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macOS Big Sur Preview

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Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#341

Post by pfranz »

fareesh wrote: post #210
GeekyBear wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Honestly, every time Apple has done anything with the Mac the past couple of years, they've screwed it up. Compared to what OS? The latest Windows 10 update buggers up Storage Spaces and printing, hard on the heels of another Windows 10 Update that deleted the user's files.

Is it uncommon for folks to use a Linux desktop as their primary OS? I've been doing so for about 10 years and I've had no complaints. Whenever I need some specific software I boot to Windows or use Virtualbox. I also have a Macbook Pro 2015

I think even in the tech community it's uncommon...especially if you mainly use a laptop. Thankfully, laptop options have expanded quite a bit.

However, a few years ago a Steam update had potential to erase a bunch of data[1].

Is there a Linux option similar to Time Machine or Windows Backup (backing to a local network drive)? I've used things like rsync and restic. They work great for jobby-job like needs, but isn't something I could show a point-and-click user to manage themselves.

How soon did you install Linux on your Macbook Pro 2015? Which distro did you go with? When I get a new Mac I usually test out a few Linux distros and it can take years (if ever) to get decent support. Things like; wifi, palm rejection of trackpad, power management (decent battery optimizations or sleep/wake).

[1] https://www.pcworld.com/article/2871653/scary-steam-for-linu...

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#342

Post by makecheck »

milkytron wrote: post #71

Is there a reason why Apple updates their Mac apps with each OS release, instead of individually through the app store? I would imagine the changes to Safari could've been made without having to upgrade the OS.

Previously I would have thought they could be separate but as of Catalina it’s entirely possible that all their stock apps are part of their protected volume (and therefore not updated in any normal way). The Applications “folder” is a virtual view merging multiple directories on disk.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#343

Post by makecheck »

pcr910303 wrote: post #6

I hate that they’re moving to a design where buttons don’t have borders and textures, don’t provide any visual guidances on what’s a button and what’s not. But I absolutely despise them for making iOS apps installable on macOS. That’s... just terrible. This WWDC just felt like that Apple decided that macOS should get merged with iOS and converged them. The Mac doesn’t have a future...

The Mac has always had kludgey ways to run software that seemed out of place on the platform (from Classic, to Java apps that never quite got UI right, to full-blown Windows-desktop-in-a-window, to other UI libraries that have quirks compared to AppKit). I do hate any iOS leaking into macOS but I am at least hopeful that they can smooth it out over time.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#344

Post by mcphage »

achairapart wrote: post #188
psychometry wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um, your computer was designed EIGHT years ago. Upgrade if you care about getting all of the new toys.

Wait, are you telling me that is ok that a capable machine (much more capable than a 2014 Mac Mini, anyway) expires by date? I have more recent Apple hardware (Mac Mini 2018, TB Macbook Pro) and I can tell you this: this Mac Mini is my favorite device, fast, user-upgradable, never had a single problem. It's a pity I have to replace it just because it's expired. By date.

> It's a pity I have to replace it just because it's expired. By date.

How is it expired? Why would you have to replace it? Did it stop working?

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#345

Post by movedx »

wespiser_2018 wrote: post #178
impalallama wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never underestimate the Internet's ability to see the worse in any Apple announcement. Apple announces something you don't want? They are ignoring the vital issues and focusing only on dumb superficial things which just proves they are going down hill. Apple announces something you do want? Should have happened years ago, and the fact that they've only gotten to it now just proves they are going down hill.

Apple unfairly gets a lot of hate, but please don't discount that the developer experience on MacOS has been pretty bad lately, and the lack of enterprise support means some folks are stuck on Apples slightly out of their use case, and with their fair share of problems.

> ... the developer experience on MacOS has been pretty bad lately ...

Has it, though? I've never understood how people had a bad time on macOS when it came to development.

I'm developing Python, Go, Terraform, Ansible, and more, on macOS just fine. I've used Vim, gVim, VSCode, GoLand, and more without any issues. iTerm2 helps too.

What issues are you facing?

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#346

Post by pfranz »

bonestormii_ wrote: post #190

I appreciate aesthetic beauty of rooms, buildings, and interfaces, but to me what has jumped the shark is the entire conversation about icons, fonts, and toolbars. No one can explain why the icons, fonts, and toolbars from 3 years ago aren't good enough anymore. No one can explain why we need constant "refreshers". Let's say you have a new microwave. Every microwave's controls are a little different, but you know gen…

I think a lot of UI changes are for the sake of change. The arguments I've heard for the recent font changes and some of the UI changes are a critical mass of retina screens. They've also added other screen/monitor tech like night-shift and true tone and have changed font smoothing.

They're also slowing experimenting and merging macOS and iOS UI tooling, which necessitates a change on both parts.

Personally, I also wish they would slow down or stop UI changes.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#347

Post by tomschlick »

swagonomixxx wrote: post #211
lou1306 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

App notarization works by hashing binaries and sending said hashes to Apple. Here you go: https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/catalina-executables.htm...

What the actual f*ck. Thanks for the link. Looks like I'll need Little Snitch...

How is this bad? They are likely sending a SHA-256 hash of the binary, not anything the binary itself to compare it to a bloom filter of known exploits. I'd expect any decent OS malware protection to be doing that.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#348

Post by zapzupnz »

SenHeng wrote: post #84

I’m surprised at all the negative takes. I thought it was refreshing, they’re reintroducing colours and icons, cleaning up and using a consistent design language across platforms, and introducing new, well tested convenience features.

Just for once, for one time in my life, I'd like to come to an HN article about Apple and not have the first few hundred comments be "sigh time to buy a Thinkpad. Let's all argue our favourite version of Linux". Just once.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#349

Post by zapzupnz »

addicted wrote: post #107
SenHeng wrote: post #84

I’m surprised at all the negative takes. I thought it was refreshing, they’re reintroducing colours and icons, cleaning up and using a consistent design language across platforms, and introducing new, well tested convenience features.

Consistent design language across platforms is not a good thing if the design language is chosen based on the lowest common denominator. Macs usually have large screens, and are driven by a pixel perfect input mechanism. Yet they will now be required to live with a design scheme that is largely designed for devices that would fit in a MacBook touchpad and the primary input for which is a fat finger. Also, the icons s…

> Macs usually have large screens, and are driven by a pixel perfect input mechanism

Good thing nothing about that is changing. macOS apps continue to be macOS apps.

> Also, the icons seem to be completely stripped off colors, so I'm not sure where the reintroduction of colors is coming from

Sidebar icons in macOS Catalina and a few releases prior don't have any colours. At all. Those got stripped out a long time ago, maybe as far back as Yosemite but don't quote me.

Now, sidebar icons can inherit an app's accent colour with edge cases designated by the developer or use the system-wide accent colour if the user has selected one.

Re: macOS Big Sur Preview

#350

Post by zapzupnz »

AlexandrB wrote: post #110
SenHeng wrote: post #84

I’m surprised at all the negative takes. I thought it was refreshing, they’re reintroducing colours and icons, cleaning up and using a consistent design language across platforms, and introducing new, well tested convenience features.

> cleaning up and using a consistent design language across platforms This is not a positive. A laptop is not a big iPhone and shouldn't use the same design language. One of the worst thing about Windows 10 is its use of huge, touch-friendly interfaces in an OS most commonly used with a keyboard and mouse. MacOS appears to be headed the same way (and it doesn't even support touch screens).

Fortunately, macOS isn't being made to look like a big iPhone. Nothing in macOS is optimised for touch — all touch targets remain roughly the same size as they've always been with some things being a little bigger, but only for improving visual clarity, not for being easier to touch.

Nothing about macOS is being made touch-friendly. Nothing about macOS is being made into an iPhone.

If anything, this release makes it easier for iPad apps to become non-touch-friendly by making it easier to bring iPad apps to Catalyst without having to do complete restylings to match other macOS apps.

That's the benefit of consistent design language. iPad apps become better macOS apps, not the other way around.

The Mac is still a Mac. Desktops are desktops. Laptops are laptops. Separately, in iPad land, tablets are tablets. Nothing about the new design language changes that.

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