“There is a lot of buzz and speculation floating around as to what we’ll see in the Mac OS X 10.5 update that will be previewed (and I suspect released) at this August’s World Wide Developer’s Conference,” David Chartier writes for The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). “One exciting ‘fundamental feature’ John Gruber hinted at last November has been mentioned again by a developer named Dustin MacDonald: resolution independence… This idea of resolution independence, as you might glean from the name, is a new concept (as far as I know) that restructures how element sizes are defined in Mac OS X, ideally making it possible for higher resolutions without forcing users to squint at everything they do on-screen. This also could usher in much higher ppi resolutions which could bring computer displays that much closer to properly displaying high-detail objects.”
Chartier writes, “The reason I’m mentioning all this is that Dustin MacDonald, the aforementioned developer, has echoed Gruber’s sentiment that evidence of Apple’s move to resolution independence is already present in 10.4, and he goes a little further to explain some of these elements for those who really wanna get their nerd on.”
Full article here.
Dustin MacDonald has more about “resolution independence” in Mac OS X Leopard here.
Info about 512×512 pixel Mac OS X icons (Portuguese to English Google translation) here.
MacDailyNews Take: Take it from us, Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro’s 1680×1050 resolution screens cry for a Mac OS X that’s capable of “resolution independence.” Let’s hope Leopard delivers just such a capability.
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would be about time haha, feels like this next osx release (especially if it has a new kernal / finder) is worthy of being os XI – im sure they wanna keep the X as branding though at the moment.
Hopefully the elements will be adjustable, like how the Dock and Finder icon sizes already are.
I’m not sure how “exciting” this feature is, but it would be welcome.
feels like this next osx release (especially if it has a new kernal / finder) is worthy of being os XI
IMO they should keep the “Mac OS X 10.x” naming until 10.9. By then OS naming & branding will need to be freshened up anyway.
“Let’s hope Leopard delivers just such a capability.”
It will, and it is truly needed! Have you ever looked at text on a 30 inch monitor? It looks like complete shit on a Mac. And I am one of the most die-hard MacAddicts on this site. Go to an Apple store and launch iTunes on either a Mac connected to a 30 inch monitor, a 23 inch monitor, or even the new 20 inch iMac. Run the visualizer in full screen. Look at how crappy the text is (song title and artist). It’s horrible and hopefully will be fixed in Leopard.
“IMO they should keep the “Mac OS X 10.x” naming until 10.9. By then OS naming & branding will need to be freshened up anyway.”
They may run out of cat names! What’s next after Lion? Ocelot? Most people forget that Puma and Cheetah were taken by OS 10.0 and 10.1.
Although, I’d like to see Lynx, despite the problems with the grandfather of web-browsers for Unix – Lynx.
Get their Nerd on. What a great line.
How about “Kitty” or “Pussy” or “Frisky” (my personal favorite). And don’t forget about “Tabby”, “Mr. Jinx” and “Princess”.
Or the next generation Mac OS could rely entirely on prominent bookmarks and glowing rectangular placeholders throughout. Then, Apple could name it . . . wait for it . . .
MAC OS TABBY!
MW: rather, but not Dan.
Apple could switch to naming the OS after primates finally sending Ballmer over the edge. A rain of flying chairs and feces before a total meltdown.
Product Namer:
People like you fail to understand or appreciate that the functionality, elegance, and performance of the OS define the product, not the name. Your futile attempt to be witty only emphasizes your pathetic lack of imagination and intelligence. However, I’ll call you my little pussy any day of the week.
Ay caramba!: Which is it?
Is it “my failure to understand or appreciate that the functionality, elegance, and performance of the OS define the product, not the name,” or is it my “futile attempt to be witty”?
Your comments seem so much more intelligent, insightful and mature than mine, that I’m truly humbled to be in your presence.
MW: theory, as in your attempt at being superior is just a theory.
Resolution independence is a superb goal. Coupled with some very high resolution displays, it’ll make that Vista crap look horribly old before it’s even released.
It’s maybe not so easy to combine raster and vector elements in a scalable display, but that will just make it all the more impressive when they achieve it.
Product Namer:
You damn well better be humbled, pussy.
Actually, it’s both, you dumbass.
Ay caramba! – Why on earth did you attack Product namer for his comments? STFU
Resolution independence is hardly a new idea. Even the original MacOS has hints of it. It’s just never been properly implemented because programmer’s have been lazy and have just assumed 72dpi for displays.
Ay caramba!
I too, am humbled to be in your presence.
Nice try at intelligence. You dildo.
People have been wanting screen resolution independence since the RadiUS screens with 120 ppi back in the late 80s (think of 10 point type the size of 6 point type). We’ve been screaming for it for years. The excuse has always been that it would take way too much CPU and GPU processing power to do without drastically impaciting performance. It is much, much eaiser and computationally less intensive to just hard code everything to 72 ppi (which approximates the 72.023 pixels per inch in classic type definitions and was the approximate screen resolution of the first Macs).
There were some specialized systems (based upon SGI boxes with special graphics cards and 300 ppi grayscale, 21 inch screens) shipped back in the late 80s that had screen resolution independence, but I know of no consumer system or OS which has supported this. It’s about time.
Now we can have 100, 120, 200, even 300 ppi on screen and tell the OS what that is. Then an 11 x 17 inch sheet of paper on a 30 inch monitor will actually show up at 11 x 17 inches even if the ppi is 150!
Think of the reduction in eye strain. People can buy super high resoution monitors (200+ ppi) and still have items show up at the proper size — just in much, much crisper detail.
As an aside, I got into a rather intense discussion with a Windows fanatic a month or so ago who claimed resolution independence is going to be a cornerstone of the new Vista interface. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Product Namer, Ay caramba!, Librium, and others…
I’m holding out for SaberTooth — the biggest, baddest cat of them all.
Are these your best shots? I laugh at you, you pale panting pathetic paltry pack of pandering pussies.
Let’s hope Leopard delivers just such a capability.
Heck, I’m just praying the damm operating system is secure.
If not I’m going to make it my mission in life to feed pidgeons near the new “glass cube” Apple Store in NYC.
Muhhahahalalalala!!!
Ay caramba!:
You misinterpreted Product Namer’s comments assuming that he was being derogatory toward OS X. Really, he was just joking around. You responded to him inappropriately (hostile) because you failed to grasp what was going on. That is something that idiot’s do. You are an idiot. Also, you come off very insecure.
“Ay caramba! – Why on earth did you attack Product namer for his comments? STFU”
A typically brainless comment from another dimwitted pussy sympathizer. Brian gallantly asks for an answer, then, immediately reverses himself and boldly tells me to SFTU. Well, I can’t do both and satisfy your dauntless instructions. So, which is it, dumbass?
Brian:
Please inform Product Namer that his attempts at humour were neither obvious nor clever. I hope that this clarfies things.
Whew! Good thing we have Ay Caramba here to tell us all what is appropriate or funny. Where would we be without his/her/or likely it’s insight into what is humorous and clever. When I first read Product Namer’s post, I was unsure of what to do or how to respond, but thanks to Ay Caramba’s patented insult barrage, I can act confident in feeling disdain toward Product Namer’s remarks! Thank you, Ay Caramba…. you have truly been an asset to this forum! I salute you! And anyone who ever disagrees with you ever again from this moment on deserves a thorough butt raping.
This would be a very good and needed feature. I’m glad to see that it is already in the OS, in development mode. It will be yet another OS capability that will distance Mac OS X Leopard from Windows Vista (when it finally appears).
I was playing with the 17-inch MacBook Pro at the local Apple Store the other day, and I could not believe how small the menu bar looked on the screen. The 15-inch MacBook Pro was a bit better (not so tiny), but it was still pretty small. It would be great if interface features like the menu bar can be scaled, like the Dock and icons can be today. If individual apps (and their interfaces) can be scaled independently, that would be even better…
One other thing that needs to be addressed at some point is the Menu Bar itself. Perhaps when Mac OS X does become XI, it would be good to provide a built-in alternative program interface for people with really large or really high-pixel-density displays. Even with today’s 30-inch displays, it becomes taxing to move the mouse to the top-left of the huge display to access the menu. Yes, I’m sure “power users” have keyboard shortcuts, and I can probably use a contextual menu (right click) feature, but those are not the “default” method of operation on a Mac. Apple should come up with something clever to address this issue. and I hope it’s not to put the menu bar in every window (as in Windows and the Linux/Unix interfaces I’ve seen).
Hemorrhoid Rage:
Yep, you got that right, lad. Ooops, my mistake, you were attempting to be sarcastic and clever. I apologize. Do you forgive me?
shadowself said: “I’m holding out for SaberTooth — the biggest, baddest cat of them all.”
That’s the best one I’ve heard! Congrats!
It appears that most saw that my suggestions were simply having a little fun on a slow Sunday in response to Cuthbert. Been a SERIOUS Mac FAN since 1986.
Ay caramba! sometimes just relaxing and having a little fun is a great way to spend a day. Mac and OS X are plenty strong enough that they don’t need to have someone rush to their defense on every quip.
This idea works great with vector graphics, but it looks sort of crappy with bitmapped graphics. Mac OS X uses bitmapped graphics for all of the icons and windowing widgets (like the buttons, progress bars, etc). Unless Leopard is switching all of Mac OS X’s windowing widgets to vector graphics, I don’t think this will work well.
> How about “Kitty” or “Pussy”
“Pussy” would be great, cos when MicroScum inevitably try to copy it (badly, of course) the name for their version would be perfectly obvious and appropriate: c*nt!
I’m personally holding out for Mac OS X “Pfeiffer”.
Although any of the Catwomen from the 1960’s TV series would work too.
If Mac OS Tiger becomes Mac OS Pussy….
Windows Vista becomes Windows Vagina.
Gawd, imagine the viruses in that one…
tuna: More likely it will be called Windows Fish Taco – less obvious rip-off.
Ay caramba!,
I think you need to visit this page and learn, dumbass;
And be nice in future, or we’ll chastise you some more.
“Sarcasm: the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded.”
– Fyodor Dostoevsky <rolls eyes>
“I like humoring people because torturing and killing them usually involves extensive jail time.”
– Ampar
I don’t know if this apparent agonizing or concern about names for the Mac OS is real or contrived. Does any reasonably intelligent person think that Apple is only recently aware that the list of unused names of different felines for OS X is becoming short?
I’m sure that Apple had at least several lists of very appropriate names for their future operating system(s) long before some persons posting here had a clue how many large cats actually inhabit this planet.
Apple might even explore names from the genus Malus. Naaah. Maybe Spanish words for view. Or medieval torture devices. Or do the i thing to death and add planets for extra super coolness. Mac iOS, Jupiter. Then, Microsoft can quickly follow with Windows Uranus.
Jim et al:
It’s a deal. I will quit being sarcastic and derisive as soon as you and your little friends become intelligent and thoughtful. OK?
Oh, and another thing, your “chastising” doesn’t faze me – so rock on, Jimbo!
Ay Caramba, are you having fun yet? Bet you’re checking this page every 2 minutes just to see who gives a shit what you have to say… a real hoot of a way to spend a Sunday… for you, obviously… Ever heard of a life? Try one, they’re great. Bye, fella.
LMFAO (or Jim or Product Namer or Brian or Hemorrhoid Rage):
Thanks for being so concerned about my life. Tell me, if I used a different name each time I posted, how would you know? Frankly, I wouldn’t trade my life for yours any day.
Obviously, you “give a shit” or your wouldn’t respond, dumbass.
” . . .as soon as you and your little friends become intelligent and thoughtful.”
Yeah! Because I come here for the Masterpiece Theater style repartee and trenchancy. Thanks for eschewing all obfuscation. We can now bask in an appropriate risible meme in these abstruse technological colloquies. <whew>
Agree! Get a life Ay Caramba. Or is it actually “I crumble”?
Everybody else is already posting intelligent and thoughtful (or at least playful) comments. Yours are the only angry and hostile ones.
MW: Anger management
@Cubert “It will, and it is truly needed! Have you ever looked at text on a 30 inch monitor? It looks like complete shit on a Mac.”
—> 100% Agreed. This feature is MUST have and MUCH needed. Read my reply to Nick below for a little bit of my good experience using dpi settings in Windows (yes, I know Windows sucks, but they have a feature that relates to this)
@Nick “This idea works great with vector graphics, but it looks sort of crappy with bitmapped graphics. Mac OS X uses bitmapped graphics for all of the icons and windowing widgets (like the buttons, progress bars, etc). Unless Leopard is switching all of Mac OS X’s windowing widgets to vector graphics, I don’t think this will work well.”
—> Not true. I use a Win notebook for work (an Inspiron 6000D). It has a 15.4″ wide screen WUXGA (1900 x 1200) display (for some reason this is no longer an option on the 15.4, but is still available on their 17″ model). The text is microscopic, BUT, there is a way to get larger text that looks like you are reading it out of a book. It’s so crisp it amazing. You can change the gobal dpi setting for the display fonts in the advanced section of display properties in the appearance and themes section. I have mine set to 155 dpi and the fonts are crystal clear. I kid you not, it is like reading them out of a book. This is NOT TRUE resolution independence though. I run into some problems with text over-extending in window prompts and buttons, but I put up with it because the text is so clear. Sometimes I have to revert back to the normal 96 dpi setting because changing it can really screw up the layout of things. In MS Word though, it’s AMAZING.
With TRUE resolution independence these problems will be eliminated (text too big for the button size, overlapping etc. etc.). It will all be scaled accordingly and automatically. This feature is going to be great, and I have been waiting years for this!
Hope Leopard has more meat than Tiger. Widgets are nothing more than memory eating toys that were cute to show off the first few weeks.
And stopping your work flow to bring up a widget layer that locks your desktop from you is just plain dumb. Vista got it right. Widescreen is “in” and their gadgets sit unobtrusively off to the side, but always available (if sidebar is enabled).
But the sheep will tell me otherwise, I’m sure.
Nittany Lion?
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YOUR ALL PATHOLOGICAL!!!
fsck sjk too.
Thanks, Product Namer, I shot milk out my nose at the idea Steve using Keynote to present Mac OS X Frisky…
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I’m easy. I just want the following two things in Leopard:
1) Labels that shade the entire icon like it does in classic (and with the ability to change the label color).
2) A taskmenubar type app built in that works exaclty like taskmenubar.
– Mark
Does this – Resolution Independence – mean that we might again see screens we can turn on their sides? Tiny niche market, these days, but an occasionally useful feature.
RE: OS X name.
This has really ceased to be OS Ten so much as a Brand Name, like Solaris, or maybe HP-UX or AIX. As in … I’m not running OS v.10.4.6, I’m running OSX v.4.6! So we might well expect 6.0 in January, 7.0 between April and August ’08, and OSX v.10.0 in ’13, or there-abouts. If they’d wanted to move along to OS XI, or eleven, they had opportunities with Panther and again with Tiger. I have to wonder if Leopard can reshape the franchise as much as either of those did. It’s all still based on much the same code base – except that the code base has been morphing along at its own pace.
You don’t know the history of OS X 10.6 Pussy.
I do.
Personally I hope it’s OS X 10.6 Garfield. But there’s probably licensing issues that would need to be worked out.
Resolution Dependence was a good idea once, a long time ago…but 9/11 changed everything.
Are Mac users dumb?
If two typists can type two pages in two minutes, how many typists will it take to type 20 pages in four minutes?
Answer = 10 typists
no – answer is 12
You’ve subconsciously revealed you’re a Brit, so your comments don’t matter.
Jeez, sorry that I opened up a huge can of worms yesterday with my speculation on further cat names. You guys need to get laid!
Now, on topic, the betas of Vista already have resolution independence. There are videos that Microsucks has released showing off the “new” features of Vista – although this is one that truly counts as new.
And “Vista is Better”,
Dashboard is actually very useful. I use it all the time. For example, looking up how to spell a word in the Dictionary widget or looking at the Calender widget to figure out a date. To mouse over to a “Vista sidebar” (or whatever they are going to call that crap) or up to the menubar is also disrupting your workflow. Your workflow will be disrupted either way.
So says Cubert.
I didn’t say it wasn’t useful, just that Vista does it better; particularly for information/news displays. I’m much more likely to notice a new RSS story or weather alert if its on the desktop I’m using. I don’t have to remember to f-key/hot corner to bring up a different layer every five minutes when I think their might be a flood or tornado warning, for example.
Over a year ago!
It’s old, old news, but still sweet
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http://developer.apple.com/releasenotes/GraphicsImaging/ResolutionIndependentUI.html
5 Typist
Just how useful is “resolution independence” going to be, regardless of whether it’s OS X or Vista, if screen hardware isn’t “resolution independent”, and how could you even make a “resolution independent” monitor? I’m dubious that it’s even technologically possible.
It seems to me that true resolution is dependent on the actual number of pixels on a monitor. I guess I’ll have to see “resolution independence” in action before I’ll understand it. Even with the need to use glasses due to ageing eyes, I can still make out the dots (dpi or ppl, take your pick ) on monitors, and it seems to me that hardware pixels are what really determines resolution.
All the talk of “resolution independence” makes it sound like some form of “enhanced” anti-aliasing.
@Ampar
Apple could switch to naming the OS after primates finally sending Ballmer over the edge. A rain of flying chairs and feces before a total meltdown.
Hilarious. Which I had got to this sooner. Nothing to add. 🙁
“I can still make out the dots (dpi or ppl, take your pick ) on monitors, and it seems to me that hardware pixels are what really determines resolution.”
True. An LCD monitor has a native resolution – using anything other than that just makes things look blurry. Now, when you get up to a screen resolution of 1900 x 1200 on a 17″ monitor the pixels “mesh” better because they are so small (that’s 2.3 mega pixels on a single screen). This makes the anti-aliasing that much more effective therefore giving you MUCH sharper text and images. The resolution independence feature will only TRULY be noticed when Apple starts incorporating higher NATIVE resolution monitors into their products. Current Mac LCD screens will only notice a mild gain if any.
Ok.
Enough with the STUPID ads already.
From now on I’m coming, grabbing the ‘Full Article Here’ link and getting the frell out before I accidently mouse over the double lined ‘links’ (ads).
Is MDN content to annoy their readers enough to get the ad revenue?
It would appear so.
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