The Digital Home

Leopard--the future of the OS market.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

As many of you are aware, I think Windows Vista is a blunder. And with its annoying UAC system and horrifically slow operation, it won't take long before the majority of home users agree with me. If the recent figures showing Mac OS X is already gaining market share is any indication of the future, look for Leopard to outsell Vista by a staggering margin.

Simply put, Mac OS X Leopard is one of the most significant operating system achievements we have witnessed in years. Not only does it add functionality that Microsoft could only have dreamed of, it does so in a snappy environment that doesn't annoy you with pop-ups asking for permission or all of those security threats we have come to know (and hate) in Windows.

But my belief that Vista will soon bow to Leopard goes far beyond the operating system itself. In fact, the major reason Vista will succumb to Mac OS X has little to do with Apple, but quite a bit to do with Microsoft's current focus. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, one thing is abundantly clear: Microsoft fears Google and is doing everything it can to become the Google slayer instead of competing in its core business--software.

The company is on a slippery slope, and to be quite honest, I don't think it can get off too easily.

Mail has always been one of my least favorite applications on Mac OS X. Generally speaking, it has always been underpowered and lacking in some of the functionality that I have come to expect from an Apple product.

But with the release of Leopard, Mail is finally a useful and I can now justify using it as my main mail application.

Spaces was one of the wild cards in Leopard that I wasn't too sure about going in. But now I can say, after using it for the past twenty-four hours, that it is one of the most useful and logical additions to Leopard. In fact, I might go so far as to say that Spaces is my new favorite app on Mac OS X.

One of the nicest additions to Leopard is the incredible improvements to Finder. And while the OS still allows you to navigate through your computer in the old style (column view was always my favorite), Cover Flow just works.

Now, before we get into just how nice Finder really is, why can't we view the menu options beneath cover flow in column view? So far, Apple only allows you to view desired paths in list mode. And while it gets a little annoying, it's not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination.

Sure, it may be a small addition and some people aren't all that excited, but Leopard now allows you to turn a breadcrumb navigator on in Finder, which allows you to know where you've been. Unfortunately, it's not on by default, but a quick jaunt to the View -> Show Path Bar option will get the job done.

Obviously the most important new addition to Finder is Cover Flow. At first, I was a bit skeptical of Cover Flow's usefulness, but after a good five to ten minutes of using it, I'm sold. It seems like such a simple addition to an already helpful folder navigation system, but it works far better than anything else I've ever used.

In fact, one of the best components of Cover Flow is the ability to view a selection instantly. Dubbed Quick Look, you need to only press space and the selection will come to the front of the screen and allow you to view it in full screen (if you wish). If you choose a Word document, you won't be able to edit it in this view, but it's an incredibly useful and fast way of referencing something without going through the task of opening up a program.

Other than that, Apple has decided to leave well enough alone, and I'm glad it did. Finder is simply fantastic and has somehow become far more useful than it used to be. Simply put, it's a must-see.

Overall Finder grade: 10/10

Up next: Spaces

Last night, I finally got around to hooking up my external hard drive and started using Time Machine. And while I had hoped for a bit more options, it's one of the nicest additions to Leopard.

By default, Time Machine is set to off. But as soon as you hook up an external hard drive and flip the Time Machine switch on in the new System Preferences pane, the system will start backing up your hard drive in twenty minutes after you first set it up.

Over the course of this weekend, I will be covering just about everything you ever wanted to know about Leopard. From its installation (this post) through my final impressions, this weekend will be dedicated to all things Leopard here on the Digital Home. So without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy some Leopard.

As I write this, I'm currently running Apple's newest OS--Mac OS X Leopard. And while I will fill you in on some of my thoughts in the posts following this one, I can tell you, without a doubt, that Leopard (so far) is a fantastic OS.

Packaging

It may be a small thing to some, but I'm always interested in how well packages look. If the packaging is ugly and little time was dedicated to it, it has to make you wonder: was the same nonchalance given to the product?

Installation

Once the disc is verified, you need to go through a few menu pages which basically ask if you're ready to install the OS. Once complete, wait a good 45 minutes, and you're ready to go.

First impressions

But perhaps the most interesting change is the Dock. Instead of the old (somewhat ugly, now that you see this) design, the new Dock is fantastic. It has a reflective bottom and sports a blue light to tell you which programs are open, instead of the familiar arrow. So much attention was given to this feature that when the icons jump up and down, the reflection moves with it.

Speed has not been an issue at all. That said, I'm running a relatively new Mac with all the fixins. But based on what I've heard, performance is stable and smooth across all Mac iterations.

Another oft-ignored inclusion is Apple's decision to include a link to your Documents folder on the Dock. Once you click on this, it immediately brings you to an attractive screen that is filled with icons showing you a thumbnail of what each of the documents looks like.

Mail has been upgraded significantly, and I can finally say that it's every bit as useful and organized as any other e-mail application out there. I've already included some RSS feeds into the app and have added some reminders of what I need to get done with the help of the "To-Do" option. So far, it's superb.

Finally, my new favorite application on Mac OS X is Spaces. As someone who uses a slew of programs at any given time, just having the ability to quickly (and easily) switch between programs is a welcome addition. So far, I'm using it only in its default 2x2 setup and decided to use F5 as the indicator button allowing me to switch between windows. Simply put, it works beautifully.

So there you have it--installation and first impressions for some of Leopard's most interesting new features. Trust me, this is only the beginning. Keep checking back (or subscribe to the RSS) all weekend so you don't miss a beat of my Leopard coverage.

Next up: Time Machine.

PC Magazine columnist, John C. Dvorak, wrote up an interesting column earlier this week explaining exactly how Google would get into the operating system business to take on Microsoft and Apple. And while I too believe Google may make such a move, John only got us to the point of inception.

And with most of the OS focus this week being allocated to Mac OS X Leopard, I thought it would be nice to take our attention away from that for a moment, and take a look at what the hypothetical Google OS would look like after the company declares war on Microsoft.

And if you're thinking what I'm thinking, this OS would take Windows (and Mac OS X) for a ride.

The Blu-ray winner

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Am I the only person who couldn't care any less about the HD DVD/Blu-ray war? For a while, I was captivated by the prospect of a Sony format winning the format war or the possibility of another Betamax debacle. At one point, I actually cared who won the format war and told everyone which format I believed would win.

But with Wednesday's news that cited figures showing Sony's Blu-ray format had outsold HD DVD by almost 2-to-1, I finally had enough.

Let's be honest with ourselves: at this point, who really cares which format is outselling the other? After each report of higher sales, the backers of the opposing format come out and proclaim their own dominance due to factors a and b. Once that's complete, the winning victor (in this case, Blu-ray) comes out and cites those sales figures just one more time.

Suffice it to say, I'm just plain tired of this war.

As everyone is too well aware, this high-def format war will go on for at least another two years. Regardless of where you stand, movie studios will continue to support whichever format they believe will bring in the most money without actually standing firm on one format or another.

(Credit: NBC)

Correction: This blog initially misstated the day NBC announced it was pulling its content off YouTube. It was Monday.

Am I the only person who has lost every ounce of respect for NBC? First, it tells the world that it will not renew its contract with Apple citing disputes over content pricing, and then it tells us all Monday that it has pulled all of its content off YouTube and will reserve it for Hulu when it finally goes live.

Nice one, NBC. Not only have you pulled your programming off the most popular video-sharing site on the Internet, you've decided to add it to a video site of your (and News Corp.'s) own that has no promise. Am I missing something here?

There is no chance Hulu will ever become a success. And the reason is quite simple: It is being produced by two companies that have no idea what consumers want and are utterly unaware of how the Internet works. Even worse, neither of those companies knows what Web 2.0 is all about.

I give Hulu one year.

First off, thank you for all of the kind words from readers regarding last night's Computer America appearance. I truly appreciate it.

But for the reason for this post -- I wanted to let all of you know that I will now be making regular appearances on the Computer America show. From here on out, I will be appearing on one episode per month to discuss some of the biggest tech topics around. If you don't normally listen to the show, you can head on over to the above link and listen to it live over the Internet. If you miss a show, you can click the 'Archives' link and listen to the past two weeks.

Just so you know, my next appearance will be on Friday November 16th from 11 pm-midnight. If you missed last night's appearance where Carey and I had a lively discussion about Windows Vista, click here.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope you continue to enjoy Digital Home and my regular appearances on both TWiT with Leo Laporte and Computer America.

If you have a specific topic you would definitely like to hear me talk about on the next Computer America appearance, please send me some ideas to Don AT Bungatech.com.