Okay, that's not quite true. 10.3.2 is out but Aqua is still there. I was just getting you all prepared for "the big one" because some day it might happen.

Differences that I've noted:

I'm not sure. You'd think with over 38 megabytes of update it would be obvious. I wish I could report that I can now change fonts in the Finder. I can't. I wish I could report that menus were opaque. They're not. Hell, I wish I could report that there was just one less stripe...but I'm still counting.

Point updates are strictly under-the-hood stuff; don't bother looking for UI changes/fixes.

Point updates are strictly under-the-hood stuff; don't bother looking for UI changes/fixes.

Well, one would assume that the point of any update – over the hood or under - is to improve the operating system. It would take like, what, five minutes to change the attributes of a single graphic file in order to remove the stripes from menus and make them opaque? That would achieve at least two things: Menus would be easier to read and they would be a little more responsive (at least that’s been my experience with themes that have opaque menus). These would be a real improvement that would benefit everyone.

“Under the hood” improvements – and I think you’re right, that’s the way Apple sees it – are an artificial construct. It probably shows not only Apple’s priorities but also their mindset. There is no good reason that improvements must be only “under the hood” on the point updates. I think we see only “under the hood” improvements, and not more visible GUI improvements, because it’s tougher to get people to pay for the “under the hood” ones. There’s not much visible to take note of and to get people excited. This certainly shows to what extent the GUI is being used as a marketing tool and how marketing decisions are often overriding usability issues.

It's easy to sit on the sidelines and say "it would take 5 seconds to add/fix feature x!"; in fact I do it myself regarding a software project I'm involved with.

Have you ever been on a development team? I can tell you that large software projects, and most certainly an operating system, are so massive in scope that one can't simply throw in feature x or option y...there are procedures, QA, prioritization, etc etc. Without it, there would be chaos, and most certainly vaporware (I've seen it happen).

Apple's release structure is very disciplined; frequent security updates, occasional point updates, and the annual UI update. I can understand your frustration in not seeing UI fixes sooner--I'd like to see them as well--but given the maturity of Panther, I firmly believe core functionality/stability takes priority over UI.

I think these are all worthy fixes: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25652

<< given the maturity of Panther, I firmly believe core functionality/stability takes priority over UI. >>

This is a common excuse used to defend Apple, and the sell-by date on that excuse has expired. The fallacy is that it's not an either/or situation. OS X has been in development for more than SIX YEARS. The UI elements already existed for the Mac. They didn't have to be invented from scratch. The problem isn't technical. The problem is that Apple isn't Apple anymore. It's NeXT. And the boys from NeXT are hostile to anything that isn't the NeXT way of doing things, and they're especially hostile and resistant when people say that the Mac way was better.


Markle

P.S. If Panther was really that mature, the "core functionality" would have already been resolved, and the vitally important UI would not still be a lower priority.

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Hell, I wish I could report that there was just _one_ less stripe...but I'm still counting.

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I can report that they changed labels. A label becomes a dot in list view or column view after you highlight the labeled item. See the GUI isn't neglected.

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I can report that they changed labels. A label becomes a dot in list view or column view after you highlight the labeled item. See the GUI isn't neglected.

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I think that's the way it always was.

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It's easy to sit on the sidelines and say "it would take 5 seconds to add/fix feature x!"; in fact I do it myself regarding a software project I'm involved with.

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You're right, Arlo. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and say thus and so. But I'd be saying the same thing at a board of directors' meeting or a project planning meeting.

Here's where my philosophy differs from what we have now: The GUI *is* the foundation. It *is* core functionality. The job of the hidden stuff is to drive the GUI properly. I've read a few learned articles and parts of books on the subject. Often, particularly with software, it is best to think of the GUI first and then build from there. Decide what each screen should look like, how functionality is accessed through the interface, and then put the guts of it together. Doing it backwards usually leads to overly-techie, unintuitive, arcane and just plain geeky software.

This was the Christmas morning update.

A mad rush to fix all the crap that's going to go wrong with all the iPods and digicams when all the casual users start plugging gifts into their Macs.

It's a hedge. Ass covering for the weak digital hub strategy, which is a ticking time bomb because nothing really works. And on a day like Christmas, where the Mac really HAS to be a digital hub in order to keep the con going, the worst of Apple's half-assedness is most likely to rear up and bite their butts.

Remember, we're dealing with marketeers here. At this time of year, the data is in as to which digikid products are hot. Now of course now is the time to furiously test gizmo X and workaround any of its quirks. Typical.

Remember, for Apple, now it's all about keeping up appearances. Keeping the most casual of casual users impressed and happy and entertained. As long as a few digi devices work on the morning of Dec. 25, it doesn't matter how badly they rube goldberg the OS.

The digital hub strategy is a success. The Mac works, the iPods work and the iTunes Music Store works. As brilliantly devised by Lord Steven Peter Jobs, King of Cupertino, the songs sold on the Music Store are a loss leader intended to push higher sales of high margin iPods, which is exactly what is happening.

Continue changing the way we interact with technology for the better Apple. You've been on a roll ever since the first iMac and the Mac OS X Public Beta. I salute and commend you.

I have returned.

NPD: I agree that the songs on the Music Store are a loss leader. I wonder what will happen now that someone is offering downloads for 88 cents?

When it gets down to 50 cents, sign me up.