Posted on 04/29/2005 1:59:23 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Despite all the advances in personal computing, one problem has remained constant: It often is really hard to find a file months or years after it was created. To have any hope of doing so, users have to create a logical, structured system of folders, and take care to give consistent, descriptive names to their files. But few have the patience to do that.
Tomorrow, Apple Computer will introduce a new edition of the operating system for its Macintosh computers that finally solves the missing file problem, and introduces other features as well, including a new "Dashboard" that instantly displays small, frequently used programs like a calculator, dictionary and stock tracker.
The new release, called Tiger, is the latest version of Apple's excellent Mac OS X operating system. Its key feature, called Spotlight, is the first universal, integrated search system ever offered as part of a mainstream consumer PC operating system. In seconds, Spotlight can peer inside e-mail, office documents of all kinds, photos, songs, address books, calendars, and all manner of other files to see which ones match a search term you type in.
Spotlight is vastly better than prior built-in search functions on either the Mac or on Microsoft's Windows operating system. It also beats the add-on search programs for Windows. Spotlight can rapidly find almost any file, any time -- even years after it was created, and even if it is hidden among tens of thousands of other files. So as users learn to trust it, they no longer will have to worry about where they store files and what they name them.
This is a big deal. . . . . .Spotlight could spark a major change in the way people use computers. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at ptech.wsj.com ...
"Overall, Tiger is the best and most advanced personal computer operating system on the market, despite a few drawbacks. It leaves Windows XP in the dust."
"It also adds to the Mac's general superiority over typical Windows computers as the best choice for average consumers doing the most common computing tasks. Apple's hardware already was the best in the business, and Mac OS X has, so far, escaped the virus and spyware problems that plague Windows."
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
in windows 98se that I use, going to explorer and sorting by date finds the order of all my files
My copy og bTiger ships today! Can't wait!
This might prevent Apple from releasing the software today.
Here's a link to the restraining order:
Leading Online Retailer Claims Apple Violated Trademarks; Tiger Direct Requests Temporary Restraining Order and InjunctionHere's a brief excerpt:
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2005--Tiger Direct, Inc. - http://www.tigerdirect.com - , a Top-10 US eCommerce site, today filed a lawsuit against Apple Computer in the United States District Court for the District of Florida. The suit alleges Apple Computer engaged in trademark infringement and unfair trade practices in connection with its recent marketing campaign for the latest version of its "MAC OS X" operating system -- which Apple has named "Tiger." As a result of the perceived confusion between the products now being marketed by Apple under the "Tiger" brand, Tiger Direct has asked for a temporary restraining order and injunction against Apple Computer to stop further damage to Tiger Direct's well-known Tiger brand.The lawsuit focuses on the pending release of Apple's OS X 10.4 "Tiger" operating system. Apple has been running a sizeable multi-media marketing campaign, promoting the OS X 10.4 "Tiger" operating system since about April 12, 2005. The promotions refer to "Tiger Essentials," Tiger Unleashed," "Tiger World Premiere" and "X Days until Tiger," and direct consumers to a "Tiger Center" that features products from manufacturers and product categories which are basically the same as the offerings by Tiger Direct. A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2005.
Didn't you see the thread discussing this?
Can't be stopped at this point... the product is in shipment to hundreds of thousands who ordered it through the Apple store online and it is scheduled for delivery today!
The thread on this is here.
The search capability sounds wonderful, but of course, would require lots of drive real estate for the overhead, and a much faster processor than I have around here.
"a new 'Dashboard' that instantly displays small, frequently used programs like a calculator, dictionary and stock tracker"
We used to call those "DAs", or, going back twenty years, "Sidekick". ;')
Thanks for the ping.
Agreed. All this breathless hyperbole of trivial things. Yawn.
Most of the things discussed were on our windows machines years ago and we removed them because we didn't use them.
I kinda agree Joe, but I use such an assortment of trivial things daily...hourly!...that I'm interested to see if some of these trivial things may help me get more done. It's all about the productivity. Searching is a big deal if I'm trying to look through the thousands of documents on my system. The fact that Windows folks may not use a dictionary or a calculator is fine if all you do is surf and play games but for writers, designers, etc., having a group of desk accessories move in and out of the document creation process at the click of a single key is rather valuable. I do the same kind of work on both Mac and Windows and know that for those in a production environment, the improvements in Tiger would be helpful on either platform. I guarantee Bill will be touting the same features in a year or two.
I get mine next week!!!!!!
I am getting Tiger sometimes next week, can't wait. I hope it will run faster on this old imac I am using.
Mine was delivered at 6:30 this evening... nyah, nyah, nyah!
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