Re: What's Missing in Mac OS
Re: What's Missing in Mac OS
- Subject: Re: What's Missing in Mac OS
- From: Karan Misra <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 10:32:35 +0530
- Mac Messengers
- Mac Games
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Peripherals (mainly Internal)
- Menu Extras for Developers
Mac Games
Being a strategy gamer myself, I feel that games come out for the Mac
platform a little too late. Most of the times, it takes them about a
year. For Age of Empires II, it took them two years from 1999 (when it
was released) to 2001. And Age of Empires II runs horribly in OS X.
Badly carbonized. Doesn't have a 128x128 pixel icon. So, basically
looks bad on your dock too. I would like to see games like Age of
Mythology (released 2002) coming to the Mac but two problems:
a) don't know whether anyone will take it up
b) if they do take it up, it's going to come in 2004 (another 2 years
late)
Somehow Mac Game-Porting companies like to see the sales of the game
before porting them and hence, they come up very late. But, companies
like Blizzard Entertainment which ship both Windows and Mac versions on
the same CD are by far the best companies. I recently bought StarCraft
(PC/Mac Hybrid) for $10 and it is so well Carbonized to run in OS X
that is opens in one dock bounce and plays fantastically. It also plays
with Windows versions of the game over LAN (UDP) and the Internet
(Battle.net). I have tried both versions and I just keep getting
happier.
Mac Messengers
I am not an AOL user. I mainly use Microsoft's MSN Messenger as I used
to use before switching to Mac however the version for Mac, although
excels in beauty is totally crap compared to the Windows version. So
are other messengers. In Windows, the Messenger software senses
automatically (using a background app) when the Internet gets connected
and they log you in, in the background. Plus, the taskbar shows the
status of all your messengers, offline or online. This was a really
cool feature. Only iChat seems to come near it. But since Apple has so
nicely blocked all other developers from officially adding Menu Extras
and Microsoft is so rigid about following Apple's Guidelines on OS X
software, I don't think that a version of MSN Messenger which matches
up to the Windows version is coming any time soon.
Plus, both Yahoo! and MSN Messengers for Mac OS don't allow services
like Voice Conversations and Video Conversations. MSN Messenger for
Windows is a great product and I'd like to see its features
incorporated into the Mac version.
Microsoft Office
Although the Mac version has the ability to select multiple pieces of
unrelated text in Word by holding the Command key, the Windows version,
which may lack the beauty that the Mac version has, makes it up and
adds more in features. I would surely like the animations in PowerPoint
2002 (which are way ahead in terms of quality and cool effects than
PowerPoint X) to come to the Mac. I would also like to see Microsoft
Access come to the Mac. Actually, there should be a full suite of
software including Microsoft Publisher and FrontPage but then I
wouldn't be realistic as Microsoft definitely doesn't have the
resources to built (or port) so many products to the Mac.
Internet Explorer
Yes, I think improvement here is needed in terms of both:
a) speed
b) speed
c) speed
IE for Mac is a sluggish beast and on my G4 (466), (nothing too fast,
yes!), it becomes sluggish after opening just 2 or 3 windows. I like
its rendering style and engine better than Safari's but the speed in
Safari, although it's faster, doesn't make up for its faults.
Peripherals on the Mac
For a Windows PC, you can buy any CD-RW drive or DVD-R drive and fit it
into your PC and it'll work but finding a drive for a Mac is not such
an easy thing. Same goes with PCI Cards, etc. They all need to be
specifically "mac compatible" and their manufacturers don't seem to
care to make them. This is a real disadvantage for Mac users. Plus,
just see, products like the Creative MuVo (which works through the USB
port) is not certified as Mac compatible, but according to CNet works
with Mac just fine. Apple should also consider getting USB 2 into our
Macs because with Intel's backing, USB 2 is gaining prominence and it
doesn't help to ignore it.
Menu Extras
Well, I think many menu extras have got stranded in OS 9. The Microsoft
Office Manager used to be great, but it's gone. Apple is acting like an
adamant fool here. I would like to see menu extras for IM software
(mentioned above).
Well, these are all the features of Mac OS I'd like Apple and other
software developers to improve upon. I haven't mentioned things I want
changed in the Finder, etc. There are many other defects ofcourse but
these came to my head instantly.
Hope it reaches the right people
Karan Misra
Mac OS X Mac User Group (MXMUG)
AIM/iChat: kkcorporation
Homepage: www.karanmisra.com
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