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iCal 1.5.2 Released

Posted by pudge on from the i-am-waiting-for-iLife-04.1 dept.

cigaar writes "iCal 1.5.2 has been released by Apple. You can download it through Software Update. From iCal's Help page: 'iCal 1.5.2 gives you the option of viewing your calendar, event, or To Do information in a drawer or in a separate window (using the Detach Info command in the Window menu), and includes improved alarm performance and other reliability enhancements.'"

98 comments

  1. I prefer no drawers :) by JHromadka · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Thank goodness that Apple made it an option to use the drawer input style or a separate window for appointment editing. Even on my Powerbook's widescreen, it seemed to take up too much room.

    --
    "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." -- John Ashcroft
    1. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by rlowe69 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I second that. I have a 12" iBook screen. :P heh

      Even though it's 1024x768 that drawer was a serious waste of horizontal real estate. Enough people bitched about it that it got fixed in a few months. The feedback cycle is working, us Mac users should use it to our advantage to make the products that much better.

      --
      ----- rL
    2. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by Colitis · · Score: 1

      I've got to agree that the drawer-style info display for iCal was one of the most profoundly crap updates I can ever think of being made to a program. As one of the probably thousands who sent feedback bitching about this, I'm very glad Apple have listened to us.

    3. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by Randy+Wang · · Score: 1

      Seems to work for us - they're doing this kind of thing a lot recently, like making iTMS go international.

      Sounds good - I just wanna see what comes next :-)

      --
      --- Egads, I glow in the dark!
    4. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe that's because you don't think enough

    5. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Even though it's 1024x768 that drawer was a serious waste of horizontal real estate.

      It's your perception. I only point this out because this is the classic Macintosh interface tempest in a teapot.

      The new detachable Info windoid is exactly 10 pixels smaller, in its smallest width, than the drawer was. It can get much shorter than the drawer, but that does not make it more functional, in this instance. Safe to say, both drawer and windoid constructs basically take up the same amount of room.

      Now, you could make an argument that having the detachable window is better for screen 'real estate' as you can leave just a little piece of it visible, behind the iCal main window, and click it to bring it forward. But you could have also say there's nothing stopping you from just shoving the drawer portion off-screen as well.

      For myself, I think I prefer the drawer. I'm used to being able to see my event Info (in month view) when iCal is in the background - now I can't, because an app not in the foreground on OS X will make its support windoids disappear. There are always trade-offs.

      In the rare case where neither one is demonstrably better, a choice is good, and its nice that Apple is listening.

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    6. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by rlowe69 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For those of us with small screens, having to leave "room" for a drawer to pop out visibly is a waste. If I make iCal the width of the screen without the drawer, the drawer will just pop out off the screen and I'll have to move the iCal window over just to see it, losing the left side in the process. This is annoying.

      I want to maximize the width of iCal so I can read more on the calendar. I can't do that if I need to leave space for a drawer to pop out.

      Now, you could make an argument that having the detachable window is better for screen 'real estate' as you can leave just a little piece of it visible, behind the iCal main window, and click it to bring it forward.

      IMO, the popup window is much better because now I don't have to resize or move the iCal window whenI want to see the info. By the way, you can pop up and close it with Command-I, which is a lot easier than mousing over to a visible piece of it.

      Unless you have the horizontal space to pop out the drawer without it going offscreen, I think detachable window is easier to use. But you're right, we're entitled to our own opinions.

      --
      ----- rL
    7. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by strongmantim · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Between Mail, iCal, and Calculator, I expect the drawer to be there...not some loose, floating, separate windown. I've become too atached to my drawers to be free of them. Viva la drawers!

    8. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by djupedal · · Score: 4, Insightful
      But of course...

      It's your perception.

      Perception is integral to the use of any GUI.

      I believe the key is an individual's dependence (or lack thereof) on various perceived elements, that is really at work.

    9. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Perception is integral to the use of any GUI....I believe the key is an individual's dependence (or lack thereof) on various perceived elements, that is really at work.

      I completely agree with this statement. I only point out that one's impression of a certain UI implementation as wrong doesn't necessarily make it so. Sometimes a method is demonstrably inferior. In this case, there are strong points for both drawer and windoid methods, and a strong split amongst the userbase as to which is appropriate -- the correct thing for Apple to do is to offer a choice. Which is of course what they did.

      I find that often a UI method is strongly preferred by a user if it is the first way they have been exposed to. Alt-tab switching is a good example, or the endless vi vs. emacs debates.

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    10. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by l3prador · · Score: 1

      Actually, if you have it the full size of the screen, it automatically resizes itself to make room for the drawer, although this might have been a new addition in this version...

    11. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by Steveftoth · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but when you close the drawer, it doesn't resize to the larger size you had it before you opened the drawer. That would be sweet.

      Sigh... so close but yet so far.

    12. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by djupedal · · Score: 1
      I only point out that one's impression of a certain UI implementation as wrong doesn't necessarily make it so.

      Agreed.

    13. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 1
      For those of us with small screens, having to leave "room" for a drawer to pop out visibly is a waste. If I make iCal the width of the screen without the drawer, the drawer will just pop out off the screen and I'll have to move the iCal window over just to see it, losing the left side in the process. This is annoying.

      I agree, that is annoying. I have a 12" PB myself so I sympathize. Usually I go with the 'overlapping' approach but I find I need to constantly see the item info, in my daily work.

      IMO, the popup window is much better because now I don't have to resize or move the iCal window whenI want to see the info. By the way, you can pop up and close it with Command-I, which is a lot easier than mousing over to a visible piece of it.... Unless you have the horizontal space to pop out the drawer without it going offscreen, I think detachable window is easier to use.

      Interestingly they have changed the behaviour. I noticed that if you have a maximized iCal main window and you do a Cmd-I (with drawer mode on), it will resize the window for you to make room for the info. Cmd-I again removes the drawer but does not restore the window. A little easier than before.

      I was wrong about the windoid though, in regards to clicking it forward - the windoid floats, it cannot be covered. This diminishes it somewhat, I think.

      (Also I wish Apple would be more consistent with this. The iCal Info windoid vanishes when iCal isn't active, as it should. The Safari Download windoid always hangs around.)

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    14. Re:I prefer no drawers :) by funwithstuff · · Score: 1
      (Also I wish Apple would be more consistent with this. The iCal Info windoid vanishes when iCal isn't active, as it should. The Safari Download windoid always hangs around.)

      Actually, they are consistent. The Safari Download "windoid" is really a window, as you can see from the full size title bar. Unlike windoids, windows do (and should) stay visible when the application isn't in the foreground.

      --
      it's not about the karma, it's about the whuffie
  2. Re:Right... by WiKKeSH · · Score: 3, Informative

    "You can download it through Software Update."

    --
    Downmix - The Artscene News Source!
  3. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "You can download it through Software Update."

    Despite all evidence to the contrary, that is not a link.

  4. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Despite all evidence to the contrary, that is not a link.

    Sure it is. You have to click on Software Update. Seems like a link to me.

  5. Re:iFirstPost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    iThink iGot iFirst iReply to iFirst iPost.

    iTroll.

  6. Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Okay, I have a couple of Macs, and I love 'em and all...but why the fuck does a minor version update to Apple's calendar program merit a /. story? Jesus, slow news day...

    1. Re:Umm... by inertia187 · · Score: 1

      And why not? Just shows how geeks drool over anything and everything Apple has to offer.

      What a bleak and horrible future we live in.

      --
      A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
    2. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah and the future where geeks drool over every tiny retarded thing in the Linux kernal will be crappy ("Hey Martin - my sound card kind of works now!!!!). Oh wait... What's that smell??

    3. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, Snap! Hilarious.

    4. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I say tge same thing every time the Linux kernel gets updated. Who the fuck cares?

    5. Re:Umm... by strongmantim · · Score: 1

      I would have to agree. Either /. is becoming easier or this is a major upgrade. I updated iCal, but i didn't change anything...I like my drawer. Rather unworthy of a /. update.

    6. Re:Umm... by Maserati · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How about: Apple fixed an interface problem ? A major software company responded to user feedback ? A *really* robust iCal might someday interoperate with Entourage...

      No, none of that is news. Some of it is speculation.

      --
      Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
    7. Re:Umm... by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Unworthy of a main page /. story, sure, but I think any software update is suitable for the Apple-specific section. At least it gives us all a common place on /. to bitch about^h^hcomment on the update.

    8. Re:Umm... by mbbac · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, a really robust Entourage might one day interoperate with iCal. iCal already uses an established iCalendaring standard and can already use Outlook's iCalendar files. I'm not sure what Entourage uses.

      --

      mbbac

    9. Re:Umm... by martingunnarsson · · Score: 1

      I don't think the main point of these smaller "news" items is to tell the world about their subject, but to give people a place to talk about them.

      --
      Martin
    10. Re:Umm... by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1

      You think that's exciting, wait until you see what's coming in 1.5.3!

    11. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought Apple was a hardware company.

  7. At least there's one thing it fixes ... by pvera · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The iCal notifications got broken when I upgraded to Panther. This patch seems to have fixed the issue. I rember I went as far as emailing Apple to tell them about it, but no feedback whatsoever. I guess somebody was listening :-)

    --
    Pedro
    ----
    The Insomniac Coder
    1. Re:At least there's one thing it fixes ... by beelsebob · · Score: 5, Informative
      Don't e-mail apple, send them a bug report

      Apple bugreporter

      Bob

    2. Re:At least there's one thing it fixes ... by philbert26 · · Score: 1

      iCal 1.5.1 also broke the alarm system for me under 10.2.8. The latest upgrade makes them work again. Yay!

  8. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sorry. I can't find the "Software Update" link in the story. Perhaps you could provide a link?

  9. Re:Right... by georgewad · · Score: 5, Informative

    how about this

    --
    Karma: It's not just a good idea. It's the law.
  10. Two-way calendar sync by David+McBride · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've been playing with iCal and WEB-DAV servers recently for work, and I really like iCal. But one thing I discovered today is that the synchronization doesn't run both ways -- a subscribed can't updated a calendar that someone else has published.

    Which is a shame, because it would be a lot better than the ad-hoc mechanisms I've got right now.

    1. Re:Two-way calendar sync by Huge+Pi+Removal · · Score: 1

      That's actually good for us in my department: it means we can all see what each other is up to, but managers can't pencil in appointments under someone else's name, and people can't accidentally delete each other's stuff.

      I admit, though, it would be nice to have a "let this calendar be editable by others" button.

      --
      - Oliver

      The right to bear arms is only slightly less stupid than the right to arm bears...
    2. Re:Two-way calendar sync by Steveftoth · · Score: 1

      Probably because iCal is not real groupware....

      If you want a real calendar solution I would look elsewhere. iCal is much too young of a calendar to do things like that.

      Lotus Notes, Exchange, all do real calendaring (well better then iCal). You probably need some sort of server if you want people to be able to edit your calendars properly.

    3. Re:Two-way calendar sync by martinX · · Score: 1

      At work we have Groupwise. Although the interface could be better, it's actually quite powerful. I can see the whole office's email/calendars/etc, it's easy to send appointments to people and lots of other nifty things. Pity the phone book sux (or maybe its our implementation). This works over an organisation of 60 000.

      iCal, and Macs in general, still aren't geared towards The Enterprise (large business organisation, not the spaceship). They still seem to be Personal Computers.

      --
      When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
    4. Re:Two-way calendar sync by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1
      a subscribed can't updated a calendar that someone else has published.

      Well if you could then you'd be the publisher. If I were publishing something I wouldn't want subscribers changing it.

  11. Detaching Drawers! by Steveftoth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apple should make detaching a drawer part of the OS! For those of you that like drawers, great, but some people like them to be floating. They are first class windows to the OS so it would be possible without re-writing the drawer code.

    Well, maybe on second though they should rather create a sub-class of drawer that is detachable and thus all FUTURE drawers could be detachable.

    1. Re:Detaching Drawers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Raise your hands if you understand the "drawer" user interface concept.

      Woops. Not so fast, Steveftoth.

    2. Re:Detaching Drawers! by Steveftoth · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you've used a mac then you would know that neither do the developers that use them. Check out Tog's articles ffor references to how bad people can make drawers. (Quickeys for example)

      Drawers are good when used as a supplement to the existing interface, but only on windows that should never be full screen. iCal is a perfect example of an application that people like to have be full screen. The Mail window is a perfect example of an application that when made full screen is silly and too wide. Thus drawers are nice in mail and crappy in iCal.

      When they moved the interface to being in a drawer in the new iCal somepeople couldn't find the controls for it because their calendar was full screen! How great is a drawer then?

      Pop-up floating pallettes are nice sometimes but can be overused. Drawers are one solution to this because they allow you to put the controls you need on the window rather then have them floating, unattached. But everyone has their own workflow and more options are rarely a bad thing.

      If all developers made perfect drawers and windows then we wouldn't be having this conversation, but since they don't we have to give the user more options.

      At least that's my opinion. Why again shouldn't drawers be detachable? Because the programmer is always right?

    3. Re:Detaching Drawers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Drawers are good when used as a supplement to the existing interface, but only on windows that should never be full screen.

      No window should ever be full-screen. If you expand a window to fill the screen, you're doing something wrong.

      iCal is a perfect example of an application that people like to have be full screen.

      Nope. That's just you being a dumbass.

      Pop-up floating pallettes are nice sometimes but can be overused.

      No. Floating windows are never okay. By definition, they always obscure something important. They're never okay.

      But everyone has their own workflow and more options are rarely a bad thing.

      Wrong again, hockey puck. Giving people the option to do it wrong just makes unnecessary work for the developers and gives people the opportunity to make themselves unhappy.

      If all developers made perfect drawers and windows then we wouldn't be having this conversation, but since they don't we have to give the user more options.

      Two wrongs don't make a right.

      Why again shouldn't drawers be detachable?

      You don't understand the idea behind drawers. Please either go do some reading or shut up.

    4. Re:Detaching Drawers! by ObiWanKenblowme · · Score: 1

      Funny thing about preferences is that they change from user to user. Myself, I prefer my Mail window as wide as possible. If it didn't have a drawer, I'd probably expand it out that much more. I don't like iCal to take up quite so much of the screen though, probably since I don't use it as often. Making generalizations without lots of user research isn't a good idea - it can easily lead to a "well this is how I do it, so it must be right" mentality.

      It seems your argument for detachable drawers is that developers can implement them incorrectly. How would adding another level of complexity solve this problem? It isn't a fault of a UI element if developers disregard the guidelines for its use. There will always be developers who break the GUI guidelines - some for better, some for worse. Usually it's a matter of personal preference, but even when they actually do futz up the GUI, it's their fault for poor implementation.

      --
      Obvious exits are NORTH, SOUTH, and DENNIS.
    5. Re:Detaching Drawers! by Steveftoth · · Score: 1

      Maybe you've enabled another view or something in mail but in the default view, it's seperated pane, with the messages list on top and message preview on bottom. At least on the powerbook screen I would never want to make the mail client take up the entire width.

      You're right that you can't STOP people from misusing their computers and the UI widgets that developers provide for them. However, it's the developers job to make it as easy for the user to use the application. It serves no purpose to make something hard to use 'just because'. I can see developers being lazy and whatnot, but it's just silly to do that for no reason.

      Besides, in Mail where would you put the folder list in the application if it wasn't on the side? You could put it above the message list, but it's really more of a verticle list and not a horizontal list. Which is nice that it's a drawer. However, really I think that they should to have made it similar to the way that Netscape/Mozilla handles the sidebar, that is it's part of the window, but can shrink to a very small size at the click of a button.

  12. I can read my Software Update window, thanks. by g_lightyear · · Score: 1, Funny

    Good god, talk about Slow News Day. It's an insignificant point release. They turned a drawer into a bleeding panel, not water into wine.

    --
    -- A mind is a terrible thing.
    1. Re:I can read my Software Update window, thanks. by FosterKanig · · Score: 5, Funny

      Turning "water into wine" is planned for OS 10.4. I can't wait, but of course "walking on water" will require a .Mac subscription.

    2. Re:I can read my Software Update window, thanks. by GlassHeart · · Score: 1
      It's an insignificant point release. They turned a drawer into a bleeding panel, not water into wine.

      Is the blood on the panel compliant with Aqua guidelines?

    3. Re:I can read my Software Update window, thanks. by natefanaro · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Don't forget that 10.4 will be $120 and only work on Mac's with the wine processor.

  13. Magically moving dates not fixed by morcheeba · · Score: 2, Informative

    Does anyone else have this problem? I've got the EFF's calender loaded in, and when I click on the checkbox that enables/disables viewing of this, I'll get different events.

    For example, I'll click on and I'll get an event on monday and another on friday. Then I'll click off, and then on again, and I'll get a different event on tuesday and another different event on saturday. If I do it again, It'll randomy switch between three different events (only one visible at a time) and it seems purely random. This update didn't fix that.

    --
    HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
    1. Re:Magically moving dates not fixed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would not be surprised if the corresponding calendars were not corrupted in some way. It is seems produced by iCal 1.0. Or some application pretending to be iCal 1.0. At first look, there seems to be some odd characters there.

      (by the way, your URL has to be fixed... I think /. removed the /...)

    2. Re:Magically moving dates not fixed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed... that calendar is corrupted.

      In the last event, you have this line:
      DTSTART;TZID=US/Pacific:20040209T0900000
      T here is an extra '0' at the end and that date is invalid.
      (2004 -> year, 02 -> february, 09 -> day 9, 09 -> 9 hours, 00 -> 0 minutes, 00 -> 0 seconds... and one extra '0')
      Please report that bug to the people publishing this calendar.

    3. Re:Magically moving dates not fixed by morcheeba · · Score: 1

      thanks everyone - i will!

      --
      HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
  14. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look at your fucking Apple in the top left corner of your screen.

  15. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's no "fucking Apple" there.

  16. Show ONLY todo's? by wirelessbuzzers · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is there any way using iCal to show ONLY the to-do list? I'm currently using Stickies for a to-do list and I'd like something more useful.

    --
    I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
    1. Re:Show ONLY todo's? by tupps · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This sounds like the kind of thing you are after:

      http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macos x/ 19135

      I saw it on version tracker the other day but I use the iCal and sync with my phone and/or palm and check todos off of them.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    2. Re:Show ONLY todo's? by wirelessbuzzers · · Score: 1

      I'll try it out. I like to have it always visible though, and this program is shareware too (although it's going free/gpl soon).

      --
      I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
    3. Re:Show ONLY todo's? by tupps · · Score: 1

      It is always visible in your menu bar, 1 click away at all times.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    4. Re:Show ONLY todo's? by wirelessbuzzers · · Score: 1

      I know. But I like the stickies approach more. I'll keep looking, otherwise it should be trivial to write something like stickies but better in cocoa.

      --
      I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
  17. I wonder by Selecter · · Score: 2, Funny
    if my life will ever be complicated enough to need a program like iCal? :(

    When is Apple gonna bring out iSex? To hell with this....

  18. Here, here. by waldoj · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been playing with iCal and WEB-DAV servers recently for work, and I really like iCal. But one thing I discovered today is that the synchronization doesn't run both ways -- a subscribed can't updated a calendar that someone else has published.

    This is a real problem for me, and I'm glad to hear somebody else mention it.

    I spend 90% of my computing time on my PowerMac desktop. About 8% (I'm plainly talking out of my ass here) is spent on my iBook, and 2% on other people's computers (friends, computer labs on my college campus, etc.) I use iCal on my PowerMac as the master calendar, and I publish that calendar to my server via WebDAV. I subscribe to that calendar in iCal on my iBook, and I use WebCalendar to reproduce my calendar on my website. I also sync my Palm and my phone with my desktop regularly, such that I can maintain my calendar on those. This system is really helpful, because I have such a scheduled, busy life that I really couldn't function without a decent calendar system.

    The problem, of course, is that I can only make changes when I'm sitting at my desktop. Changes on my Palm or phone are overwritten next time that I sync. (iSync's valiant efforts notwithstanding.) Changes made via the website and are lost, and iCal on my iBook will not permit me to make changes to the calendar, because it's a subscription.

    I want to make changes on my iBook the same way that I can read and reply to e-mail in Mail.app when I'm not on a WiFi network -- it should synch next time that I get a connection. Likewise, I should be able to do so with the website version, my phone, etc.

    The problem here, as best as I can tell, is that the calendar isn't really stored on the WebDAV server -- it's mirrored on the WebDAV server. My PowerMac doesn't get its data from the WebDAV server, it simply publishes it to that server. I want iCal to use the WebDAV server just like Mail.app uses IMAP -- the server is master, and all else synchs to it.

    I'd sure appreciate suggestions or tips from anybody that can suggest a solution to this, or some sort of a hack that's available for iCal to make it work in this manner.

    -Waldo Jaquith

    1. Re:Here, here. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I thought I was alone in the world. I just spent the last half hour looking through the documentation and some of the websites, i.e. macosxhints.com to see if this was possible with an iCal - WebDAV combo. Guess it's time to start writing to Apple with feature requests.

      As for to do and contact info from a Bluetooth phone or Palm always being overwritten, is that really the actual behavior? I could have sworn (at least when I tried .Mac) that iSync was more intelligent than that, allowing for actual synchronization of information updated from multiple devices. Anyone else care to comment on their cell phone/palm experience with iSync as compared to the parent?

    2. Re:Here, here. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... you said it... WebDAV is not IMAP. IMAP is meant to be used by several people at a time. WebDAV is just a way to put a file on a webserver and you get the same problem of concurrent (generally off-line) access to a same file. To do what you want, it will require something more adapted to sharing/sync'ing.

    3. Re:Here, here. by herberts · · Score: 2, Informative

      How about you mount a WebDAV Volume using the Finder and make iCal store the Calendar locally?

      Using symlinks can also help.

    4. Re:Here, here. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... this does not solve the "concurrent" access problem. In fact, this is not an easy problem to solve.

    5. Re:Here, here. by WalterSobchak · · Score: 1

      Well, this may not be a solution to most of us, but I keep certain calendars on my own webDav server, and edit them right there (using a text editor).

      But that is - as I said - not the solution you are looking for.

      Bye

      Alex

      --
      Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
  19. Don't send a bug report... by Trillan · · Score: 3, Informative

    Choose Provide iCal Feedback from the iCal menu and choose Bug Report from the list of options. It takes you to the iCal Feedback page.

    If you do anything else, you're just causing them extra work.

    Whatever you do, don't expect a reply.

    1. Re:Don't send a bug report... by beelsebob · · Score: 3, Informative
      There are two reasons why I suggested using bug reporter rather than the iCal feedback page:
      • This was a bug in the app, not simply "I love iCal" or "I hat iCal" - it needed to go to the engineering team, not via the minions who have to sit there filtering all the feedback.
      • If you want feedback on an issue then use the bug reporter - I've never had apple not come back to me saying at least "This issue couldn't be duplicated", and I've had as good as "Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, please try the latest software update in which is should have been fixed."

      Bob

    2. Re:Don't send a bug report... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One obstacle to using the bug reporter is one needs to be a member of ADC, Apple Developer Connection.

    3. Re:Don't send a bug report... by capmilk · · Score: 1

      I am not a person to submit many bug reports. Maybe ten reports since the introduction of 10.2. They were always very detailed and contained my contact information. Guess how often Apple contacted me. Yep, never.

      One of the bugs that I reported forced me to sell my iPod since I was unable to get it to work with my new Mac. Apple's support forums are full with complains about this same issue. Do you how many replies Apple wrote? You guessed it: none. Not even one saying they are aware of the problem.

      Sometimes their arrogance pisses me off...

  20. Re:Right... by enormouspenis · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry but I just don't get the allusion.

    --
    "I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called 'Mr.Evil,' thank you very much!"
  21. You're Correct by waldoj · · Score: 2

    As for to do and contact info from a Bluetooth phone or Palm always being overwritten, is that really the actual behavior? I could have sworn (at least when I tried .Mac) that iSync was more intelligent than that, allowing for actual synchronization of information updated from multiple devices.

    I just synched my phone, and you are right -- it does show me the differences between the two, and has me correct them. I must admit that I found it rather confusing -- Is that class at 2:30, or 2:40? Is my phone right, or is my computer right? -- as a consequence of the changes not being timestamped. There's no way to say "go with whichever system has been modified most recently -- if my desktop was given that event's time a year ago, and my phone last week, go with last week's." That would certainly be helpful.

    But, yes, iSync does make it possible to reconcile those things. I wish that there was some way to insert iSync into the transaction between calendars (whether on laptop or WebDAV serveR), and not just between devices and my desktop.

    -Waldo Jaquith

    1. Re:You're Correct by gt384u · · Score: 5, Informative

      It does handle calendar syncing, using your handy .Mac account.

      Just make sure to always sync with your .Mac account on beginning your session and then again on ending and you're golden. I guess it does kind of suck having to shell out the $100/yr for those little things after already having spent the extra money for the Mac, but it seems most users are resigned to it at this point. On the upside, it is a damn nice service you're getting for that money.

  22. Finally something shows up... by tuxedobob · · Score: 1

    and it's iCal. I like to see an update every now and then (you know, because 2 months without _anything_ just seems creepy), but iCal? That's it?

    1. Re:Finally something shows up... by punkass · · Score: 1

      Didn't we just have updates at Christmas?

      --
      "Nobody owns the fucking words man." - James Dean
    2. Re:Finally something shows up... by tuxedobob · · Score: 1

      I don't actually remember. Seems like it's been a while, though.

  23. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Then you can't download iCal. Funny how that works.

  24. DotMac by slashusrslashbin · · Score: 5, Informative

    This kind of two-way synchronization is what you pay top-$$$ for .Mac for; and it works.

    I keep up to three Macs and my Sony Ericsson T68i synced up this way, and it works fine (Bookmarks, Calendar, Address Book). I can enter new events, new bookmarks etc. on .Mac when I'm at work on a PC, and retrieve them through iSync when I get back home.

    The WebDAV iCal publishing thing is only one-way, and will remain one-way because Apple want you to buy .Mac ...

    1. Re:DotMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is one-way because a simple WebDAV server is not adapted to sharing and it's simple enough to have other WebDAV servers than iDisk one. iSync server is something really different.

    2. Re:DotMac by Devil's+Avocado · · Score: 1

      This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. WebDAV was *specifically designed* for sharing!

      -DA

    3. Re:DotMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WebDAV is not designed for "sharing" the same data R/W with concurrent access, conflict resolution. You need some sort of "CVS" (Concurrent versioning) server or at least some intelligence on the server side to do it properly.
      With a WebDAV server, each time you want to update the remote calendar, you have to:
      1) lock the calendar
      2) get the calendar
      3) mix that calendar with your calendar locally (resolve conflicts, mix changes, etc. - well, all what iSync does but with even more problems)
      4) put the new updated calendar
      5) unlock the calendar

      It's more than painful and it's no wonder that Apple did not use that approach to do some "crappy" sharing just to please some stupid users (fortunately!).
      Hopefully Apple will add some sharing capabilities and they will do it the right way. For example, they can support CAP (Calendar) servers... but they will first have to have a CAP server running... there's still none existing.

      So wait some and stop to say it's "that easy". It is not.

      WebDAV is meant to produce documents on a webserver in a distributed way... but each user editing one document at a time!

  25. Re:Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right. Man, what and idiot. If there's no fucking Apple, you must be running Windows or something.

  26. Context Menu Support? by WatertonMan · · Score: 1
    Unfortunately this upgrade doesn't yet add any substantial context menu support. (Right mouse click for those of you corrupted by XP)

    For instance to delete an entry you can either hit the delete key on the keyboard or go up to the Edit menu and select Delete. But you can't right-click on the entry and delete. I'm rather surprised at this lackluster context menu support now after all these years with many OSX application by Apple! For instance iTunes has excellent context menu support now. Yet even applications that support context menu, such as Address Book, often have glaring omissions such as "delete" menus.

    1. Re:Context Menu Support? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Apple's guidelines require all context menu commands to be safe. Thus, it would be Delete... anyway.

    2. Re:Context Menu Support? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... except for this particular function, the context menu is quite complete (and you still have Cut if you really want to delete). And I'm not sure "Delete" in context menu is really that "crucial".

  27. Slightly [OT]: Setting up WebDAV in OS X by ce25254 · · Score: 1

    Reading this note made me wonder about setting up WebDAV on my own OS X box, and instead of asking the quesiton, I looked for the answer (!) and I found this helpful page:
    http://www.gregwestin.com/webdav_for_ical.php
    so I thought I'd post a link to it.

  28. Best new iCal feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It now reports the days remaining until your next iBook logic board replacement.

  29. Process by gunnmjk · · Score: 1, Informative

    When NOT running the new verison of iCal, you'll notice user process "iCalAlarmScheduler" running, which I never noticed before. Turn off by selecting "Turn off alarms when iCal is not open" in the iCal preferences.

  30. Check out Life Balance by samalone · · Score: 1

    If you're serious about to-dos, take a look at Life Balance. It will not only maintain your to-do list, but help you prioritize it and show you (in pie charts) how you've been spending your time.

    </shameless-plug>

    --Stuart

    1. Re:Check out Life Balance by wirelessbuzzers · · Score: 1

      Err. Yeah. But my problem with all the todo list managers out there today is that they don't keep it simple. Too much screen real estate (iCal), or too much overhead to see what's up (CheckOff), or too much cpu time (iCal), or tries to do too much (Life Balance) or...

      I just want something simple. Todo list, always visible but not too much space, with a notes side-panel and alerts. Like Stickies, but with a notes panel or something. And alerts.

      --
      I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
  31. iCal 1.5.2 new features still needed by ick1966 · · Score: 1

    I m looking to drum up some support for the improvement of task scheduling in iCal (which is really non existant). Date/appointment handling is adequate in iCal. However, the task handling is poor especially in the area of task scheduling. For those of us who have a large number of todo's the only real way of getting through them is to specify chunks of time in the calendar booking time with yourself to doa specific task. Palm Desktop has the right idea where you enter your tasks in the todo list and just drag the task "my important task" into an appropriate place in the calendar. Palm Desktop then creates an appropriate appointment called "Working On .. my important task" I am surprised to have such usability in the Palm desktop and even more surprised not to have a similar feature from the so called kings of usability Apple. For all those who have a similar requirement I would recommend they send feedback through iCal's application menu. Apple at least appears to take notice of feedback but however you have to get noticed in volume.