iCal in Leopard needs some streamlining
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Mar 25, 2008 at 5:55am
I know a lot of folks who don’t find the Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”) version of iCal an improvement over the 10.4 (“Tiger”) version because of the extra clicks needed to enter an event or to, for example, correct an entry. In fact, a lot of folks consider it a downgrade of the product.
When you want to add an event to the monthly view in iCal, either by double clicking on the day (or cmd+n), you get a small bar the color of the calendar and the ability to title the event. You give it a name, then press enter. The event gets a default time and duration—but it’s often not what you intended. To change it you have to double click and open the Edit event window.
Previously, you could do this with iCal on the first double click as the details were available for editing from the start. Making users have to take another step with Leopard iCal to edit and event is an unnecessary stop. Evolutions of iCal should see it more streamlined, not less.
Hopefully, Apple will fix this in an upcoming Leopard update. It’s just too bad it didn’t happen with 10.5.2, which resolved many other user complaints. (Thanks for Macsimum News Steve Self for help with today’s column.)
Alan Says:
Yep, and the fact that Tiger’s iCal would highlight (ungrey) all of the appointments of a specific calendar if you clicked on the calendar name in the source bar.
Leopards iCal doesn’t.
If you’re running / sharing 20 to 30 calendars, it’s a huge step backwards.
Posted on March 25, 2008
Matt Says:
I can see some bad points, but the ones people and the article have mentioned can be sorted very easily.
Just get in the habit of clicking on the day you want to add an event, then hold apple key and N (which creates a new event) then while still holding apple key press E (which gets you straight into edit.
Thats 3 clicks and its (tiger 2) not to bad and you get the benefit of a cleaner look without the info window.
Just a thought!
Posted on March 25, 2008
danny Says:
Couldn’t agree more.
But Leopard brought the user a lot more clicks to get things done. The Dock mostly and it’s pathetic Fan view etc…
Apple has almost caught up to Microsoft on making users need to do more clicks for a task.
Posted on March 25, 2008
B Says:
Agreed. Overall iCal still feels strangely not quite Maclike to me.
Posted on March 25, 2008
Michael Says:
Agreed.. its just to annoying..
really hope they change this in the next leopard update.
Posted on March 25, 2008
Andy K Says:
I hope you all submit some iCal feedback:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ical.html
Posted on March 25, 2008
Tom S Says:
How about being able to change the default duration of any event you add.
It would be great to always have it default to a message seven days before an event.
Posted on March 25, 2008
Brother Mugga Says:
A fix would be most welcome indeed. Alas I won’t be able to attend some of the events I’ve added to iCal because the resulting RSI has rendered me unable to do up my flies, and hence unable to leave the flat with my dignity intact…
Posted on March 25, 2008
Walt French Says:
@Andy K: thanks for the Apple feedback link.
I, too, have found the latest iCal to be terribly flawed. Unlike others who think it “unfinished,” however, I think it was just badly managed… some genius wrote specs about how you shouldn’t be able to enter a bad (e.g., empty) # of minutes in the alarm field, and then the coder, following these “smarter” specs literally, without any ownership of real usability, made it impossible to double-click and erase the default entry to type in the desired input.
Just a badly managed project. Along with a bunch of valuable features, a bunch of turds got dumped into it. Dunno how it made it past Apple’s vaunted User Interface Nazis.
Posted on March 25, 2008
Dave Says:
The potential for iCal is enormous… Leopard makes this even more so.
Posted on March 26, 2008
addicted Says:
However, most are ignoring what makes iCal absolutely groundbreaking in Leopard (well maybe not iCal), is the ability of other apps to talk so easily with it using the Calendar Store. Now, finally, iCal has simply become nothing but the frontend of a system wide calendar data store, which should theoretically allow someone to replicate the Tiger iCal.
On iCal the app, however, I completely agree with this article. Fortunately, with Data Detectors in Mail.app, this is hardly a problem for me, since it gets almost everything right almost every time for me.
Posted on March 26, 2008
iCal Lover Says:
Sigh. For a person who spends a fair amount of time in iCal, with many groups of calendars, I find Leopard’s version to be a downgrade.
I keep a tiger box around for testing purposes, and I find myself doing more and more iCal work on that box than any of the Leopard ones.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Leopard has all kinds of potential; it’s a huge step forward for many things… just not iCal, IMHO.
“Andy K”, you are correct. Everyone who takes the time to post in public places like this should take the time to tell Apple directly. I kinda remember iCal allowing direct feedback within their menu, but it doesn’t seems to be there anymore.
Posted on March 26, 2008
Walt French Says:
<cite>"Everyone ... should take the time to tell Apple directly.” </cite>
It’d be easier to feel that Apple responded to reasonable feedback if their feedback pages (Apple.Com/Feedback/...) allowed you to reference anything close to the shipping version. iCal tops out at 2.0 (3.0.2 is current.) Backup’s feedback page lets you offer opinions on 3.0 at the latest (3.1.2 is current).
There isn’t even a link for Address Book, another supposed Digital Lifestyle Hub application, and one with many usability shortcomings—such as not recognizing that of the 15 other contacts I already have at US Bank, 800 Nicollet Mall, all (amazing!) are in Minneapolis, MN, 55402, USA. AFAIK, they don’t publish the database format to allow third party apps to link other data or provide a value-added interface, so you either give up synch with your backup files, Palm and/or phone by using Now UpToDate or such; or you put up with the non-professional, almost unsupported version.
Sometimes Apple makes killer software and sometimes it makes check box (must have) software that they let die on the vine. I wouldn’t argue that iCal sells more Macs than iPhoto. But I would argue that Apple offputs huge numbers of potential users in part because many of the core PC functions—including contacts, calendars, synchro with Enterprise functions—and commitment to continuity of basic functions—e.g., AppleWorks, predictable EOLs for systems, release calendars—make people cringe.
Apple has had horrible bugs with its calendars around synch, and the Fixit workarounds are nightmares—and for me, unsuccessful. They. Just. Don’t. Give. Much. Of. A. Damn.
Sometimes, Apple seriously doesn’t get it; often, Apple isn’t even equipped to realize how their obtuseness hurts their profitability. They might get it if they are widely enough shamed. Whining is your Constitutional Duty as an American, and no less so than with Apple
Posted on March 26, 2008
Cubert Says:
iCal on Leopard is dirt slow. No calender app should be that slow. I also agree with the way to create a new event - way too difficult to create and edit and manage. The prefs for iCal need a LOT more work. There should at least be a way to change the number of lines alloted to an event (like in the Finder with file names).
Posted on March 26, 2008
David Says:
Data detectors and the screen space gained by doing away with the info sidebar are plusses for Leopard iCal, but I agree all of the clicks is a big step back. Why not one click to open straight into edit mode, then one click outside the box to close it? Also, since the .2 update the program stalls momentarily during auto-refresh of published calendars (can’t complete text). Any one else getting this? Come on, Apple make those of us hooked on iCal proud!
Posted on March 28, 2008
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Jarod Says:
Couldn’t agree more. I personally think that as of 10.5.2 Leopard is STILL an unfinished product. It’s slow, uses way too many resources. And I won’t even get started on Leopard Server which almost makes VISTA look good!
Posted on March 25, 2008