Apple adjusts side-positioned Dock in Leopard
TUAW readers may recall that when the new look of the desktop in Mac OS X Leopard was unveiled, the side-placement of the Dock didn't exactly set the world on fire. In fact, almost everyone decried it as horrific, with John Gruber (of Daring Fireball fame) writing "The lighting and "fake 3D sitting on a tray" visual effect look like crap with the Dock on the side." He (and others) couldn't have summed up the Mac community's sentiment better - or suggestions better.Thankfully, Apple seems to be in a listening mood - are we seeing a return of 'the Apple we know and love' that our very own Mike Schramm talked of last week? - for MacRumors has revealed that the side-located Dock we loathed has been replaced with a 2D, black background Dock with a white border and it looks rather good (at least to me). I'm no fan of the 3D Leopard Dock in general so whilst I'm pleased that Apple has backtracked on one of the most talked-about design points in Leopard, I'm more interested in being able to apply the new look to a bottom-positioned dock. Some of us are never satisfied I guess.
Thanks Sebastiaan!
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TUAW readers may recall that when the new look of the desktop in Mac OS X Leopard was unveiled, the side-placement of the Dock didn't...
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In Tiger, I like my Dock at...TOP LEFT !! (not side, not bottom)
I often fling my mouse to the top of the screen to access menu items. Then I have to fling my mouse to the bottom (or left or right) to access Dock items.
Placing both in the same place just works more intuitively.
Looks like defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES works, if that screen shot is anything to go by. Here's hoping it's for real. Makes me wonder if anything can be done about the translucent menubar.
October 24 2007 at 5:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI agree! Bring the 2D dock look to the bottom, no 3D dock!
October 24 2007 at 2:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI'm a "dock hider." I still liked how the new dock looked...
October 24 2007 at 8:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYou can change the 3D dock to a 2D bottom-placed!
Some user found it out, using one single command:
http://lime.quickshareit.com/share/picture1d2a37.png
So 2D lovers rejoice!
The side dock is bugged. It doesn't like things under it. It will suck for you :"Sorey" )
October 23 2007 at 10:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI keep the dock on the bottom left and transparent. With the explosion of pallets and toolbars in the apps I use most - CS3 - screen real estate on the sides gets used up quickly.
October 23 2007 at 10:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI use it on the side - it's a nice tweak from Apple, but to be honest it wouldn't have been a dealbreaker in terms of whether I was going to buy it or not.
Given the new features coming with Leopard, I find it a bit weird that someone might refuse to buy it on the basis of a funny looking dock, but each to their own I guess.
@nick: "Pirate community.... I'm very very disappointed with you all. You should be ashamed of yourselves!"
Apple hasn't seeded the GM build to developers, so the pirates (yarr!) who'd normally be spreading this far and wide haven't gotten their hands on it yet. That makes me curious about the provenance of that screenshot.
I assume they've held on to it for two reasons: one, to prevent that scenario from taking place and two, I guess because there's still something we haven't yet seen.
My thought is we haven't yet seen Leopard's true face. The translucent menubar and the dock shelf were red herrings designed to keep people (read: us Mac nerds) occupied so they could work on the new UI undisturbed.
THANK GAWD. Now if we could just get the carbon menu bars back id be happy. Semi transparent is about retarded. Why would i want to see a desktop picture... Its hardly my reason for computing. In fact i dont use a desktop picutre.. i use a solid carbon grey...
@8:
Im a total side docker. The right side, because im right handed. I have two modes i work in basically... Mouse when im doing graphic design, and keyboard when im doing web development or other type heavy activities. I keep my dock on the die because i use it to switch apps when im in "mouse mode". Since im right handed its a natural expectation to have my "zero point" for screen navigation be at the right. right next to all my (expndeded!) adobe palettes. Furthermore i never hide the dock so it dosent get unruly. its jsut there. with a 20" ACD at the maximum allowable display size screen real estate isnt really an issue. In fact as a gneral rule i opt for everything within click visibikity i need for a given task this usually results in a screen layout that looks liek on integrated application but is in reality 3-5. Thats why im really excited about spaces... I can group these "super apps" to a space and switch between groups easily.
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