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Leopard, where are you?

Swad

By Swad

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Leave it to the guys at Ars Technica to rain on our parade of an early Leopard release. Well, InsanelyMac Nation wasn't expecting an early release, what with our patented Reality Distortion Field Distorting X-Ray Vision GogglesTM, piercing even the thickest of hype.

 

The InfiniteLoop article, quoting some of the ubiquitous "sources" we've come to love, makes several good points about why we shouldn't be expecting Leopard anytime soon.

- "Our sources say that, from past experience, Apple typically ramps up production in the last six weeks before shipping with 'many seeds - like two a week.' This constant seeding period continues for several weeks, and then is then typically followed by a sudden quiet period. Apple usually announces the ship date soon thereafter, and starts pressing CDs/DVDs (which in itself takes several weeks)."

 

- "Developers have not even entered into the constant seeding period. 'We still have the same seed we got 2 weeks ago,' we are told. 'I'd say it's barely beta, not Final or Gold Master.' Is it possible that Apple is keeping some of its key developers in the dark by holding back a surprise, nearly-perfect build? Sure. Anything is possible. But seems like just about the worst idea ever if the company wants anyone's software to work when Leopard comes out."

And in what may be the most depressing part of the article,

- "One more tip we got regarding Leopard, is that InputManager plugins are no longer allowed. That's right... no more 'haxies' (their words, not mine or anyone from Unsanity's) from anybody besides Apple. No more Apple menu hacks. No more Safari plugins. (InputManager is not exactly the same as APE, by the way.) "Apple isn't really broken up about it since InputManagers were often used for nefarious purposes anyway," our sources said, but the loss of InputManager control will break a lot of shareware and commercial software that currently makes use of that control.

This last point seems like a move that is typically Apple - shutting out good ideas in the name of protecting "quality" across the board (the limitations on third party programs for the iPod and iPhone come to mind). When will they learn that the next big thing may not always be conceived in Cupertino?

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AriX
Haxies don't use InputManager and have nothing to do with it. However, addons like Chax, SIMBL, SafariStand, etc., will be rendered useless.

 

:( That renders Stoplight unuseful as well

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asap18

I do not like the feel of this one bit. If apple starts restricting choices and customization ability, it will severely impact the versatility of Mac OS X. Apple needs to learn not to lock out the developers that make its platform so great.

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macprodan

Perhaps it must simply be removed to keep the Security of OS X up to standards, do not want any easy ways in for Viruses and the Like.. All these input manager and extras will prob all be in Leopard but in an Improved fasion..

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Swad
Perhaps it must simply be removed to keep the Security of OS X up to standards, do not want any easy ways in for Viruses and the Like.. All these input manager and extras will prob all be in Leopard but in an Improved fasion..

 

That's certainly possible, but I'm not sure that's the motivation behind it. I get the sense, which could be wrong, that Apple just doesn't like outside interaction with its products outside of the software that they have to support so people will buy Macs. It seems that their philosophy is either "buy it" or "block it." There aren't too many things, with the exception of Parallels (which I still think Apple will buy), that don't fit one of those two areas.

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Soündless
Or could Apple be implementing it's own version of Shapeshifter? :P Maybe something faster/more integrated into the OS?

if so, thats great, but if not, they are becoming control freaks. i want to know.

(we need someone from apple's dev team on this forum)

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BlackShadowWolf

Im thinking a May-June release, probably right before WWDC so the devs can try it out before getting help from Apple's team B).

 

As for the loss of InputManager it further mystifies whats going on in Leopard. First there was the semi-serious rumor of Illuminous, then changeable themes, now this. The article feels sort of vague and ambiguous, honestly I think this is whats going to happen.

 

Dropping InputManager and older APIs that are defunct to clean up code that could be hacked.

 

Reorganizing the theme frameworks so there is still an Aqua GUI-Like the "Tiger" look, but also be able to change themes easily with a new theme system. If I remember correctly there was a 'Aqua' resource folder located within certain applications in one of the earlier Leopard builds. It may be possible to have applications with various theme folders that would be easy to handle as the OS could search for themes within the application bundle, and if there is none, like in a Tiger app, default to the system theme. Store the theme selection and data in the application property lists so its unique to each user.

 

The fact the builds seem still unstable may hint to the fact that Apple is trying to work on low level code.

 

I hope I wont be let down :P.

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RobNyc

darn. I use Chax, MenuMeter, HimmelBar, Shapeshifter once in a while.

Apple really needs like a Icon and Theme stuff and future with its artwork to change whenever we want it to :)

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Takuro

Without InputManager haxies, where is Apple going to get inspiration for new features? :thumbsup_anim: One of the things I love most about Tiger is the amazingly high variety of tweaks, automator scripts, plugins, etc. that work so seamlessly with the system.

 

There are some rumors that Leopard won't be released until Fall 2007. I don't think it was delayed that far off, but I also don't expect the promised "Spring" 2007 release to be kept either. Right now, anywhere from June to August seems most likely.

 

Apple is getting too nazi with all this "quality control." Look at how late AppleTV was delayed. The iPhone is also being held by the balls with an iron-grip to avoid 3rd-party developers, and their apparently below-satisfactory work. What's next? An operating system that can't run non-Apple-certified applications?

 

Either they get their act together, or things will just take a turn for the worst.

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tivimac

I don't know if you're an old Mac (PPC-CLASSIC) user, but Apple had a long history of blocking third parties choices in its OS. And every time this happen the mac comunity has find it ways to overcome that.

 

I do not like the feel of this one bit. If apple starts restricting choices and customization ability, it will severely impact the versatility of Mac OS X. Apple needs to learn not to lock out the developers that make its platform so great.

 

 

Remember Takuro, it's Apple we're talking about. It's philosophy hasn't been changed in the las 20 years. They care less about third party developers.

 

Many people here came with a PC (Intel/AMD) background, but the old MAC comunity is(was) resigned about it.

 

Without InputManager haxies, where is Apple going to get inspiration for new features? :) One of the things I love most about Tiger is the amazingly high variety of tweaks, automator scripts, plugins, etc. that work so seamlessly with the system.

 

There are some rumors that Leopard won't be released until Fall 2007. I don't think it was delayed that far off, but I also don't expect the promised "Spring" 2007 release to be kept either. Right now, anywhere from June to August seems most likely.

 

Apple is getting too nazi with all this "quality control." Look at how late AppleTV was delayed. The iPhone is also being held by the balls with an iron-grip to avoid 3rd-party developers, and their apparently below-satisfactory work. What's next? An operating system that can't run non-Apple-certified applications?

 

Either they get their act together, or things will just take a turn for the worst.

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