Over the years , Apple periodically come under fire for not listen to its customers — specifically , for deciding on particular features ( or a lack thereof ) and then sticking by its hit man disregardless of the reaction . Although some of this literary criticism is off - base , some of it is spot - on .
But Monday ’s expiration of the Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update shows that sometimes Apple does listen , and now and then even reverses design decisions because of drug user feedback . Consider some of thetweaks featured in this update to Leopard .
Hierarchical Stacks
Perhaps the most controversial change in Leopard involve the new Dock . In addition to a much - maligned 3 - five hundred appearance , the unveiling of Stacks in Leopard entail theremovalof a popular existing feature : hierarchical Dock carte du jour . In Panther and Tiger , you could place a brochure in the Dock and then navigate that booklet ’s contents right there in the folder ’s own hierarchical menu .
A couple hebdomad after Leopard debut , I evaluated Stacks , covering both its welfare and its ( many ) flaws . I offered a few suggestions for how Apple could “ fix ” Stacks :
If you hold / rightfulness - press a folder in the Dock , you presently get the option to force the lot to display as a power grid or a fan ; the single heavy ailment about Stacks could be remedied if an selection were added for force the push-down list to display in a Tiger - like hierarchical bill of fare … .Another simple melioration would be to permit the exploiter prefer — via a like circumstance in a stack ’s options computer menu — a heap ’s Dock ikon : the real folder image , a generic icon , or the current “ determined - on - the - fly sheet ” ikon .
Mac OS X 10.5.2’s new Stacks display options (left), and a stack viewed in List—a.k.a., hierarchical—mode (right)
There were other suggestions , as well , but these were the big ones . As I noted at the meter , implementing these changes would n’t affect Stacks ’ behavior for those who care it the mode it is , but would amend it — dramatically — for those who were fans of the honest-to-goodness Dock behavior .
So imagine my surprisal when I instal 10.5.2 and found those choice useable in the options menu for each stack . ( you’re able to get at this menu by Control - clicking or right - clicking on the smokestack ’s Dock icon . )
Mac OS X 10.5.2 ’s unexampled Stacks display options ( left ) , and a stack view in listing — a.k.a . , hierarchal — mode ( right )
The List View option , shown in the above screenshot , lets you view that stack as a hierarchic menu of the leaflet ’s subject . The Folder Display pick changes the stack ’s ikon to that of the actual folder . In addition to being less puzzling , the latter option also lets you utilise tradition folder icon ( such as the one you may make using FolderBrander ) to differentiate folders in the Dock .
Even better , compared to Tiger ’s Dock , the new List ( hierarchical ) viewretainsthe Leopard - introduced ability to sieve the list by name , date added , date alter , date make , or kind — mean stacks is nowmorefunctional and useful than Tiger ’s Dock menus .
regrettably you ca n’t set your default preferences for these preferences so that all new stacks mechanically exhibit your favorite demeanour ; you ’ll have to exchange the preferences for each stack separately . Still , well done , Apple .
Leopard’s original menu bar (top) and the new non-transparent version in 10.5.2 (bottom)
Non-transparent menu bar
Another controversial interface element in the initial departure of Leopard was its carte bar . Unlike the hearty - white menu measure found in every previous version of the Mac OS , Leopard ’s stock computer menu bar is semi - pellucid , and your screen background extends behind it — which means that the card bar ’s colour , grain , and legibility depend on your choice of Desktop picture . I covered ways to tweak the menu bar , andwe publish a method on Mac OS X Hintsfor formally changing the look , but none of these natural action were O.K. by Apple .
In 10.5.2 you could now get free of menu - cake transparency with a unproblematic setting in System Preferences ; specifically , the Modern Translucent Menu Bar checkbox in the Desktop & Screen Saver preference pane . However , note that with this option disabled , you do n’t actually get the old , brilliant - white menu exclude back ; or else , you get a subtle gray reading . Personally , I retrieve I just may like this hoary bar better — it does n’t stand out quite as much as a lily-white bar , but it still make menus and menu - legal community icons wanton to read .
Leopard ’s original menu ginmill ( top ) and the new non - transparent version in 10.5.2 ( bottom )
Apple also tweaked the standard menu bar slenderly , so that even if you do n’t take vantage of the new non - semitransparent pick , menus will be slightly - less transparent , improve visibility . All of these are simple but efficient change .
Time Machine menu-bar indicator
Finally , another set of minor user interface complaints have focalise on Leopard ’s new Time Machine backup feature . In the initial passing of Leopard , there was no obvious way to severalise when a backup was occurring . If you had a Finder window open , with the sidebar seeable and your backup drive displayed in the sidebar , an easy - to - miss spot of spiritedness would appear next to that drive during a relief . Or you could keep the Time Machine pane of System Preferences open ; during a backup , the “ Next Backup ” textual matter would transfer to “ Backing up ” and display a advancement meter . ( You also had to visit the predilection pane to see when your last backup take place . )
Similarly , if you want to start a patronage manually , you had to keep Time Machine in the Dock or open a Finder window with the sidebar seeable , as the Back Up Now command was available only in the contextual menu for those item .
In OS X 10.5.2 , Apple has add a new Time Machine menu - barroom ikon that plays on the “ become back time ” melodic theme — the ikon attend like a clock with a heel counter - clockwise , orbitual pointer around it . select this icon to reveal the date and time of the last Time Machine backup . You ’ll also regain mastery to take off a backup manually , to enter Time Machine ( to convalesce files ) , and to visit the Time Machine preference pane in System Preferences . And because this is a received Mac OS 10 carte extra , you could use Keyboard & Mouse preferences to localise up keyboard shortcuts for any of these commands . For exemplar , in the image below , you’re able to see that I ’ve assigned a keyboard shortcut to Back Up Now ; I habituate this if I ’m about to disconnect my international drive from my laptop and I need to be sure I ’ve backed up my latest oeuvre beforehand .
If you apply multiple Time Machine drives , you might cerebrate you still need to keep Time Machine in the Dock so as to reach the Browse Other Time Machine Disks feature . But the new bill of fare includes this instruction , as well , even if accessing it is n’t obvious : have down the Option samara and Enter Time Machine change to Browse Other Time Machine Disks . ( Thanks to Macworld forums member Gornlo for this confidential information . )
There ’s even some cute - but - utilitarian animation : when Time Machine is executing a computer backup , the little clock ’s hands , and the round arrow , rick rearwards .
This new menu provides the most important information users want to know about their backups , as well as quick access to the most - frequently - used Time Machine bidding . It saves trips to System Preferences , and it lets exploiter free up some Dock space by removing Time Machine from the Dock .
Keep it up
Now , there are times the gain of particular features is attributed to public outcry , when the realness may simply be that the feature were n’t quick when the product was ab initio released . But in two of the examples I ’ve covered here , the “ raw ” behavior is plainly an option to regress to behaviour that ’s been around for days . And the third example just makes already - useable information and commands easier to get at . So I think it ’s dependable to say that , in this sheath , the vox of user spur Apple to make these changes .
Which means that we should give Apple mention for listening — and acting . It also mean users should go on to voice their concerns . Because sometimes it does make a difference .
Now , about that midrange Mac minitower …
( Updated 5:38 p.m. PT to include tip for accessing the Browse Other Time Machine Disks command from the new Time Machine carte du jour . )
