“Ars Technica’s Infinite Loop blog has, in my opinion, unraveled one of the top secret ingredients in Apple’s upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 release, aka Leopard: complete 3D graphics and animations. Given what we know and have seen of Leopard features such as Time Machine and the new iChat and in existing apps like FrontRow, this would make perfect sense, especially if it were implemented in OpenGL. Applications get their own canvases in a 3D world, and the OS is responsible for keeping those canvases updated and visible in various orientations. One visual 3D imaging model for all apps that the OS manages and keeps sorted. Sweet,” Carl Howe writes for Blackfriars’ Marketing.
Howe writes, “What this means for Apple users is that we can expect a new Finder in Leopard. I’ve written before that I believe that Leopard will also support Multi-touch gestures and new sensors to take the user interface the next step for users. From a competitive point of view, this 3D Finder will probably be the biggest shot across the bow for rival Microsoft. Why? Because the Aero 3D interface is the major differentiator today for Vista over Windows XP; most of the other features of Vista are significantly less visible to average users. But on Vista, these features are usable only on the highest end PCs, while I believe that Apple intends its 3D features to become a part of every device it builds. That means we’ll see 3D features on iPods, iPhones, Apple TV boxes, and of course in Leopard.”
Full article here.
Iljitsch van Beijnum writes for Ars Technica, “Obviously the OS can simply move windows to the front and to the the back without support from the application itself, much like how Exposé works, but to really flabbergast us, applications would have to support the new 3D user interface and have different windows, inspectors, and requesters move around through Leopard’s three dimensional space. Core Animation takes care of the movement, and resolution independence makes sure text and UI elements align and look good at different zoom levels. The only thing missing is an easy way to manipulate virtual objects in three dimensions. Or do we just pinch them?”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Number 5” and “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
RUMOR: Some Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard ‘top secret’ features leak out – January 26, 2007
RUMOR: Apple Mac OS X Leopard to replace ‘Aqua’ with ‘Illuminous’ – December 11, 2006
Apple confirms ‘resolution independence’ and more coming in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard – October 23, 2006
Hey Ballmer;
No, it’s not “that intel everybody despised before”. Just in case you missed the memo, things have changed.
And Intel’s architecture and implementation processes have changed a lot since back then.
My PB 550 just became obsolete….
TRUE 3d interfaces are LESS confusing. However, this is impossible on a screen… which is always 2d.
Unless there’s a holographic screen.
Late-breaking news from Microsoft: Anyone who upgrades to Vista by July 31 will receive the Microsoft Vista 3-D Power Upgrade free of charge! Illustration here:
Another Microsoft innovation⁄!
Perhaps the confusion factor is a matter of preference. To me, it’s a real-world comparison between a shelf and a drawer. Both hold thing, but when you have to “go deep” to seek something out, it creates an added thought/step/effort. Spacial thinking is far more cognitive intensive than 2D scanning.
Or, maybe I’m evolutionarily stunted. Peterson, I guess I know how it feels.
It would be cool if the next Macs shot out real Pez.. in 3D.
This sounds like the ‘Piles’ and ‘Minimize in Place’ patents Apple filed years ago. Although ‘Minimize in Place’ could have been meant for Exposé.
Apple is going to have a fully 3d touch interface since it is the way of the future. But they’re not going to have it in 10.5 Leopard. It’s too soon, software technology is almost there, but still needs a little bit more time. I expect to see this stuff in 10.6, but at that point they might as well call it Mac OS 11
I just hope I can upgrade my Mac SE.
re: HotSauce – I remember Project X! Pretty cool at the time. But then, I have clothes older than some of the posters here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HotSauce
Check out the screenshot.
A 3D interface would probably be construed as Apple copying Vista.
“‘Piles’ and ‘Minimize in Place'”
That sounds like Ballmer’s wedding night.
Perhaps this advance, if it comes, is a conceptual shift like the discovery of perspective in the Renaissance. Once unveiled, the only way to go would have to be to adopt it completely.
And as far as being evolutionarily stunted, bulls**t! It’s our cognitive ability to comprehend the world in three (four with time) dimensions that allowed these human animals with poor claws and fangs to survive.
As the saying goes, don’t aim for the target, aim for where iti’s going to be!
Some days I wake up feeling happy. Then I remember that people are gullible and dumb. Then I feel sad.
If this is true
shouldn’t this be OS11
“Then I remember that people are gullible and dumb.”
I firmly believe that but what does it mean?
I think this will be in Leopard, however, I think Apple will enable this “3D” interface for anyone who has a Mac that currently supports 2D extreme (ex. the ripple effect when adding widgets). Try that with your Aero Micro$haft.
Oh, yeah. Multitouch won’t be coming to our desktops and laptops until OS 11.
Too early, not enough good uses, and awkward interface for a computer currently.
“It’s our cognitive ability to comprehend the world in three (four with time) dimensions . . .”
Or five, if you want to add some snappy and timeless R & B / soul music to the mix. This is the dawning, after all.
These guys have their heads in the clouds.
“Aero 3D interface is the major differentiator today for Vista over Windows XP”
The only thing really 3D about Aero is Flip3D. Otherwise it’s just a lot of transparency and glossiness.
3D? I don’t know. Double Ds are plenty big enough for me, and I don’t really require that much. But 3D? No wonder they call it Silicone Valley…
Oh, wait. That’s Los Angeles.
‘I firmly believe that but what does it mean?’
that is a classic. Belongs in the MDN Hall of Fame
This article is very wrong on a number of levels.
Don’t get your hopes up. The “TOP SECRET” features in 10.5 are things we already know about.
Resolution Independence
The Glassy Image viewer.
The New tabbed Terminal
Ect.
We have already seen plenty of new “Top Secret” features that were not disclosed during the Key Note.
Really, if there were features like Multi-touch or 3d interfaces, they would be very complex and would need extensive beta testing. And we would already know about them.
I think this rumor is credible but of limited use for the operating system interface. Simplicity and intuitive elements in the gui is what has made Apple software so successful. The 3d capability in time macine is a great idea because it provides a dramaticaly more intuitive function. Using 3d sparingly as eye candy to supplement eye candy provided by other animation in Leopard would be great. Games and data analysis programs could use 3d to great effect. If apple provides 3d in it’s frameworks, I think it would be a great addition for developers.
You know, I’m actually starting to get excited!!
First off,
I don’t get it :S
What should I expect it to look/act like?
Secondly,
If this is true than I find it very stupid of this guy to say it to the world, because Microsoft will steal and or copy this idea of course.
If he kept his mouth shut. Apple would have gotten Microsoft completely of guard. Now if it’s true or not M$ will of course try to implement this with there next OS