"...The user should feel in control of the computer; not the other way around. This is achieved in applications (in this case the OS)
that embody three qualities: responsiveness, permissiveness and consistency." –Inside Macintosh, Volume 1 Apple Computer, Inc 1985
Preferences on Multiple Systems
- User Profiles/Workspaces- A single file that contains all your preferences(a packaged file, excluding admin related settings) which allows you to feel right at home on any Mac by switch between profiles. (ex. Switch from Company Profile to Your Profile; Great for tech support as well)
Finder Navigation/File Organization
Printing
- Print Dialog
- Reverse Printing- It shouldn't be to hard to add an option to the print dialog that tells the printer to print the last page first and finish with the first page last. This avoids the hassle of sorting out 150+ pages so that they are in ascending order.
- Add the Print command to the Finder(Allows you to print folder contents) cmd + P
System Preferences
- Should be accessible via a submenu in the apple menu
- Add a way to add/change the startup sound when you turn your Mac on
- Add a preference to switch the New Folder command back to cmd + N versus cmd + shift + N
- New Mouse preference pane that supports multiple buttons & scroll wheel
- Add a preference pane that allows users to change cursor icons, and turn the cursor drop shadow off
- Add an option to the General Pane to control the opacity of Menus
- Add a preference to switch the Font's used by system menus etc...
- Add Mac OS X themes(Like the Appearance Control Panel) that allows users to have different settings saved to the Desktop Preference Pane
- Add a preference called Icon Sets that allows users to save different icon settings (allows switching between multiple hitoolbox.rsrc files in other words)
Key Board Navigation/Commands
- Preference that allows users to set hot keys for launching applications and items
- Add the Launch Command(Like the RUN command found in Windows) cmd + shift + X
- Add the Put Away command(moves the file back to the original folder) cmd + Y
- Carbon/Cocoa navigation within Open/Save Dialogs (ex. Pressing 'N' should select the first file that starts with 'N', pressing 'N' selects the next file starting with 'N' and so forth)
- Switch Window cmd + ~ , Switch to Next Application/Previous cmd + Tab and cmd + shift + Tab, Screen Capture cmd + shift 3 and cmd + shift + 3 (add a camera icon to menubar with a submenu), and other hidden keyboard shortcuts found in the Finder need to have an equivalent Menu item. Thats according the Apple Interface Guidelines (not to mention it avoids the confusion that is caused by not having the commands found in the menubar; Windows 9x -XP tends to do this –avoid at all costs!).
- Finder Navigation (ex. Pressing 'N' should select the first file/folder that starts with 'N', pressing again 'N' selects the next file starting with 'N' ans so forth versus pressing 'N' then TAB to select the next file)
Software Update
- Third party developers should be provided an API to include allow updates to their applications via Software Update, this will greatly improve ease of use, checking for updates is a hassle for example the update link/item may be under the help menu, application menu, or worse none!
Utilities
- A database that stores virus definitions from various software companies such as Symantec and McAfee. The virus definitions would have a universal format that can be read/used by a built in OS X immune system that would be self healing/repairing. This "Immune System" should be self contained so it cannot be infected with viruses(read only? on ROM?).
Other
- Gamesprockets Engine for joysticks, gamepads, etc...
- Fonts- double clicking a font file should open and display the font like in OS 9
- Selecting "View Source" or "Source" from within any browser should open TextEdit with the source code (easier to code this way and avoids having to open the file over and over again)
- Universal Spell Check feature that works in carbon/cocoa applications available through the services menu with a universal keyboard command.
- Application crash logs
- Database/File that stores every application icon (when applications are installed their respective icon is stored in this database/file this increases speed since OS X won't have to waste time searching for icons since they all are stored in one spot)
Bug Fixes
- Applications with the wrong menubar, open Mail then Internet Explorer stay in Internet Explorer, wait and Mail will appear with IE's menubar. StuffIt Expander, Disk Copy and many other applications do this; annoying and distracting! Fix- if an application needs your attention it should not appear/pop-up in front of you while you are in another application, the icon on the dock should bounce or pulse (fade from opaque to semi-transparent) till you respond.
- Holding the left arrow key after moving several folders down from the open/save dialogs leaves debry on the left side of the dialog (you see disclosure triangles stuck on the side; in OS X 10.1.5 haven't tested Jaguar yet)
- Loop Bug - From within Photoshop, Quicktime Player, etc... Choose: File > Open >Network > Servers > Localhost > Network > Servers > Localhost etc...
- Make the Services Menu work in Carbon Applications (Adobe, Microsoft etc... Are most likely NOT to develop Cocoa Applications it would take a tremendous amount of time to code everything again).
- Folders that are hidden sometimes appear (ex. /Temporary Items or /etc)
- Display Bug -User 'A' logs in and changes the display's color settings to thousands the logs out or shuts down, User 'B' starts up or logs in the color setting is set to thousands. User 'B' is the administrator. User 'A' should not effect User 'B' and vice versa when changing the color settings on the display.
