, so many statisticians are stuck in OS9.
 
Many designers will be unable to upgrade for quiate a while Quark Xpress is still a OS9 application.
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Three years ago, while still in the Printing Design field, Quark was my main application. Thankfully, I moved from print to web design in 1999. But, if I were still doing print work daily, I would be ditching Xpress for InDesign 2. Read the reviews. ID2 is better than Xpress5. It's cheaper. It runs on OS X (hence it's more stable). The only area where Xpress still reigns supreme is in it's multitude of Xtensions. Many print houses have Xtensions for imposition and other tasks that can't just be discarded in daily workflow.

I know very few people who still use Xpress and aren't chomping at the bit to get of the Quark gravy train. ID2 finally gives them quality transportation to do so.
 
Hmm...I have to say that I think only the Carbon OpenGL API is slow as a dog (see Cinema4D XL on OS 9 and OS X...).
Click to expand...

That may be the case, but that API still operates slower under OS X than OS 9. Run Lightwave 7 under 9, than under X and you'll notice the difference in OpenGL performance between the two. Everything else in LW runs faster under OS X.

However, certain developers, like id, have been able to maximize OS X's OpenGL performance. QuakeIII gets much better OpenGL performance under X than 9.

Are you sure about Maya being a Cocoa app? I thought it was a MachO Carbon application.
 
Originally posted by serpicolugnut


That may be the case, but that API still operates slower under OS X than OS 9. Run Lightwave 7 under 9, than under X and you'll notice the difference in OpenGL performance between the two. Everything else in LW runs faster under OS X.

However, certain developers, like id, have been able to maximize OS X's OpenGL performance. QuakeIII gets much better OpenGL performance under X than 9.

Are you sure about Maya being a Cocoa app? I thought it was a MachO Carbon application.
Click to expand...

I don't know exactly if Maya is cocoa, but I think so. If it is not, it is the best Carbon OpenGL API I have ever seen on OS X (including Lightwave, Cinema 4D and Blender). Once Maya cuts the price, as they have will dow thing the next month, I will get myself a Maya license.

I haven't played much with Lightwave since I have no license for it and seldom use applications without a license. I only know how slow CInema 4D is compared to OS 9, and how fast Maya is compared to my Celeron 1300 Mhz with Geforce 2 MX.
 
Better power management dang it!! My TiBook could get 4 hours in OS 9, but I only get just under 3 in X!!


Come on Apple!! Please!


:(
 
Hmm... these are all minor things. Where are the killer new features!! Damn wish i was creative enough to think of some :)

Serously though, I will be disapointed if only the features that have been talked about appear. They are all really needed, but not that interesting.

These things should be released as part of a double dot release.
 
How about a game involving physical pain and/or damage directed toward Bill Gates & Micro$uck?

A intuitive theme manager built in, and possibly the ability of a program which walked the average user through creating their own....

A web browser that actually works half the time...without crashing. Hence, fix IE or scrap it.

Let the users choose the button colors in "Apple Equipment Themes"... i.e. "Bondi", "Grape", "Lime", etc. Put the rest of the colows in there, some people might want `em.

Networking....put samba in the finder. Make it even more "foolproof" and "easy" to network with inferior Windoze machines, as well as the rest of the other (not inferior) platforms.

Get rid of the choppy voices in speech (ok, maybe it's my computer, so disregard if so).
 
Well... this feature wasn't in past Mac OSes in the first place... but I hate the half-ass implimentation of USB mouse controls... such as right click and scroll... they're not customizable! Let me switch it to lefty-style! Please!
 
Originally posted by adambyte
Well... this feature wasn't in past Mac OSes in the first place... but I hate the half-ass implimentation of USB mouse controls... such as right click and scroll... they're not customizable! Let me switch it to lefty-style! Please!
Click to expand...

You can use software such as USB Overdrive or your mouse's native drivers to change the buttons around, usually. YMMV.
 
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