2006-08-19

Mac (slowly) Catching Up

Check this out. Mac OSX Leopard, which will be available "Spring 2007," has a feature called "Spaces." The idea is quite a simple one, namely having several desktops, each with its own windows running, on one computer, and switching in some way. The idea, however, has been around for years and has been implemented on all the major Linux window managers for years. Fluxbox also offers tabbed windows in addition to virtual workspaces.

So much for "new" and "innovative." Still, Apple seems to be far ahead of Microsoft on this one, no surprise there. Maybe someday Mac OS [insert appropriate number] will actually be a serious competitor with Linux. But if they want to start coming up with stuff before us, they're going to have to be much more open source. Now that would be "reaching enlightenment" as this page so modestly puts it.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

that has bin on mac for years just not from apple and remebmer the company just got Steve Jobs back in 2000

Anschel said...

What does Steve Jobs have to do with anything? Anyway, good software should come with the OS, isn't that the point of iLife?

Anonymous said...

the guy who ran it before steve jobs was a moron who runs pepsi now.

Anschel said...

What I meant is, what does the CEO have to do with the developement team. The CEO's job is to assign VPs to do everything and then take the credit.

Anonymous said...

Why are we talking about Steve Jobs? I think I'm missing the significance.

Anonymous said...

Heard of "TIme Machine"? in eithercase there have been GNU utilities for Mac for this for years... to be honest... i like OS X, i like it even better with GNOME installed under X11.app ... Mac has its place... Bringin the ease of the Macintosh and the Power of a modern Unix/BSD to people... Unfortunately (and im saying this as a person who runs 5linux boxes at home) Linux is not QUITE yet for primetime users... Primetime users dont want FREE... they dont want SAFE (no viruses, etc) they want to Play games, and as the apple commerical goes... create spreadsheets...

Think Zuma, Think DirectX...

I think from an unbiased prospective... Linux is GREAT for Admins, Developers and Especially for Servers... Windows is great for normal people as they cant be bothered to learn whats better... and Macs are great for people who like Multimedia authoring (business grade) or for people who would like to ease in to the transition...

As far as stealing features... who cares?... They all steal... Linux stole all of the metaphores... Cursors, Icons... etc... nobody sees a problem with that...

The more versions of an idea the more it is reworked the more it is thought through.... the better then end result...

And remember as for Apple and Jobs... they are simply reinventing something they had created in the past... NeXT had virtual "Workspaces".

OH and BTW... Microsoft did try VDs... Their "implementation" if you can call it one is available with the XP PowerToys kit. (I use it at work, kinda cheap but does the job without comprimising the small ammount of stability i have on Windows.)

Anschel said...

whoa! Almost unbiased opinions on this blog, very exciting!

Anyway, most of what I said was just to bother Quintin, I do think OS X is great. Still, I disagree about Linux. In the form of Ubuntu or especially Kubuntu, Linux is ready for the desktop. It may never get to the desktop, but I do think it's finally a possibility.