Here are ten things I'd like to see in 2009 from Apple. These may not be the top ten most important things ever, but they are the items that have been on my mind lately.
1. A Better Finder. I've been using PathFinder for years because the Finder in Mac OS X is, well, pathetic. It's time for a modern Finder in 2009, one that reflects the capabilities of PathFinder combined with the best thinking at Apple.
2. An end to broken enterprise tools. Once Apple implements an enterprise feature in Mac OS X, future versions shouldn't break it and leave it broken for months and months. A good example is the Basic Security Module (BSM). There are other examples. This has been going on for years, and enterprise users are just sick and tired of this.
3. New life for the Apple TV. Recently, TVPredictions.com predicted that Apple TV would die in 2009. Instead, it should be a product we'd all die for.
4. Mac OS X Virtualization. Why not run a full copy of Mac OS X inside a hardened Darwin OS in virtualization with checkpoints? That way, if something goes wrong, we can seamlessly move back to the last good checkpoint?
5. Thumbnail page tabs in Safari. I use OmniWeb primarily for the thumbnail pages which are better than tabs. Surely, Apple, could politely license this feature from the Omni Group. Safari would be a joy to use.
6. ZFS. I can't wait to make ZFS my file system. Apple has been testing it with Mac OS X server. With luck, in 2009, it will join up with Snow Leopard for the rest of us.
7. Apple clarity on FireWire. Is Apple going to go with USB 3? FireWire 3200? eSATA? It wold be great if Apple were able, in 2009, to settle on a protocol and champion it, as they have with DisplayPort. Just pick one.
8. Better Firewall and Time Machine Settings. Sometimes Apple goes overboard and makes things so simple, the OS becomes like a toy. Why not have a better set of settings that are exposed to the admin user and another, smaller, subset that are exposed to the unprivileged user? Mac OS X users have grown up a lot, and leaving useful, deeper settings to a hodgepodge of shareware apps just invites trouble and loss of Apple control.
9. Serious Apple Mail. Apple mail doesn't need a To Do list. It doesn't need an RSS reader. We all have those apps, and they do it better. What Apple Mail does need is a better thought out system for dealing with accounts, SMTP servers, and signatures. Deleting an account shouldn't result in the deletion/suppression of all mail associated with that account. That's insane, How about, after all these years, colored backgrounds for the inbox? Alternating colored lines? If things go as they have been, Thunderbird 4, in the future, will become a practical alternative to Apple Mail.
10. iTunes refactoring. It is just me, or is it crazy to have an iTunes directory in Music that contains a directory called iTunes iMusic that, in turn contains a folder called TV Shows? And Movies? Shouldn't the Home directory, then, like Apple TV, contain a directory called "My Videos"? Which then contains MyMovies and MyTVShows derived from other sources? Clarity for newbies and experienced users as well would be helpful here.
What's your list?