Leopard ’s version of iCal generate some nice new editing instrument and a clean new looking at . But the bragging intelligence is that OS X ’s calendar built - in app now support radical - programing — leave you have memory access to the correct host computer software .
The big changes
The group programming change to iCal were first expose when Apple take the wraps off of its group O X 10.5 plan in August 2006 . To recap what we knew back then , iCal in Leopard was suppose to let other iCal exploiter delete calendars you created . Other advertised group features were the power to mechanically check other iCal calendars to find time when everyone was free and to produce drop box for event to share relevant document .
We know a lot more about how this work now that Leopard has ship . lease ’s say you ’re scheduling a coming together . After you fill in the attendant leaning , you may press Shift - instruction - A to call up an handiness window , which will show you when invitees are free . That same windowpane has a Next Available Time button ; snap that , and iCal will find the next slot that works for everyone on your tilt .
The only gimmick : To make group - scheduling work , you postulate to be launch the right server software system on your meshing . “ Right ” stand for “ compliant with the CalDAV calendaring banner . ” Not amazingly , the new version of OS X Server ( also known as Leopard Server ) is . There are several other CalDAV servers out there ; alas , though Microsoft recently join the CalDAV consortium , Exchange is n’t ( yet ) one of them .
Another expected variety in iCal was a retool interface . The transport version is visually much more logical with the residue of OS decade 10.5 . Brushed - alloy hand way to solid gray . The frames separating the calendar inclination from the main calendar itself are gone . The hunt field moves from the shopping centre bottom to the upper right hand , where all hunt orbit go .
Besides the Leopard - style interface , the in vogue version of iCal adds other features like the ability to add attachments to an event invitation .
What you may not know
Apple separate everyone to expect the Leopard - style makeover at this June ’s Worldwide Developers Conference . Less publicize were changes to iCal ’s editing user interface .
In the previous version of iCal , when you wanted to change the details of an date , you selected the appointment , which make an editing windowpane to slither out of iCal ’s side . In the young iCal , double - clicking an appointment causes an inspector box to pop up right on next to the appointment itself ; to edit date inside information , you click an Edit button in that examiner box . ( you may also select the fitting and hit Command - E. ) That might seem like one click too many to some exploiter ; some might also object to the fact that the inspector box obscures part of the calendar . But , overall , the raw redaction port is consistent with iCal ’s cleaner fresh look .
Other prissy tweaks : you could mark a default warning signal for all new appointments , and to - do items you make in the newfangled Mail show up instantly in iCal 3.0 and vice versa . you’re able to also attach files to appointments now ; when you tempt attendant by vitamin E - mail , those files are send as attachments . ( We have yet to test this with e - post clients other than Mail . )
What we think
While iCal ’s new group scheduling creature are welcome , there is that catch : The sum capableness only exercise if there ’s a CalDAV server somewhere on your LAN . If your store is already running OS X Server , an upgrade to the Leopard version of same will give you and co - workers all these nifty mathematical group tools . But if you do n’t have access to the latest OS X Server ( or some other CalDAV - compliant programme ) , iCal 3.0 amount to a skillful , but relatively minor user interface - airlift .
The port tweaks will make iCal a welcome upgrade for any of its current stalwart , but wo n’t be enough to convince anyone to change . If you ’re in an office where you could convince your IT folks to tack to OS X Server or some other CalDAV - compliant calendaring platform , its grouping scheduling tool would be great for any humble business or workgroup .
Great or Wait?To get the most out of this novel adaptation , you — or more likely , your IT folks — will need to implement CalDAV . Assuming that ’s the case — Wait .
[ Dan Miller is executive editor of Macworld . ]
