Apple's latest innovation: full screen applications...

chiark · 20 October 2010, 23:33

Well, there's a turnup for the books: Apple has just innovated!

The new OS - Lion, available Summer 2011 - will have better support for full screen apps. And multiple apps can be running that have a screen all to themselves. And you can switch between them.

Only took them 25 years: well done chaps!

(Admittedly, the Mission Control mechanism for switching looks cool, and it appears that there's no menu bar on the apps: they ought to have innovated menus that only appear when you need them

There were some damn good ideas in Workbench...

Paul_s · 21 October 2010, 00:02

Old ideas are always the best

I don't have the strength to be anti-mac tonight

chiark · 21 October 2010, 09:09

I'm not anti-mac at all: my main machine is a Macbook Pro, and the HTPC is a Mac Mini

.

Cloudane · 21 October 2010, 20:05

It's about time that green "zoom" button was given an actual useful function

chiark · 21 October 2010, 21:11

It'd be damn good if it were consistent in function, too!

Cloudane · 21 October 2010, 21:22

As much as i love OSX, the Apple guidelines for UI design and consistency are very much a case of "do as I say, not as I do"

Beawolf · 22 October 2010, 10:52

Amiga scene, not Mac/Apple Scene... XD -.-

Christian · 27 October 2010, 01:04

Can't get on with OSX. Am I the only one who finds it extremely irritating to use??

Gave it a good go an everything too

Annoying and boring

Minuous · 27 October 2010, 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian

Can't get on with OSX. Am I the only one who finds it extremely irritating to use??

Nope, 5 minutes of it and I want to throw the machine out the window...

klx300r · 27 October 2010, 03:51

macs

Siggy999 · 27 October 2010, 04:57

Re: Mac OSX

The last production house I worked in went over to Mac for Final Cut Pro - and although I think it was probably one of the slickest editing systems I ever used, with seamless integration from various tools I used regularly, I really WASN'T a fan of the OS at all...

chiark · 27 October 2010, 13:49

The OS is different, but I'd say it's hugely similar to the Amiga in some ways, particularly the support for a good graphical and excellent command line interface.

Finder is the Mac's achilles heel: it sucks. Badly.

Once you get used to the rest of it, it's wonderful but Finder is awful.

Other than that, I think it's a wonderful OS and the better support for full screen apps is a damn fine thing.

th4t1guy · 27 October 2010, 16:12

Full screen applications? Wow...what a horrible idea. Just like whoever came up with the full screen installer that a lot of windows programs use. Why don't they just restrict usability a little bit more and disable the keyboard while they're at it?

Christian · 28 October 2010, 04:52

Yeah, didn't see what all the fuss was about tbh...

Kinda felt like using a gui with one hand tied behind your back, so I guess the Workbench comparison is fair enough lol (for these days).

Not even particularly fast either. I was surprised after reading about this aspect of it. This is comparing like for like hardware too.

I tell you what it felt like. You know really crap documentaries, the ones that seem to be aimed at 5 year olds that have been smacked on the head ... very dumbed down .... kinda like that :P (let me hold your hand through this.... arrrgh)

Kinda pretty I guess but imo Windows 7 pisses all over it, and then some. Even had to resort to a third party app to sort the mouse speed out - I mean come on...

Oh, was using it because of Logic Pro 9, which to be fair is an old Win app that Apple have taken and made pretty good now.

ImmortalA1000 · 31 October 2010, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiark

Well, there's a turnup for the books: Apple has just innovated!

The new OS - Lion, available Summer 2011 - will have better support for full screen apps. And multiple apps can be running that have a screen all to themselves. And you can switch between them.

Only took them 25 years: well done chaps!

(Admittedly, the Mission Control mechanism for switching looks cool, and it appears that there's no menu bar on the apps: they ought to have innovated menus that only appear when you need them

There were some damn good ideas in Workbench...

This has been possible on PC's since XP days in 2002. The problem is nobody bothered to write any full screen serious software.

Anyway neither Windows or OS X can show two completely different screen modes at the same time like the pull down screen/background feature of WB 0.9 to 3.1 so they still have more work to do

gibs · 04 November 2010, 04:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by th4t1guy

Full screen applications? Wow...what a horrible idea. Just like whoever came up with the full screen installer that a lot of windows programs use. Why don't they just restrict usability a little bit more and disable the keyboard while they're at it?

Photon · 04 November 2010, 19:36

Watch out for the lion!

Actually, many Adobe applications are fullscreen (but in a not too well thought out way) already

Both on Mac and other platforms.

This topic is quite scary, actually. Not 1 hour before coming home from work (coding iPhone apps on Mac, unrelated but anyway) I thought about 'usability' in an OS.

Juggling 17 partially overlapping windows is not really 'productive', even with a dock (which beats Alt-Tab any day). It just makes you less focused while giving the illusion of 'having it all in view'. Which could be partially possibly with a 2560px wide screen like the work computer. But, like, it still doesn't help. All that happens is that you keep windows open that you don't need, cos you're too lazy to re-open them and put them in their place. (So to speak.)

Fullscreen applications is not a bad idea at all, especially if they work like on Amiga (each have their own screen) instead of like Photoshop (app window is fullscreen and blocks everything behind it, except sometimes, and it has its own little playground of windows that somehow belong to the app and not the OS.)

That, coupled with a few small panels for time, mp3 player, status, etc (WITH NO POPUPS) would be optimal. In my very well educated opinion.

chiark · 04 November 2010, 21:31

I must admit I like the fullscreen UI paradigm, and do miss it from Amiga days so I'll be welcoming this with open arms

vidarh · 05 November 2010, 14:10

I run most apps as close to full screen as possible both on my OS X box at work and on my Linux box at home on separate spaces / virtual desktops. On both the only thing visible apart from the maximized app window is a menu bar / systray. For apps I can do it with easily, I've removed the window title bar (you can easily do this with a theme on Linux and/or by twiddling with "full screen" settings). I've got one virtual desktop set aside for file management etc. similar to having a Workbench screen.

Effectively I'm manually hacking together something that halfway sort-of tries to act like AmigaOS

cosmiq · 05 November 2010, 16:06

Oh I love EMACS

20 October 2010, 23:33	#1
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	Apple's latest innovation: full screen applications... Well, there's a turnup for the books: Apple has just innovated! The new OS - Lion, available Summer 2011 - will have better support for full screen apps. And multiple apps can be running that have a screen all to themselves. And you can switch between them. Only took them 25 years: well done chaps! (Admittedly, the Mission Control mechanism for switching looks cool, and it appears that there's no menu bar on the apps: they ought to have innovated menus that only appear when you need them There were some damn good ideas in Workbench...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Wanted: ClassAct Full Developer Latest Version	tiffers	request.Apps	9	09 July 2023 22:38
Black screen in full screen but not full window Winuae all versions	Mixter	support.WinUAE	18	30 June 2013 00:45
On the fly full screen <-> full window switching	NewDeli	request.UAE Wishlist	19	22 May 2010 17:40
getting screen modes working full screen	damo	support.WinUAE	1	06 February 2009 22:12
full screen	sturme	New to Emulation or Amiga scene	0	22 January 2003 20:47

21 October 2010, 00:02	#2
Paul_s Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Amigaville Age: 46 Posts: 3,334	Old ideas are always the best I don't have the strength to be anti-mac tonight

21 October 2010, 09:09	#3
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	I'm not anti-mac at all: my main machine is a Macbook Pro, and the HTPC is a Mac Mini .

21 October 2010, 20:05	#4
Cloudane Registered User Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Cumbria Posts: 103	It's about time that green "zoom" button was given an actual useful function

21 October 2010, 21:11	#5
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	It'd be damn good if it were consistent in function, too!

21 October 2010, 21:22	#6
Cloudane Registered User Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Cumbria Posts: 103	As much as i love OSX, the Apple guidelines for UI design and consistency are very much a case of "do as I say, not as I do"

22 October 2010, 10:52	#7
Beawolf Zone Friend Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Italia Age: 36 Posts: 52	Amiga scene, not Mac/Apple Scene... XD -.-

27 October 2010, 01:04	#8
Christian Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Gloucestershire Age: 51 Posts: 218	Can't get on with OSX. Am I the only one who finds it extremely irritating to use?? Gave it a good go an everything too Annoying and boring

27 October 2010, 03:51	#10
klx300r Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,593	macs

27 October 2010, 04:57	#11
Siggy999 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas/Nevada Posts: 103	Re: Mac OSX The last production house I worked in went over to Mac for Final Cut Pro - and although I think it was probably one of the slickest editing systems I ever used, with seamless integration from various tools I used regularly, I really WASN'T a fan of the OS at all...

27 October 2010, 13:49	#12
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	The OS is different, but I'd say it's hugely similar to the Amiga in some ways, particularly the support for a good graphical and excellent command line interface. Finder is the Mac's achilles heel: it sucks. Badly. Once you get used to the rest of it, it's wonderful but Finder is awful. Other than that, I think it's a wonderful OS and the better support for full screen apps is a damn fine thing.

27 October 2010, 16:12	#13
th4t1guy Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kansas City, MO, USA Posts: 683	Full screen applications? Wow...what a horrible idea. Just like whoever came up with the full screen installer that a lot of windows programs use. Why don't they just restrict usability a little bit more and disable the keyboard while they're at it?

28 October 2010, 04:52	#14
Christian Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Gloucestershire Age: 51 Posts: 218	Yeah, didn't see what all the fuss was about tbh... Kinda felt like using a gui with one hand tied behind your back, so I guess the Workbench comparison is fair enough lol (for these days). Not even particularly fast either. I was surprised after reading about this aspect of it. This is comparing like for like hardware too. I tell you what it felt like. You know really crap documentaries, the ones that seem to be aimed at 5 year olds that have been smacked on the head ... very dumbed down .... kinda like that :P (let me hold your hand through this.... arrrgh) Kinda pretty I guess but imo Windows 7 pisses all over it, and then some. Even had to resort to a third party app to sort the mouse speed out - I mean come on... Oh, was using it because of Logic Pro 9, which to be fair is an old Win app that Apple have taken and made pretty good now.

04 November 2010, 19:36	#17
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	Watch out for the lion! Actually, many Adobe applications are fullscreen (but in a not too well thought out way) already Both on Mac and other platforms. This topic is quite scary, actually. Not 1 hour before coming home from work (coding iPhone apps on Mac, unrelated but anyway) I thought about 'usability' in an OS. Juggling 17 partially overlapping windows is not really 'productive', even with a dock (which beats Alt-Tab any day). It just makes you less focused while giving the illusion of 'having it all in view'. Which could be partially possibly with a 2560px wide screen like the work computer. But, like, it still doesn't help. All that happens is that you keep windows open that you don't need, cos you're too lazy to re-open them and put them in their place. (So to speak.) Fullscreen applications is not a bad idea at all, especially if they work like on Amiga (each have their own screen) instead of like Photoshop (app window is fullscreen and blocks everything behind it, except sometimes, and it has its own little playground of windows that somehow belong to the app and not the OS.) That, coupled with a few small panels for time, mp3 player, status, etc (WITH NO POPUPS) would be optimal. In my very well educated opinion.

04 November 2010, 21:31	#18
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	I must admit I like the fullscreen UI paradigm, and do miss it from Amiga days so I'll be welcoming this with open arms

05 November 2010, 14:10	#19
vidarh Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Croydon, UK Posts: 46	I run most apps as close to full screen as possible both on my OS X box at work and on my Linux box at home on separate spaces / virtual desktops. On both the only thing visible apart from the maximized app window is a menu bar / systray. For apps I can do it with easily, I've removed the window title bar (you can easily do this with a theme on Linux and/or by twiddling with "full screen" settings). I've got one virtual desktop set aside for file management etc. similar to having a Workbench screen. Effectively I'm manually hacking together something that halfway sort-of tries to act like AmigaOS

05 November 2010, 16:06	#20
cosmiq Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Holland Age: 41 Posts: 314	Oh I love EMACS

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)