I have installed Lion OS for my MacBook Air...Needless to say...I LOVE it!! I have been using it for almost a week now and think the features added are incredible. I absolutely love that my MacBook Air now feels very much like my iOS devices. A lot of the best features are now incorporated into the software.
One Issue...
- Before installing Lion, I should have downloaded the Beta 3 Release for Apple TV. Lion OS does not work with the current version of Xcode I have installed. Trying to install the updated version of Xcode has consumed SO much of my time last evening. I thought the simple download from the App Store of the new version would be simple. Instead of just informing me that I didn't have enough space on my drive...the error message read this: Please consult /var/log/install.log for more details. Really?!?!? Couldn't the download detect and inform me that I just need more space. I did some clean up and was able to install correctly.
For a full list of features, click here: What's New in Lion
- Versions. This is probably my favorite feature with Lion. While working in Word for Mac, I can now go back through versions of the document. This is much more than an auto save. It doesn't write and replace. I can go back through any changes I made at a moment in time and use the changes made. I had one document that I made several changes and when I went back through Versions, I had 20 there, which allowed me to capture and re-enter some thoughts I had. Really great!
- Scrolling. There have been a lot of reviews and skepticism of the new scrolling feature. Some really despise this new feature and some really love it. I am one that LOVES it. It feels completely natural! It mirrors the functionality of scrolling on the iPhone and iPad devices. For most that have used a PC or Mac, we have been conditioned that when we use a scroll wheel on a mouse or scroll in general, when you would scroll up, the page moved up and when you scroll down, the page would scroll down. In lion, when you scroll up, the content goes down and when you scroll down, the content goes up.
- There is an option to turn this feature off.
- Launchpad. This feature takes the UI and functionality design of the iOS devices. This provides a desktop that has all the Apps which you can rearrange, put into folders and easily locate what you are looking for. In order to rearrange the Apps, you hold your mouse down and the icons begin to jiggles...just like on the iPhone or iPad. Streamlines the experience of all my Apple devices.
- Multi-touch gestures. This is a really great feature! Again, it feels very much like using an iOS device. It is intuitive and allows for fast and easy navigation. My favorite gestures (not the comprehensive list of features):
- Two Finger Scroll. This allows you to scroll up and down content on the internet or in documents.
- Tap to Zoom.
- Swipe to navigate through things I have been working on
- Mission Control. This is an excellent feature. Let's me get a bird's eye view of everything open and running on my system and allows for one easy click to get there. Very intuitive and creates efficiencies I never knew I needed :).
- Resume. This is a nice feature. When I shut down or restart my MacBook Air, it will automatically open everything I was using prior to the shut down and place it where I was working on it before. Simple but efficient.
- Photo Booth. There are some really playful things, such as the floating birds that include facial recognition and follow you around. It's a great waste of time ;)!
- AirDrop. I have yet to try out this feature, as there aren't many in my office that use Macs, but I love the concept of it.
- Mail. A lot of new features with this one. I'm unable to access my work email (not a Mac issue...my company exchange) but it is great for organizing all my other messages
- Conversations is a great component that provides an easy way to read and organize messages
- The search capabilities are granular and phenomenal
- Full Screen Apps and Safari. Makes the content easier to read and provides a lot more real estate, giving a lot of new opportunities for developers.
- New Desktop Pictures. As you see in the picture on this entry, I have chosen the Lion. Love the detail and how crisp the picture is.
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