Apple's Tiger Knows How to Hunt

Businessweek Online ^ | 7/1/2004 | By Peter Burrows

[Swordmaker]

The latest OS X update will have an innovative new search tool that prowls through your files -- and it hints of better things to come

Over the years, secretive Apple (AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs has announced so many surprises during his keynote speeches at the semiannual Macworld confabs that it's a bit of a disappointment when he doesn't have some shocker. Yet, Jobs left everyone hungry for more after his talk at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 28.

No eye-catching update of the long-in-the-tooth iMac was unveiled, as many analysts hoped. Heck, after hearing a smattering of Beatles songs come over the intercom before Jobs took the stage, this reporter would have bet a day's wages that Paul or Ringo would show up to announce a settlement of Apple's trademark lawsuit with the Fab Four's Apple Corps record label.

"RAISES THE BAR."  That wasn't to be. But this year's gathering in San Francisco still had a couple of technical splashes that could prove to be substantive innovations over the long term. Apple's stunning 30-inch flat-panel monitor was certainly impressive (if pricey, at $3,200). The real news, however, involved Tiger, the next release of Apple's three-year-old Mac OS X operating system.

As always, Apple showed the world how to make computers more usable and appealing. Tiger "certainly raises the bar," says Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenbeg. "It will definitely put pressure on Microsoft (MSFT ) to deliver something as functional and as visually appealing" when it releases its next version of Windows, dubbed Longhorn, in 2006 or 2007.

What's the big deal? Besides some under-the-hood improvements, including better graphics and video performance, Tiger has innovations that could change the way people interact with their computers. The most exciting is a new search capability, called Spotlight, for quickly finding and categorizing information on the hard drive.

[Swordmaker]

Macintosh OS X TIGER article from Businessweek Online.

If you want to be taken off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me...

Of you want to be included on the list that keeps Freepers updated on the best Operating System, Freepmail me also...

[mhking]

Don't forget how Apple pilfered Konfabulator away from the grass-roots base that spawned it in the first place, and is now trying to claim it as part of the system (in a high level of Microsoft-like behavior)...

[Dont Mention the War]

Don't forget how Apple pilfered Konfabulator away from the grass-roots base that spawned it in the first place, and is now trying to claim it as part of the system (in a high level of Microsoft-like behavior)...

I felt the same as you, until I was reminded of something on another list the other day: Apple created the basic "widget" concept itself, in October 1981.

The Original Macintosh: User Interface: Desk Ornaments

[toupsie]

I own a copy of Konfabulator and like it but Apple isn't stealing anything. Apple included a similar program back in 80s with System 6. They had all sorts of "widgets" available for the desktop. In fact, the original "Control Panel" started out as a widget. I think they were called "DAs" or Desktop Accessories.

[toupsie]

Beat me to it! :)

[xm177e2]

The most exciting is a new search capability, called Spotlight, for quickly finding and categorizing information on the hard drive.

Isn't Microsoft trying to do something superficially similar with databases in Longhorn? It would be pretty embarrassing to MS if Mac beat them to the punch. It would be extremely embarrassing if Mac did a better job of it.

[toupsie]

Mac OS X Tiger is Longhorn! :P

[Tangerine Time Machine]

For insightful commentary on the great Dashboard/Konfabulator debate:
http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/dashboard_vs_konfabulator

For the parody song that has already emerged:
http://www.dangrover.com/widgetman/

[Tangerine Time Machine]

What I love is that the Spotlight seach routine crawls into your pdf files, OCRs all the words there, and dumps the matches into your search field along with everything else. Slick.

[Fawnn]

Didn't Apple pilfer from GEM as well?

[SedVictaCatoni]

I think they were called "DAs" or Desktop Accessories.

And someday I'll be the last man alive who remembers how to use the Font/DA Mover.

[1stFreedom]

I saw some of the videos at ZDNET...

Apple kicks butt, plain and simple.

I love Windows for building custom applications and for the .NET platform... But for pure enjoyment and day to day use, Apple wins hands down.

Now if they'd just lower the prices on the high end systems, I'd actually buy one for myself. Until then, I'll just use my old G4 at work.

[ThePythonicCow]

I doubt that Spotlight has to OCR words in pdf files. Most text in pdf files is stored as characters, not graphic images, albeit a non-trivial text format.

[TXnMA]

Apple's internal search engine, "Sherlock", is quite effective -- both for internal searches and (properly set up) for on-line searches. Now that the OS does a nightly "Index" scan of the hard drive, the internal searches are very useful.

[Tangerine Time Machine]

Makes sense. Many of the pdfs I work with are scanned hard documents rather than key-stroked, so that's a bit out of my paradigm.

[Glenn]

doubt that Spotlight has to OCR words in pdf files.

Spotlight and other emerging technologies use metadata. It's an index between friends, so to speak. Definitely up and coming.

I'm anxious to see the RSS capability of Safari. I use a commercial RSS client on my Macs now. It's a real time saver to be able to zero in on web content that is relavent to me. If they did it right, Safari is going to break a lot of small software companies' knees.

[Yossarian]

In addition to the prior art established by DAs, Tiger's widget programming model goes far beyond just JavaScript: WebCore (? WebKit?) is the foundation for Tiger widgets...so ANY method for creating a web page - html, flash, quicktime, java, you name it - can be used to create a widget! Very, very cool.

Arlo and Perry need to extract their heads from their posteriors and realize that they have the market to themselves for 9 months, they have the 10.0 to 10.3 market forever, and that they have the freedom to branch into Windows. While they're at it, they'd be well advised to come up with a business model where they're not making the lions share of money off the widget-writing community - if they want better support in the future.

[Woahhs]

I'd get a Mac, but I'm not confident with the size of my penis.

[pageonetoo]

Most of us Mac users have no envy....;-)