Comments on: Leopard: The Definitive Review

By: Windsor Smith, Sunnyvale, CA

Windsor Smith, Sunnyvale, CA — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:10:16 +0000

Fact Check (off-topic): Yes, Apple's Lisa and Macintosh were inspired by the mouse-and-windows interface that Steve Jobs saw at Xerox PARC in 1979. But the mouse originally came from Stanford Research Institute; it was invented there by Doug Englebart and Bill English in 1963.

By: Ralph, Freehold, NJ

Ralph, Freehold, NJ — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:12:15 +0000

OK its a little too cool for a basic code geek but most Apple OSX users had added tools like Application Enhancer and Tinker Tools to get a transparent menu anyway, so Apple built in this feature. I do not have this OSX version yet, can you turn this eye candy off?

By: Charlie Pinneo, Wyoming, Michigan

Charlie Pinneo, Wyoming, Michigan — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:36:35 +0000

What's so funny about the transparency argument is that the PC people are grasping at straws trying to find something wrong with Leopard. If that's all they can find, a little smoke on the menu bar, I know it's fantastic. Windows users can't have the polished visual presentation and it makes them crazy. The Mac people are having all the fun. I know, computing is serious business, it's not supposed to be fun.

By: J Lakas Parma Oh.

J Lakas Parma Oh. — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:42:17 +0000

About the transparent menu bar, things like this should not be judged so quickley. You may not like it at first but after you use it for a few weeks you might like it. And if you don't someone will develop a small free utility that will let you adjust it to the way you like, they probably already have .So everybody needs to just coooool down.

By: Jim - Los Angeles, CA

Jim - Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:18:49 +0000

windows, mac, blah blah blah stop being so brain washed. Both Microsoft and Apple borrow, steal, lift , etc.. pre-existing ideas and claim as their own. For instance, mouse came from Xerox Parc.

By: Orac, Seattle, WA

Orac, Seattle, WA — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:27:38 +0000

The beauty of using translucency in the menu bar is that it's easier to ignore. You know it's always there at the top of the screen, but when you're not using it or you're focused on another application it no longer stands out the way it used to. When you need to focus on it you can still easily see it and use it.

Obviously the reviewer doesn't like this, but that's his opinion–not a definitive truth about the usability of the menu bar. In my opinion translucency is an improvement in this specific application.

By: Charlie Pinneo, Wyoming, Michigan

Charlie Pinneo, Wyoming, Michigan — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:19:12 +0000

Isn't a review of an operating system mostly opinion? If the transparency bothers Elmer-DeWitt, other people may like it? Who's to say what is pleasing to look at and what's ugly?

ex ped: Just for the record, that was Siracusa's opinion, not mine. I'm still waiting for my copy of Leopard to arrive. –Philip Elmer-DeWitt

By: Dan, Boston, MA

Dan, Boston, MA — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:54:36 +0000

To Jim: er…you mean the Xerox PARC mouse, right smart guy?

By: Jim, Rotterdam, Holland

Jim, Rotterdam, Holland — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:08:11 +0000

To John:

???Windows menus are pretty much the same as they have been since the advent of the Windows mouse.<<<

Errr, you mean Apple mouse right?

By: Andrew, Del Rio, TX

Andrew, Del Rio, TX — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:37:08 +0000

Does anyone actually 'read' PED's articles? Seems as though all any of you do is search for negativities. He focused on a respected reviewer's opinion, which was TWO-sided, positive and negative. Wake up people, I just switched to a Mac and I love it, but it isn't perfect. The blind leading the blind… if only people had half a brain we could think for ourselves and form logical opinions instead of acting like sheep.