The WWDC keynote starts in 20 minutes. Here’s a prediction regarding the Leopard user interface:

• System-wide Dark Gray appearance, darker even than currently seen in iLife 06.
• Transparent dark-gray “smoky” utility panels.
• Limited use of resolution independence, possibly for the menu bar.
• Reworked Time Machine, without the stars but keeping the essential 3D appearance.
• Pervasive use of Core Animation, especially in Expose, user switching, logging in and out, and presentations.
• Keynote will use Core Animation everywhere.
• New Core Animation screensavers, and an animated desktop background.

Regarding resolution independence, third-party developers won’t yet have upgraded their applications properly to support resolution independence, and Apple won’t want the users to see awkward transitions between “pretty” and “pixelated” windows. so we won’t see a complete adoption of resolution independence yet, but that may still allow the system itself to use it for certain things, like an easier-to-read menu bar and cursor on 30″ monitors.

At the very least, let’s hope Apple shows us the real and complete Leopard at last, with no more delayed surprises.

Monday, June 11th, 2007, 10:51 am    Trackback.