What we know about Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

ComputerWorld ^ | October 26, 2010 - 11:01 A.M. | Jonny Evans

[Swordmaker]

Apple's new Lion OS will be leaner, keener and meaner than ever; it will teach Mac users a whole new touch-based way to interface with their computer, and borrows heavily from elements of Apple's also NeXT-based iOS system for mobile devices.

Jobs explained that touch interfaces don't feel right in a (vertical) plane -- you don't want to touch your iMac's screen -- this means trackpads and the Magic Mouse are the interfaces for the future iOS/OS X integration (at least at present -- for the future, who knows?)

In future it isn't hard to imagine touch controls evolving to become gesture-based using the iSight (now FaceTime) cameras inside most Macs, but that's some way down the line. Minority Report isn't here yet.

Promising a "ton of new features", Jobs observed, "Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like,."

So, what do we know about the new operating system that will power ever more substantial chunks of the PC industry?

[Sir_Ed]

I love Reader but I find that it doesn’t work with all sites, unfortunately...

Ed

[Terpfen]

Then give Instapaper a shot.

[Sir_Ed]

Instataper, huh? if they’re like the old Now menus, I’ll definitely try it out.

Thanks!

ed

[itsahoot]

UI themes are completely locked down, and you get only two options.

Apple rightly likes for the look and feel be universal. I used to install a lot of helpers and custom things, then when I went to work on someone else's computer, strangely they didn't behave correctly. The things I had installed and used became part of my experience, so I would have to un-remember my installed helpers/shortcuts.

[SunkenCiv]

I like it.

[big'ol_freeper]

RE: What are they gonna do when they run out of cat names?

A question right out of the scarcity mindset.

[Question_Assumptions]

I’m not a big fan of complicated touch-based controls. I even turn off the tap-click interface because I find it too easy to accidentally click on things.