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Leopard delay to give developers more time?

updated 01:15 pm EDT, Mon May 14, 2007

More to Leopard delay?


There may be more to Apple's upcoming Mac OS X Leopard launch, which the company delayed until October to ensure its iPhone will ship on time in June, than meets the eye. SeekingAlpha reports that clues point to Leopard doing away with traditional overlapping windows altogether, and that Apple delayed the next generation of Mac OS X to give developers a head start on porting as well as developing new software for new user interface. Apple's own applications reflect such a trend, using paned interfaces rather than overlapping windows for almost every interface. "Such a radical new 'feature' in Leopard would more than justify Apple's efforts to rush developers into learning about the new APIs and preparing them to make some serious changes to their applications," the report states.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. lockhartt

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2000

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    05/14, 01:28pm | report spam | Reply |

    Tabbed?

    Perhaps all open windows for an application would be presented as a single tabbed pane? Makes sense, though it also stirs memories of a recent lawsuit regarding tabbed windows... anyone recall it?

  1. Salsa

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    Joined: Oct 2003

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    05/14, 01:38pm | report spam | Reply |

    Scary

    Such a radical UI change scares me. I often need to have two windows open in an app. I hope Apple has thought this through. I'm sure they think about these things more than I do, but they might not do the same things or do things in the same way.

  1. pysan

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    05/14, 01:43pm | report spam | Reply |

    tabs unused

    I think a general tab-like interface would be great for those who like to keep their virtual workspace as clean as possible. Of course I also know plenty of users that still don't even use tabbed-web browsing, which I just can't even live w/o now.

    So in light of the spread there, I am sure that Apple is not going to force all users into such a new UI, but rather want enough developers on board that it is consistent, but still the user's choice, just like Safari gives you the choice to turn off tab-ability altogether if you don't want tabs.

  1. mitchcohen

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    05/14, 01:52pm | report spam | Reply |

    Theory makes no sense

    This doesn't make any sense at all. The new API's were discussed at last year's WWDC, including Core Animation, etc. All developers have had access to this stuff since then. There is no "rushing" developers to learn anything for this year's WWDC. The Coding Headstart is a really nice way for developers to get caught up before WWDC, since it's obviously going to focus on Leopard.

    The overlapping windows thing is an interesting theory but none of this would be forced on developers. Sure, I'd like easier APIs for tabbed/paned windows but it's not hard now. If there are new API's announced next month, they'd just be new options - nothing more.

    Regarding Code Animation, I believe my notes to myself at WWDC 2006 were "There will be lots of really ugly apps." Core Animation will be very cool if used right, but quite horrid otherwise.

  1. Peter Bonte

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    05/14, 01:56pm | report spam | Reply |

    Documents

    Practically all apps i currently use work mostly in a single window, only the documents itself use multiple windows. There is the odd text window and other systemwide enhancements but linking them into the app itself isn't that bad i think. I hate those little close buttons and command-W doesn't work with them.

    So i hope its just the apps itself, not the documents and that they dump the little add-on windows.

  1. timewind

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    05/14, 02:05pm | report spam | Reply |

    Oh dear

    I hope they don't destroy the separation between an application and documents. The biggest ongoing problem I have working in Windows is the "each document is in a separate instance of the application, with all the menus attached to the window" model. I too like having separate windows for a variety of tasks. Certainly a sudden radical change to a panneled interface would make the Leopard update the first I would really have to stop and think about before buying.

    My other concern is the frankenstein workarounds these things always seem to cause, like the interface that Photoshop has under Windows. (It has a "master window" with its own gray background and documents appear in their own "sub-windows" which are like regular Windows windows, but without their own menu structure; this makes Photoshop, especially when it is in full screen mode, much more Mac-like when running in Windows.) Anyway, I can see a bunch of less than optimal workarounds to make new Mac applications "Mac-like" again. I really think that a single menu structure with multiple windows available is the best model for many tasks.

  1. ajhoughton

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    05/14, 02:26pm | report spam | Reply |

    there may be big changes

    There may well be some big UI changes, but I don't believe they're going to "do away with overlapping windows" for one moment. That's a *ridiculous* suggestion, and I can't believe that MacNN is daft enough to lend credence to it by publishing this.

  1. darcybaston

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    05/14, 02:34pm | report spam | Reply |

    what if

    What if each app window is a tabbable window. You can drag and drop app windows into a master window and each one becomes tabs in that window.

    I would love to have Ableton Live be a tab in a window, and Second Life as a second tab (for DJing in-game). If at any time you need a tab as a full independent window, just drag it off, just like Opera does it.

  1. paulc

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    05/14, 02:51pm | report spam | Reply |

    Do NOT

    think this couldn't happen. Apple's history, especially under the Jobs II regime, will "do away" with anything at the drop of a hat and with no advance notice or word (ADB, serial ports).

  1. WiseWeasel

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    05/14, 02:51pm | report spam | Reply |

    a case for overlapping

    On screens with limited resolution (including all laptops), paned interfaces do not work too well. It's often very useful to have parts of other applications visible while using other applications, and it's nice to be able to manage your windows to facilitate multitasking. If they do offer some new functionality like tabs and panes, it had better be a supplement to existing window management and not a replacement. I use OS X mainly on my laptop now, and with 1400x900 resolution, I need all the space I can get, and paning my different apps does not advance this goal.

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