Everything new seems old

When Apple decided not to have design awards for Mac programs this year, Ars Technica heard the outcry and stepped into the breach. But looking at the nominees chosen at Ars, I’m beginning to understand why Apple took a pass — there’s not much out there.

The first category for best new apps is the most disheartening. Three of the five programs are actually just new versions — 1Password goes back to 2006, while Panorama and Transmit go back to the days of OS9 at least. Another one — Steam — is a service that was initially released in 2003. The only truly new program — Flickery — is a desktop front end for flickr, which of course has been around in one form or another since 2004.

The category for most innovative apps also suffers. One of them, Notational Velocity, first came out in 2006. True, there is a new version with some nice refinements, but the original innovation of mouse-free note-taking is a bit long in the tooth. And another of the apps, Dropbox, is more of an Internet innovation than a Mac innovation.

That’s not to say these apps are’t good. I use 1Password, Transmit and Dropbox regularly, we’ve been enjoying Steam’s free offering of Portal, and I would heartily recommend Notational Velocity. Perhaps it’s a sign that Mac software has matured to the point where there isn’t much that is genuinely fresh. The software that’s really knocking our socks off is being made for the brave new world of iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.

date posted Posted Tuesday, May 25, 2010 in

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  1. Hah, NV in 2006? Try 2002
    !

    In any case the app has had a tremendous number of improvements, only some of which are actually listed in the release notes.

    Bark

  2. Alas, I can’t agree much with you regarding your last comment about app development for the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Oh, certainly, from a programming perspective the apps might be exciting, but strictly from a user’s point of view, alas, if you’re not into game entertainment or toy time-wasters, the field is pretty bleak in that area as well. Most of what exists on that platform falls into the eye-candy category, likely because the restrictions around the hardware make them so. To me that platform has not turned out to be The Next Big Thing, any more than Dashboard has led to a huge increase in productivity.

    It all seems to be time-wasters and pretty colors, and as long as it connects to the ‘net and allows you to check Facebook or Twitter, everybody gives it the usual ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaaahhhh’. Sorry, but I have to disagree with you.

    idj





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