Mac websites exploded in a frenzy of excitement recently when it became clear development machines running Mac OS X 10.7 were online.
The thing is, you'd have been crazy to think that Apple was somehow done with its desktop operating system after Snow Leopard.
In fact, if Apple's track record's anything to go by, a road-map will be announced in the not-too-distant future, and we'll perhaps see a preview at WWDC, with a release date in early 2011.
But the fact that Apple's working on Mac OS X 10.7 - codenamed Lion, Ocelot, Lynx, or, er, Lolcat, depending on which rumour you subscribe to - isn't interesting in itself. What we'd love to know is what new features it'll bring to the party.
We've listed what we'd like to see below; post a comment if we've missed something from your wish list.
1. A unified interface
Since Apple started mucking about with brushed metal in 1999, the Mac interface has lost the elegance and consistency it had in its early years. Apple should unify the interface, perhaps drawing on recent iterations of iLife, along with Quick Look and Dock stacks. And if the revised interface is sluggish, this merely leaves the door open for Mac OS X 10.8 - "Cape Lion" - to increase snappiness, the cape referring to the operating system's superhero-like qualities.
2. System-wide tagging and smart collections
From online services to mobile devices, it's clear the hierarchical file/folder system is on borrowed time. Apple realised this when it introduced Spotlight, and yet system-wide tagging doesn't seem to be on the company's radar. Along with adding such a feature to Mac OS X 10.7, we'd like to see smart collections extended to other apps, such as smart bookmarks for Safari.
3. Superior Spotlight
Spotlight is a great technology with a poor interface. We hope Mac OS X 10.7 improves Spotlight's usability significantly, perhaps taking a few tips from LaunchBar. At the very least, Spotlight's menu should support Quick Look, and although Apple rarely looks back, it'd do well to revisit the excellent Spotlight sorting window from Tiger.
TAKE A TIP: LaunchBar is what Spotlight could be, if it wasn't a little bit rubbish
4. Better Stacks
Stacks evolved in Snow Leopard but still fall short of the original rumoured concept: an arbitrary but easy to access 'pile' of user-defined documents. A workaround would be to make smart folders accessible in a stack - currently, clicking one in the dock opens it in Finder. Stacks should also support Quick Look.
5. More multitouch
Although an industry-wide transition to multitouch is underway, it's going to be a while before it's the default system for interaction; no-one wants to spend their time with an arm outstretched, swiping at a vertical iMac screen. However, Mac OS X 10.7 will likely integrate more concepts from iPhone, enabling laptop and tablet users to benefit from system-wide gestures and actions that developers can utilise with ease.
6. Configurable Spaces
Spaces are quite powerful but configuration options are basic and limited. Advanced options should ape Hyperspaces, enabling you to name and define an individual background for each space. And while we can't see Apple doing this, space-specific Docks would be great.
7. Cloud services
Apple's web services are stale, but perhaps Mac OS X 10.7 will improve things. We hope a user-friendly and robust built-in cloud back-up and sync system will be integrated and that more Apple apps will integrate with cloud services. We don't, however, want to see the operating system called Cloud Leopard, because that's a rubbish name.
8. Finder tabs and enhancements
Finder is now a Cocoa app, but it still needs a kick up the bottom. We'd like to see broken FTP support fixed, optional window tabs (see TotalFinder for an indie's crack at this), per-folder show/hide settings for hidden files, cut/move, window snapping, and better labels that offer user-definable colours.
FIX THE FINDER: We'd like to see Finder tabs in Mac OS X 10.7, as per TotalFinder
9. Embrace third-party services
Some Apple apps now deign to notice non-Apple services - iPhoto can upload to Flickr, and iChat grudgingly works with Jabber. Apple should take this further - iChat should become a truly multi-service IM client, Address Book should integrate with Skype, and Mail should integrate with social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
10. A Mac app store
This might be a controversial choice, but it could be a smart one. The iPhone/App Store ecosystem has shown that making apps affordable and accessible, easy to install and simple to update, benefits developers and Apple alike. A Mac app store shouldn't be the only way to get apps into Mac OS X 10.7, but we'll be astonished if it isn't announced as an option within the next year.
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Your comments (9) Click to add a new comment
dangeroo
February 1st
9. I have a hardware wish. Default eSata support on ALL Mac computer platforms. Even the iPad. eSata's performance is more than twice as fast as Firewire 800 and 5 times faster than USB2. Though USB 3 is going to change the USB limitations, future changes to eSata should continue to outpace the performance of the USB spec.
I opted out of going to Snow Leopard because I learned that it would whack my installed eSata adapters on my Mac Pro and MacBook Pro. It's a mature standard that should not be relegated to niche status. I'm seeing more and more external storage devices supporting eSata. I would buy a new iMac or MacBook Pro today if I could utilize my eSata resources and their speedy performance.
Imagine TimeMachine backups and restores that take 1/2 the time.
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fyngyrz
February 1st
8. 10 features that would be much better
1) Fix OSX so that changes on a remote volume can be refreshed
2) Fix Aperture so that the zillions of bugs are gone, and while you're at it, add a feature or two, why don't cha?
3) Make multiple monitors work correctly
4) allow us to recover memory from apps that leave bunches allocated (like Aperture) after they quit or crash (or else recover it yourself... whatever, just quit stealing my ram)
5) give us a virtual ipod so we can run our ipod apps on screen
6) stop supporting DRM - it is intellectual poison
7) make a real keyboard, with real keyswitches
8) provide a way to roll back updates
9) allow time machine to back up the SYSTEM, not just the data
10) Last, but most important, ANY app that ran on 10.5 should run on 10.6 and later. That's why I rarely use my 10.6 laptop, and stick with my 10.5 desktop -- because Apple broke a large number of my apps.
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syganymede
February 1st
7. I proposed to Apple 2 years ago that they implement, as a replacement for the Finder, a Library in which I could keep any documents neatly classified. So instead of having to manage foldes and file names, I would manage titles and classifications. The system would do the filing, tracking, indexing. What I would see would be a list of catagories (Bank, Friends, Tax, Artwork, etc) and inside these all related documents, email etc
Slowly they seem to be getting there
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mattswain
January 31st
6. Agree with Lewchenko. There's not much wrong with the OS as it is if that's all that you can come up with. There's not much that couldn't be included in a point release of Snow Leopard and certainly nothing in that list that would have me shelling out for a new OS.
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asvpx
January 31st
5. @healeydave
What was I thinking? ...the dock itself shrinks to a ridiculously small size when you have a decent number of applications installed and even more so when you start 'minimizing' windows into the left side ...despite your comparison to the Windows Taskbar, the Dock is no more scalable. In addition, aesthetically speaking, its effectiveness is at the mercy of application developers and not all of these concern themselves with producing pleasing icons ...for every GarageSale or CandyBar, there is something that jars like the icons for Omnifocus or Handbrake ...not even Adobe can be bothered to play the game!!
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healeydave
January 30th
4. It's late and just about to go to sleep when reading this, so I don't have much to add other than I absolutley disagree with the previous post about getting rid of the dock. I love the dock, a small icon representing the common apps, the little light to show was currently loaded. So much better than the horrible windows task bar that has to keep shrinking as more apps are loaded! I don't know what he was thinking with that suggestion!?!!!!?!?!
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