* At least the Classic apps I've tried. Others have complained that a variety of audio applications and games in particular give Classic mode fits. However, Apple has just released an update to OS 9 designed to improved Classic mode compatibility.
Most of this applications section isn't really about operating systems, but about the apps available for the operating systems, so you might want to skip it if you're just looking for the OS comparisons. However, I believe that the applications landscape is an integral part of the total OS experience, so included it here.
There are still a few areas where BeOS surpasses other OSes in general usefulness, and audio file creation, storage, and playback is one of them. The combination of the database-like file system (BFS), Be's extremely efficient media handling capabilities, and the exceptionally flexible SoundPlay make for an unbeatable combination. As an MP3 addict, I soon went hunting for MP3 functionality to match Be's. In BeOS, arbitrary arrays of meta-data can be associated with files or file types and stored as "attributes." These attributes can be sifted and sorted through in the Tracker, or queried for through the Find panel. Because attributes are indexed automatically, search results are instantaneous, regardless the amount of data to be searched. In essence, the file system itself serves as a database.
Side note: Microsoft is in the early stages of moving to a model where all of their applications and the operating system itself will sit on top of a common data store, based on SQL Server. If they're able to pull it off, this will be one of the more significant changes to the Windows product line in Microsoft history.
Building an OS around a virtual database has implications for userland functionality throughout the OS, and MP3 storage is just one example (more later). MP3 encoding tools for BeOS store meta-data not just in ID3 tags, but in the file system itself, and this meant I was able to create customized playlists unlike anything possible in Windows or Linux (without being locked into the use of tertiary tools). For example, creating a playlist of all tracks written between 1978 and 1984 in the genres country or punk was a piece of cake in BeOS.
A Tracker view of MP3 files, with multiple attributes showing and the actual filenames hidden. Notice how much data is displayed in the Tracker simultaneously. Even if the OS X Finder did support meta-data, it wouldn't be able to pack this much data into a viewable space without using a smaller font. But since Tinker Tool does let you change the Finder font, we can probably expect to see that enabled by Apple in a future version of OS X.
My collection is meticulously ID3 tagged, but I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to sacrifice having these custom playlists in OS X. But as I expanded the iTunes window and enabled more of the ID3 columns, I realized I could sort through the collection by pretty much any criteria. The small search window at the top of the app looked too innocent to be powerful, but I soon realized it was capable of finding strings in any ID3 field. Drag the search results into a new playlist, and I had replicated the BFS database functionality, without the assistance of attributes. While these large-collection searches on arbitrary criteria are no faster in iTunes than they are in BFS (both are essentially immediate), iTunes wins because everything happens within a single interface.
iTunes lets me store and query on the same array of metadata that BeOS does, except that BeOS does it without locking me into a single playback application (and one provided by the OS vendor at that). Unfortunately, I can't see this same meta-data in the Finder, as I can in BeOS, and I can't query for it from Sherlock, like I can in BeOS. But I gotta admit, the iTunes playlist manager is genuinely useful, and reasonably attractive. iTunes skins would be nice. Click for larger image.
Another pleasant iTunes surprise came the day I used a batch tool to rename thousands of MP3s at once. I expected that I would have to rebuild all my iTunes playlists afterwards, since I expected all the filename references to be broken. But when the operation was complete, I was amazed to discover all my playlists perfectly intact. Ah, the magic of symlinks (aliases) that don't break when the target is moved -- a luxury that old-time Mac users probably take for granted, but which fairly blew my crusty, bigoted x86 mind.
My one big complaint with iTunes is the lack of available plug-ins for it. So far, the only iTunes plug-ins I've seen are visualizers. Fun, but who cares? What I'd like to see are some of the really useful plug-ins you see for WinAmp, or for BeOS' SoundPlay. Recently I spent an evening trying every MP3 streamer I could find on VersionTracker. All I wanted was something capable of down-sampling audio before broadcasting it out over a specified port. I came up empty-handed. On the other hand, doing the same from SoundPlay in BeOS is cake - enable the LiveEncoder plug-in, tell it what bitrate and sampling frequency to use, which port to broadcast over, and you're done. Anything you're currently playing in SoundPlay will also be broadcast over the internet. And there are a variety of BeOS tools you can use to control your MP3 collection remotely as well (e.g. search through, skip around in, build playlists over the web...) I don't know if the iTunes plug-in doesn't allow this, or whether it just hasn't occurred to developers for some reason, but the category is oddly wide open.
Point goes to OS X for iTunes' excellent playlist manager, and to BeOS for just about everything else related to MP3 creation, storage, remote control, stereo interface, etc.
- "Out of the Frying Pan..."
- "... And Into the Fire..."
- "Smells Like Home Cookin"
- "A Lot To Like, First Impressions"
- "Networking Nirvana"
- "CD Burning, Disk Images"
- "Applications"
- "iMovie, iDVD"
- "Browsers and E-Mail"
- "Power Editors"
- "Community"
- "The Bad and The Ugly"
- "File System Shoot-Out"
- "Application-Binding Policies"
- "Alien Filesystems"
- "Miscellaneous Moans and Groans"
- "All Told, Life Is Good"
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Well, this is good news. "Germany will not sign an international anti-piracy treaty, despite having already agreed to it in principal, government sources in Berlin said Friday, February 10." with Germany on the side of reason - for now - we're a huge step closer to stopping ACTA.
