Taking the "iOS thing" too far... [Pics]

[mrblack927]

I'm all for giving Apple the creative freedom to do their own thing, and I'm not even really opposed to taking the best things from iOS and bringing them to the desktop, but honestly... wtf is this?

Pics are of the new Mail in "full screen" mode. Composing a new email and a new note, respectively. Really Apple? This was your idea of merging them? Exactly like it is on the iPad? It gives you a "modal popup" with no way to move or resize and no obvious way to close...

I think this is the line. This is where the iOS style goes to far.

 

[miles01110]

Seems like a relatively minor complaint to me, but to each their own.

 

[Hellhammer]

This is the first public build. Lots of things can still change.

 

[neko girl]

Just use it, and don't fidget so much with the arrangement. It's full screen, meaning distraction free. I think that's the point.

What do you get out of resizing it?

 

[funrush]

I'm all for giving Apple the creative freedom to do their own thing, and I'm not even really opposed to taking the best things from iOS and bringing them to the desktop, but honestly... wtf is this?

Pics are of the new Mail in "full screen" mode. Composing a new email and a new note, respectively. Really Apple? This was your idea of merging them? Exactly like it is on the iPad? It gives you a "modal popup" with no way to move or resize and no obvious way to close...

I think this is the line. This is where the iOS style goes to far.

Do you resize all your 'compose mail' windows?
'No obvious way to close'? There is a HUGE 'cancel' button on the top. Or press cmd + W like all with all windows.

 

[mrblack927]

Seems like a relatively minor complaint to me, but to each their own.

It's just unnecessary. Why remove the ability to move or resize a window? What if I need more space? What if I want to look at the email that's open behind the compose window to reference something? There's no logical reason to remove these abilities. Well, there's one reason. To make it behave exactly as it does on the iPad. That's my point. They're starting to remove random functionality for no other reason than to make my macbook pro look and feel like an iPad.

 

[zorinlynx]

So don't use full screen mode. (did I miss somethnig here? How is this a problem?)

 

[Awjvail]

I agree - if I wanted to send an email in iPad mail.app then I would.

 

[rorschach]

It'd be one thing if this was in normal, windowed mode. But I think the whole purpose of full-screen is that you aren't messing around with windows.

It would be nice if they let you resize it though...

 

[mrblack927]

'No obvious way to close'? There is a HUGE 'cancel' button on the top. Or press cmd + W like all with all windows.

Good call! I guess I thought cancel did something else. I'm used to using the red "x" bubble. Still no way to close the notes window though. I didn't know about the cmd+w hotkey. I don't think that's a great solution considering it's not labeled and how many people wouldn't just know that off hand. I guess I just don't see the advantage to removing these things from the window....

 

[MikhailT]

It's just unnecessary. Why remove the ability to move or resize a window? What if I need more space? What if I want to look at the email that's open behind the compose window to reference something? There's no logical reason to remove these abilities. Well, there's one reason. To make it behave exactly as it does on the iPad. That's my point. They're starting to remove random functionality for no other reason than to make my macbook pro look and feel like an iPad.

They didn't remove anything. This only happens in the full screen mode. If you need to reference something behind, you shouldn't be in the full screen mode. Just exit the mode, resize it to full and then do what you want to do.

The Full Screen mode is a single window mode environment, that's why you don't get any external windows, only in tabs like in Safari or popup windows like in Mail.

It has nothing to do with iOS but more of how much you can do when an application takes up the whole screen.

 

[mrblack927]

The Full Screen mode is a single window mode environment, that's why you don't get any external windows, only in tabs like in Safari or popup windows like in Mail.

Not true. Mail's "preferences" window pops up in a new window. There's nothing about full screen mode that doesn't support multiple windows or even make it more complicated to use them. It's no different than having a window maximized in windows. Apple went out of their way to remove some window controls in this mode though (like compose and notes). And it just happens to look identical to iOS? How does this have nothing to do with iOS?

 

[MikhailT]

Not true. Mail's "preferences" window pops up in a new window. There's nothing about full screen mode that doesn't support multiple windows or even make it more complicated to use them. It's no different than having a window maximized in windows. Apple went out of their way to remove some window controls in this mode though (like compose and notes). And it just happens to look identical to iOS? How does this have nothing to do with iOS?

Remember, this is still a first preview build. Apple hasn't done anything with the Preferences yet, there are all sorts of bugs and we still haven't seen what Apple plans to do with the final interface.

If you click on the main Mail application while this preferences window is open, you'll see that you have no way of getting back to this Preferences window without existing the full screen mode or going to the Windows Menu > select the window. This is what I mean about "single mode" environment, which is what the iOS is in all the time.

Mail 5 looks nothing like the Mobile Mail on the iOS devices. Apple is just taking advantage of the interface theme that iOS have to improve Mail on the Mac.

 

[Blakeasd]

If you do not like this Mail feature do the following, open Mail preferences and navigate to viewing. Here you can check the classic view. Very Simple.

 

[mrblack927]

Remember, this is still a first preview build. Apple hasn't done anything with the Preferences yet, there are all sorts of bugs and we still haven't seen what Apple plans to do with the final interface.

If you click on the main Mail application while this preferences window is open, you'll see that you have no way of getting back to this Preferences window without existing the full screen mode or going to the Windows Menu > select the window. This is what I mean about "single mode" environment, which is what the iOS is in all the time.

Mail 5 looks nothing like the Mobile Mail on the iOS devices. Apple is just taking advantage of the interface theme that iOS have to improve Mail on the Mac.

Good point. I should reserve judgement until the final version comes about. I just get worried when Apple starts taking away functionality for no reason other than aesthetics.

 

[jbg232]

Good point. I should reserve judgement until the final version comes about. I just get worried when Apple starts taking away functionality for no reason other than aesthetics.

This is one of Apple's favorite moves... but in then end, the final product is almost always better for it. That's why Apple design is so soothing and why I don't use windows except for word, excel and powerpoint.

Truth be told, both operating systems do the same stuff in the end if you know what you're doing, but Apple's is so much nicer to use because of its design.

 

[UltimateSyn]

I like it. Looks awesome.

 

[Tanegashima]

Don't use it.

 

[retroneo]

So your complaint is that "full screen mode" makes everything take up the whole screen....

Hilarious

 

[theBigD23]

People keep posting that this is the first seed and that things can change. I doubt this particular change will. It's full screen mode and everything is in full screen. The whole is to not use other windows. Nothing to really change.

 

[mrblack927]

So your complaint is that "full screen mode" makes everything take up the whole screen....

Hilarious

No... My complaint is just the opposite... Do you see the screenshots? The "new email" and "notes" windows come up as one fixed size. You can't make them bigger, move them, or do any window controls really, just like the iPad. They decided to stick them right there and if you don't like it, too bad.

 

[rekhyt]

I agree - if I wanted to send an email in iPad mail.app then I would.

Agreed. This is taking the whole 'iOS interface' thing way overboard. Snow Leopard may be the last Mac OS I may use... Although I do kinda like Mission Control and full-screen apps (Preview only.)

Good call! I guess I thought cancel did something else. I'm used to using the red "x" bubble. Still no way to close the notes window though. I didn't know about the cmd+w hotkey. I don't think that's a great solution considering it's not labeled and how many people wouldn't just know that off hand. I guess I just don't see the advantage to removing these things from the window....

Cancel usually suggests deleting the mail instead of exiting out of the full screen mode.

 

[Mackilroy]

The whole 'OS X is turning into iOS' is overblown IMO. Having used Lion, it feels more or less exactly like Snow Leopard but with some new features and a slightly different appearance. That goes for Mail too.

 

[vultureboy]

Well i've been using Lion all day at work today and I have to say I think i've had the most productive day for a long time. The use of full screen in Safari and Mail has made everything more streamlined.

A simple swipe between full screen windows got me between Textmate, Safari and Mail and did so without me getting distracted by anything else. I'm hoping that textmate has a nice way to implement fullscreen and i'll be even more at home.

Although I didn't like the idea of full screen when I first heard about it (and even when I first started in Lion) after a day of working with it I don't know where it has been for the rest of my life.

So in short, I fully welcome the changes and i've replied to many e-mails today and I have to say that the size of the e-mail window has presented no issues at all for me. In the rare occasion it does cause me some kind of issue i'll just knock it out of full screen for 5 minutes!

 

[Compile 'em all]

It's just unnecessary. Why remove the ability to move or resize a window? What if I need more space? What if I want to look at the email that's open behind the compose window to reference something?

Because Apple isn't designing an OS for YOU.