49 replies to this topic

[the Battle Cat]

Is Mountain Lion stand alone or do I need to buy Lion and then upgrade?  And yes I'm turning off all the new crap.

[Hansi]

the Battle Cat, on 17 February 2012 - 01:31 PM, said:

Is Mountain Lion stand alone or do I need to buy Lion and then upgrade?  And yes I'm turning off all the new crap.

Assumingly just like Lion.

[mattw]

Hansi, on 17 February 2012 - 01:43 PM, said:

Assumingly just like Lion.

All sounds pretty good as there is a lot more consistency. iChat not being able to deal with iMessages was getting frustrating for sure and should you use iChat or FaceTime for a video chat...  All the main bits are still there for us longtime Mac OS X users and the increased familiarity for folks that have currently only got an iOS device should encourage them to give OS X a try when they need a new computer. More OS X users hopefully means more native OS X games

I don't really use Launchpad myself now but can understand why it would make for sense for novice users and it being there hasn't had any effect on the Finder if you need the additional features it offers. The whole auto save/versions thing is only really confusing because it is the start of a transition phase and most of us have gotten so used to the current way of dealing with files and folders it is hard to let go. You only have to notice the number of people who just save everything to the desktop to realise the concept does makes sense for general users. They really shouldn't need to understand hierarchal file systems or have to organise things manually (I know some folks will always want to sit and manually arrange all their files and folders but really with the amount of data a typical user now accumulate with their photos, music, videos etc. it makes sense to just let the computer do the work).

With Gatekeeper I can't help feeling that an iTunes Match kind of arrangement would be useful where your installed Applications could be scanned and if they exist in the Mac App Store they could be added to your account and you could download them. I also wonder how it will work with things like Steam - if you install Steam will the games be authorised or will they need there own certificates as they are all separate binaries?

Hopefully there will be some comments on the changes to the underpinnings soon - I usual find it is the little unmentioned changes that can be the biggest improvements in day to day use.

[teflon]

the Battle Cat, on 17 February 2012 - 01:31 PM, said:

Is Mountain Lion stand alone or do I need to buy Lion and then upgrade?  And yes I'm turning off all the new crap.

I'd assume the same as Lion, where a straight upgrade, without a drive wipe, will require Lion (or whatever the previous version), but you can create a bootable install drive, and do a wipe and install, if you like.

[AussieMacGamer]

Frigidman, on 17 February 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Apple... making an OS for Idiots.

This is exactly what they are doing, time to get over it

[edddeduck]

DaveyJJ, on 16 February 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

and certified devs only. Did you like indie games? Oh, sorry about that 10.9 owners.)

You can take off your tinfoil hat!

This system is not that much more than the one Microsoft have had for years in terms of officially signed products and warnings for none signed ones. Yes it is more strictly enforced in the default mode but this not anything to fear it's just a mall ware protection system for n00bs.

You have AppStore only (handy for schools and other admin run setups).

You have AppStore and signed only (default and good for your average punter as it removes the chance of bad mallware being installed)

You have the I don't care option for computer savvy people.

The outside the AppStore certificate you just apply for and nothing is checked only your certificate can be black listed if you get caught doing naughty things like mallware.

This was how most rational people have thought it would go for a while now. Suggesting this is the beginning of an AppStore only OS scare mongering and makes little sense if you look at it rationally. Sure Apple will push the default user to look in the AppStore first but taking that premise and saying they will ban all none signed apps no matter what if you think about it makes little sense.

Edwin

[edddeduck]

Frigidman, on 17 February 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Apple... making an OS for Idiots.

AussieMacGamer, on 17 February 2012 - 09:59 PM, said:

This is exactly what they are doing, time to get over it

If you look at Mac OS X (or System as it was back in the day) Apple would take your comment as a compliment. A Mac is supposed to be so easy an idiot (or someone with no computer experience) should be able to use it and not get frustrated. Sure you have power user features but the key goal for Apple is to have things clean and easy to use.

Sure you have the command line and you can compile your own proxy server using MacPorts if you like but for your average grandma she can turn it on and send an email. Hell my cat has grasped some of Apple's iPad concepts

Edwin

[iRolley]

edddeduck, on 24 February 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:

Sure you have the command line and you can compile your own proxy server using MacPorts if you like but for your average grandma she can turn it on and send an email. Hell my cat has grasped some of Apple's iPad concepts

Edwin

The iPad has reached the "simplicity goal" that was originally meant for the Mac. And I like it like that. Let Grand Ma (and the cat) able to use the iPad, while more experienced users can appreciate the complexity of the Mac.

[mattw]

A Mac will always be capable of more than an iPad and it seems to me Apple are doing a pretty good job of making things easier for new comers to grasp. There is still plenty of options to customise things for more advanced users - most of us who have used Macs for ages don't stick with all the default settings anyway.

Having gone through the OS 9 to OS X transition, the elimination of Classic, the change from PowerPC to Intel processors, the loss of Rosetta and so on I can understand change can be troublesome and there have been bumps on the road but in all on honesty I've managed to get 90% plus of my old games running one way or another and found productivity apps on Lion today that are better than those I used in the past.

[Diablofett]

I'm still using Snow Leopard on my early 2011 17'' Macbook Pro. Yeah!

[AussieMacGamer]

Diablofett, on 29 February 2012 - 07:23 AM, said:

I'm still using Snow Leopard on my early 2011 17'' Macbook Pro. Yeah!

My dad's main accounts station at work is running system 9, uses it every day

[The Liberator]

AussieMacGamer, on 02 March 2012 - 04:16 AM, said:

My dad's main accounts station at work is running system 9, uses it every day

Hahaha, that is awesome. How old would that machine be now?

Liberator.

[Diablofett]

AussieMacGamer, on 02 March 2012 - 04:16 AM, said:

My dad's main accounts station at work is running system 9, uses it every day

That is awesome. I have an old Graphite Clamshell iBook that hosts my business website. It is running OS X, but the machine itself is considered ancient.

[Sneaky Snake]

Frigidman, on 17 February 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Apple... killing the mac for me one OS at a time.
Apple... making an OS for Idiots.

errr, read AMG's post a couple up

[Smoke_Tetsu]

The new desktop in Windows 8 with its huge primary colored blocks and all new apps forced to full screen insults my computing intelligence far more than anything Apple is doing. IMAO that's more of an idiot's OS than Mt. Lion and if one thinks that's a less dumbed down direction than what Apple is taking they are delusional, sorry. If Apple is killing the Mac one OS at a time then Microsoft is killing the PC in one fell swoop turning it into a cross between XBox and Windows Mobile.

Before you say "linux is looking better by now" the desktops there are doing similar things to Apple. Take a look:

http://www.gnome.org/gnome-3/

They are even going further by getting rid of minimize and maximize buttons (at least by default).

http://tech.slashdot...aximize-buttons

Also dragging the window to the top bar set it full screen and dragging it away takes it off fullscreen. They also have a launchpad'esque launcher with search, etc.

Hanging on to old software and hardware wont save one either. Sooner or later stragglers wont be able to take advantage of the newest stuff.

[The Liberator]

I think we should lament the end of computers; including Mac Gaming Is soon to be actually Dead™

Lib.

[Togglemeister]

For hardcore Mac gamers out there, the Mac Pro towers that were produced prior to 2008 won't be able to run it.

It states Mountain Lion requires the "ability to boot into OS X 64-bit kernel."
The 2006 Mac Pro boots into the 32-bit kernel.
That's why you need a Mac Pro 2008, 2009, 2010 or later to boot Mountain Lion so time to save up! Or look for deals on ebay!

[Frost]

Togglemeister, on 22 April 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

For hardcore Mac gamers out there, the Mac Pro towers that were produced prior to 2008 won't be able to run it.

It states Mountain Lion requires the "ability to boot into OS X 64-bit kernel."
The 2006 Mac Pro boots into the 32-bit kernel.
That's why you need a Mac Pro 2008, 2009, 2010 or later to boot Mountain Lion so time to save up! Or look for deals on ebay!

Or time for Apple to refresh the damn line so there's actually a reason to buy one.

Mac Pro! Now with severely outdated hardware.

[Hansi]

Frost, on 23 April 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Or time for Apple to refresh the damn line so there's actually a reason to buy one.

Mac Pro! Now with severely outdated hardware.

No, until recently there were no new chips nor mobos which would make sense to upgrade to.

[bobbob]

Hansi, on 24 April 2012 - 12:58 AM, said:

No, until recently there were no new chips nor mobos which would make sense to upgrade to

Sandy Bridge E was released last year, SB-EP last month, and Ivy Bridge E/EP won't be till next year (supposedly). Unless you're saying they'll wait another year (plausible, but bad), the least-bad option would be to go SB-EP ASAP so they're not releasing SB-EP on the eve of IVB-E/P, and hope they won't be this bad next time. Or, like demand seems to be asking for, maybe have a low-end IVB Xeon or even straight IVB option for those who don't want to spend extra for two sockets. Plus 'there are no new chips' is kind of laughable when staring at the 5770 or 5870 they're peddling on these things.

You know, a normal company with less than 110B cash can keep up with new hardware as it comes out, and just swap in the new parts. Having that much cash, and deciding to ship Nehalem parts for two straight years is fully pants-on-head incompetent.