TUAW TV Live: How would you improve the Mac OS?

I would improve MacOS by preventing Lion from coming out. I don't want a 27" iPad thank you. Also, since when is "full screen applications" a feature? I thought we got away from that with windowing. Now Apple's telling us we want it back?

Make MobileMe free (as already seems likely) and buy Dropbox and replace iDisk with it. There's one case where something "just works" a heck of a lot better than the Apple version.

Preferences, preferences, preferences. (a) Let them stick instead of seeming to forget settings all the time (b) enough with them getting corrupt. This is 2011. Corrupt preferences files shouldn't have to be on anybody's troubleshooting list anymore. And for pete's sake, make the Finder's preferences for window settings more intuitive and obvious to apply.

Spotlight - it's high time that clear, easy, customizability of searches was added to spotlight. Don't make me remember Kind:application or whatever. Give me a checklist (as we have in Finder windows).

To make Automator truly useful, let it record the outcome of any and every action in any app so that tedious processes can easily be automated.

Finder and networking are the main weak parts of mac os x.
Networking just sucks. Not reliable, often it takes dances with shamans to connect to computers near by. Connecting to network shares is just does not work well at all. Finder itself is just sooooooo badly done, way too slow, to the level of pathetic shame. Apple still has issues with windows resizing. I mean it's better now than in 10.0, but not snappy.

We desperately need better Mail search features. We should be able to combine many search criteria fields: from X, between these dates, with X in the subject line. At present we can only search one phrase, sender, or subject at a time. Horrible.

Whose idea was it to Copy files when moving them to a different location, while leaving the old one in place? Also horrible. Yes I know you can hold the command key if you don't want a new copy made in the new location. Still horrible.

OSX
Tabbed finder windows (that would remove any interest I've ever had in Cut/Pasting files/folders)
Option to span dock, task bar, spaces, etc. over multiple desktops
Don't have software update install new printer drivers - If there's an error while printing, give me the option to update the driver then
Add more HTPC tools to Front Row (hulu, netflix, tv tuner options)
Get rid of the bouncing icon in the dock - use some notification system instead
Let me put folders in any part of the dock (I'd love to have web browsers all in one location)

iTunes
Allow free/discounted movie rentals in exchange for watching 2-4 trailers (picked based on the movie being watched, personal preferences)
Multiple ratings for content
Wireless iDevice syncing

iWork
Add some power user features - macros specifically

Beside the infamous cut&paste I would really, really appreciate if someone at Apple would finally kill application focus stealing.

It is driving me crazy, I'm a heavy multitasking user and it is unbelievably frustrating when I'm in the middle of some kind of work and suddenly and app, window, whatever pops out, requesting all of my attention.

1. Stable SMB network browsing - I have always had trouble browsing Windows machines on the local network. Sure Command+K works but Tiger never used to have any issues browsing Windows machines on the network. We shouldn't need to have a WINS server on the local network to browse.

2. R/W NTFS partitions out-of-the-box.

MacOS 9 anyone?

Seriously, let me kill the freaking dock already. And give me back my customizable Apple menu. I'm still pissed off about that.

* Automatic mounting of network drives (and keeping them mounted) - WITHOUT appending (hidden) numbers to the volume names

* cut and paste for finder files and folders

* Spaces on secondary monitor display on secondary monitor (instead of cramping 2 * 9 spaces on the primary monitor)

* Integrate GROWL into OS

* Replace Genius with Pandora

* Split iTunes into separate apps and a standalone SYNC app for iDevices

* Allow MacBooks to be synced with iTunes like iDevices

* integrate LaunchBar, QuickSilver and/or PathFinder into OS

* and much more ...

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Windows 7 was a huge step in the right direction, it's Apple's turn to keep innovating (hadn't Microsoft f**ked up the Explorer with "Libraries", overly complicated networking and bad interaction with touchpads Win7 would be a serious threat to MacOS

so many things:

1) Smart-hiding dock (Like Ubuntu options)

2) Right click on any file and see 'open as administrator'... (Like Ubuntu)

3) Cut a file in finder, not just copy.

4) Every feature of HyperDock (previews, snaps, etc...)

5) This is just an annoying 'bug'. When I run software updates and it installs an update that requires a restart, I don't want the restart canceled by Software Update to check for Software Updates - I want to restart and finish the Update. Does that make sense?

6) Don't let anything steal focus from me

7) Don't let anything cancel my logout or restart

8) If I accidentally forget to safely eject a disk - please remount it automatically the next time I plug it in without having to logout and back in or open disk utility

9) EXT write support

10) ntfs write support

11) let me choose extra index locations for spotlight (/System, /Library) - sometimes I need to use programs in core services.

12) allow SUM as an option after typing the password with FirmWare Utility enabled - I want to use applejack

13) better secondary display detection

That's all I could think of for now...