Comments on: Five aspects of OS X and the MacBook in need of improvement http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x Anecdotes on Java, Ruby, Sysadmin, SEO, Design, and Management Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:08:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Angad http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-43314 Angad Sun, 08 Jul 2007 00:18:39 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-43314 #4 in system prefrences, when configuring displays, simply drag the menu bar from the primary display onto your flat panel. i dont know if thats the problem you are facing, but i hope it helps. cheers #4 in system prefrences, when configuring displays, simply drag the menu bar from the primary display onto your flat panel. i dont know if thats the problem you are facing, but i hope it helps. cheers

]]> By: Wynn Netherland http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-4101 Wynn Netherland Mon, 31 Jul 2006 02:20:45 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-4101 on #3, I was able to get right click by configuring the trackpad to count two fingers as a right click under System Preferences. I wish PCs had that feature! on #3, I was able to get right click by configuring the trackpad to count two fingers as a right click under System Preferences. I wish PCs had that feature!

]]> By: Chris http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-315 Chris Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:41:34 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-315 Yea, it's brilliant. Yea, it’s brilliant.

]]> By: Todd Huss http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-314 Todd Huss Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:37:40 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-314 Chris, I had disabled it before upgrading wordpress and forgot to re-enable it before taking off for a long weekend trip. I came back to find hundreds of comment spam. It's good to know Akismet works well though ;-) Chris, I had disabled it before upgrading wordpress and forgot to re-enable it before taking off for a long weekend trip. I came back to find hundreds of comment spam. It’s good to know Akismet works well though ;-)

]]> By: Chris http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-313 Chris Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:41:46 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-313 dude, you need to get Akismet ;) dude, you need to get Akismet ;)

]]> By: Zack http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-223 Zack Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:56:18 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-223 1. It toggles between your altered size and the applications default preferred size. This is not maximized, nor intended to be. You're just used to something different and punishing an orange for being an apple. 2. You argue that hitting Command (that's what we call it) + Left Arrow takes you to the BEGINNING of the line, and Command + Up arrow takes you to the BEGINNING of the text area is inconsistent, and that This is simply not true. As for dedicated keys, there isn't a real need for them. People are perfectly capable of learning a few keyboard shortcuts, and those that are probably lean on the mouse heavily anyways. Apple is obviously shooting for a slimmer look than their competitors. We have Print Screen buttons from terminals, they don't have much of a place today. Similarly, Home and End are not what I'd call extremely necessary buttons. The're there if you want, not if you don't. 3. I agree it would be nice (for me) if they did a mighty mouse trackpad, but it's really not a big deal for the most part. Most people don't (and shouldn't) need it. Fortunately, it's a Mac, so you can get all sorts of software to tailor it to your needs. May I recommend iScroll? http://www-users.kawo2.rwth-aachen.de/~razzfazz/iscroll2/ 4. I don't have any experience with multiple display, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't get an Application Menu across both. 5. There are some inconsistencies in some dialog boxes. I too wish this would be sorted out once and for all. OS9 was great with this. 1. It toggles between your altered size and the applications default preferred size. This is not maximized, nor intended to be. You’re just used to something different and punishing an orange for being an apple.

2. You argue that hitting Command (that’s what we call it) + Left Arrow takes you to the BEGINNING of the line, and Command + Up arrow takes you to the BEGINNING of the text area is inconsistent, and that This is simply not true. As for dedicated keys, there isn’t a real need for them. People are perfectly capable of learning a few keyboard shortcuts, and those that are probably lean on the mouse heavily anyways. Apple is obviously shooting for a slimmer look than their competitors. We have Print Screen buttons from terminals, they don’t have much of a place today. Similarly, Home and End are not what I’d call extremely necessary buttons. The’re there if you want, not if you don’t.

3. I agree it would be nice (for me) if they did a mighty mouse trackpad, but it’s really not a big deal for the most part. Most people don’t (and shouldn’t) need it. Fortunately, it’s a Mac, so you can get all sorts of software to tailor it to your needs. May I recommend iScroll?
http://www-users.kawo2.rwth-aachen.de/~razzfazz/iscroll2/

4. I don’t have any experience with multiple display, but I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get an Application Menu across both.

5. There are some inconsistencies in some dialog boxes. I too wish this would be sorted out once and for all. OS9 was great with this.

]]> By: Andre http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-148 Andre Mon, 06 Mar 2006 05:37:27 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-148 I think your issue is specific to the laptop keyboard. The arrow keys double as page up/down and home/end. In the regular desktop keyboard, they are separate, and there is no confusion. As I understand, Mac OS X has a different behavior than Windows on the Home key. The home key will take you to the first line of the document, the beginning of the document. Instead, Windows will take you to the beginning of the line, and not of the document. If you want to do that in Mac OS X, you need Apple+left arrow. So, in the laptop, I feel it is pretty logic: fn+left arrow is the Home key, and will take you to the top of the document. fn+up arrow is the Page up key, and takes you one page up on the document. If you want to go to the beginning of the line, the shortcut is Apple+left arrow, in any Mac, either laptop or desktop. I think your issue is specific to the laptop keyboard. The arrow keys double as page up/down and home/end. In the regular desktop keyboard, they are separate, and there is no confusion.

As I understand, Mac OS X has a different behavior than Windows on the Home key. The home key will take you to the first line of the document, the beginning of the document. Instead, Windows will take you to the beginning of the line, and not of the document. If you want to do that in Mac OS X, you need Apple+left arrow.

So, in the laptop, I feel it is pretty logic: fn+left arrow is the Home key, and will take you to the top of the document. fn+up arrow is the Page up key, and takes you one page up on the document. If you want to go to the beginning of the line, the shortcut is Apple+left arrow, in any Mac, either laptop or desktop.

]]> By: Todd Huss http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-146 Todd Huss Sun, 05 Mar 2006 23:52:05 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-146 Jens, that's the problem! Apple + Arrow-Up takes you to the beginning of a document, not just to the previous page as (I believe) it should. Robert, the maximize behaviour in OS X is a disaster because it's completely unpredictable. I believe application developers have control over this as witnessed by applications that do maximize as much as possible. I still lay blame with Apple though because this is not a problem that Windows, Gnome Desktop, or KDE have. In fact this problem seems to be specific to Apple so perhaps they are not communicating well to their deveoper community... I'm not sure... all I know is that now that I'm using a Mac it's my problem too. In summary though I feel Apple simply hasn't done a good job of ensuring applications running on Mac OS exhibit consistent behaviour whether it's keyboard related or maximize. This blog entry I put in the related reading section outlines the text navigation inconsistencies well in my opinion: http://sean.typepad.com/ditto/2003/12/crazy_mac_os_x_.html Jens, that’s the problem! Apple + Arrow-Up takes you to the beginning of a document, not just to the previous page as (I believe) it should.

Robert, the maximize behaviour in OS X is a disaster because it’s completely unpredictable. I believe application developers have control over this as witnessed by applications that do maximize as much as possible. I still lay blame with Apple though because this is not a problem that Windows, Gnome Desktop, or KDE have. In fact this problem seems to be specific to Apple so perhaps they are not communicating well to their deveoper community… I’m not sure… all I know is that now that I’m using a Mac it’s my problem too.

In summary though I feel Apple simply hasn’t done a good job of ensuring applications running on Mac OS exhibit consistent behaviour whether it’s keyboard related or maximize. This blog entry I put in the related reading section outlines the text navigation inconsistencies well in my opinion:

http://sean.typepad.com/ditto/2003/12/crazy_mac_os_x_.html

]]> By: Jens http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-145 Jens Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:32:29 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-145 #2 Not sure about the Mac Book Pro, but on my Powerbook you simply press Apple+Arrow-Up to get to the top of the page. Might again be application dependent. #2 Not sure about the Mac Book Pro, but on my Powerbook you simply press Apple+Arrow-Up to get to the top of the page.

Might again be application dependent.

]]> By: Chris http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-141 Chris Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:57:22 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/4-things-in-need-of-improvement-in-os-x#comment-141 Robert: It's the way OSX works; it maximises the window as much as required, but tries not to take up all the screen real-estate. Robert: It’s the way OSX works; it maximises the window as much as required, but tries not to take up all the screen real-estate.

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