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Level 2

261 points

sidebar missing from iCal in Lion — seeking a third party product to restore lost functionality

Apple has removed the sidebar, the always-on list of calendars that required no click.

The shallow popover that appears only when clicked — obscuring part of the calendar before disappearing — is to me (and some others) an unacceptable substitute for working with multiple calendars, especially where calendars are grouped across multiple servers.

I'm aware of third party alternatives to iCal. (Most full-featured calendar interfaces do have an always-on full-height list of calendars. Probably the best known alternative to iCal is BusyCal.)

This topic does not seek alternatives; I do wish to continue using iCal, albeit in a way that is less frustrating than what Apple forces upon users of 10.7.

This topic seeks:

a third party product that will restore lost functionality to iCal.

To any developer who reads this topic: please, I beg you, on my knees, submit your iCal sidebar app — or whatever you wish to call it — to the App Store as soon as you can. I'll gladly pay, and more than gladly help to test any pre-Store development version.

Other readers please note: whilst I'm extraordinarily frustrated by Apple's design decision, this is not an invitation to rant. Let's gain something constructive from this discussion.

If you wish Apple to restore the sidebar to iCal, as an option, then please:

submit iCal feedback to Apple, with your use case; explain why for you personally the limited disappearing popover is a poor substitute; explain how the sidebar will improve both (a) your productivity and (b) your appreciation of Apple's software.

Side note: no category includes iCal, so I file this opening post under Using Mac OS X v10.7 Lion.

Thank you

Graham

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7), 8 GB MacBookPro5,2 GeForce 9600M GT

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 8:45 AM

124 replies

Jul 24, 2011 5:20 PM in response to Graham Perrin

I completely agree. Please please bring back the side bar. I used it every day and the mini calendar was key to my use of iCal. It was a great way of quickly navigating months while leaving the week view selected.

Hard to believe they'd remove it once and get a lot of flack.. and then remove it again. I hope they listen and add it back in soon.. seems odd they'd actually remove functionality when it was already in and working well.

Graham Perrin Author

Level 2

261 points

Jul 24, 2011 9:42 PM in response to jjackson2007

Please post a separate topic about the problem with defaults, I'll provide the solution in that separate topic.

Graham Perrin Author

Level 2

261 points

Jul 26, 2011 3:26 AM in response to Graham Perrin

(I found and replied to the topic about default calendar. jjackson2007, thank you.)

Jul 27, 2011 3:41 AM in response to Graham Perrin

+1, the side bar is invaluable, waiting for it's return.

skycalls

Level 1

0 points

Jul 27, 2011 5:17 AM in response to hemingweb

I Agree.... please restore the sidebar list of calendars and mini-calendars to iCal.

Jul 27, 2011 3:17 PM in response to skycalls

HUGE flaw!!! We have 50 (FIFTY) separate calendars to juggle and it's impossible to figure out which one we're using without the sidebar/key. With old iCal, used to be able to click on a calendar & it would highlight the calendar on the sidebar. Now, when I click a calendar, the sidebar disappears. ???

Please return the sidebar.

Jul 27, 2011 3:24 PM in response to Graham Perrin

I think we should all post our iCal requests here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ical.html

Bring back the sidebar!

Graham Perrin Author

Level 2

261 points

Jul 29, 2011 12:32 AM in response to jakehilton

I can't mark jakehilton's post as helpful but if you want Apple to fix the problem, what he suggests is critical: feedback to Apple!

The losses of functionality are, by some definitions: bugs. By some definitions: regressions.

It pains me to say this, after so many years of appreciating design by Apple, but I suspect that the heels of Apple are currently dug too deeply into new ground for Apple to react reasonably to reasonable complaints in this area. That said, please do not hesitate to send feedback to Apple.

Alongside feedback to Apple: let's fish for a third party solution, a solution that will surgically restore — to iCal — the limb that Apple has severed. I should visit the Mac OS X Technologies area to discover whether the APIs provided by Apple will allow such things.

Graham Perrin Author

Level 2

261 points

Aug 3, 2011 8:51 AM in response to Graham Perrin

A related post in Ask Different, focused solely on the list of calendars:

Sidebar list of calendars missing from iCal

A related post in Apple Support Communities:

mini months in iCal 5.x — multiple windows and other Debug menu options

Aug 3, 2011 11:15 AM in response to Graham Perrin

First of all, thanks for creating this thread, Graham.

I am hopeful that enough people will post in here to gain Apple's attention. I am also aware that you're probably right in saying that they may take longer than usual in addressing this specific issue as more issues and kinks come to light within OS 10.7. I may be wrong but I think that the more feedback they receive on this specific issue, the less time it will take for them to fix the problem.

It took me about three minutes to send Apple my feelings on the new iCal UI.

I can't stress enough how important it is that all of you do the same.

Send your feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ical.html

juliok

Level 1

5 points

Aug 3, 2011 5:38 PM in response to Graham Perrin

Possibly some good news? It appears that the sidebar has been reinstated in the developers preview of iCloud.com.

First video at this link: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=16287

Aug 3, 2011 7:27 PM in response to juliok

juliok wrote:

Possibly some good news?

Thanks for the link, juliok.

Unfortunately, (and I'm sure you noticed this too) what we are looking at in these two videos is the web interface for the forthcoming iCloud service. See also apple.com's iCloud preview.

Let's hope that this is an indication that they plan to reinstate this feature on the application side.

Graham Perrin Author

Level 2

261 points

Aug 5, 2011 3:55 AM in response to lforteleoni

First and foremost, if we wish Apple to fix the problem:

iCal product feedback to Apple.

Parallel to that feedback:

seek a third party solution to add a sidebar to iCal — that's this topic.

A related question in Super User, asked today:

To add a sidebar to iCal 5.x in Lion: is there an API, or would a hack be required?

To promote this Apple Support Communities topic in Identi.ca or Twitter — and so, draw attention to the importance of feedback to Apple — repeat/retweet one or both of the following:

http://identi.ca/notice/79370593 | http://twitter.com/grahamperrin/status/94072058564194304

To promote today's technical question about the API or hack, repeat one or both:

http://identi.ca/notice/80373920 | http://twitter.com/grahamperrin/status/99429490131865600

To mark any post in this topic as pleasing:

click Like.

trippn17

Level 1

8 points

Aug 5, 2011 9:13 AM in response to jakehilton

I want this side view back. iCal is cumbersome if I can't work with my week view, but also see 2-3 months of calendar as well. PLEASE bring back the side view.

For those that want a solution, this works well - http://www.busymac.com/

Aug 7, 2011 8:34 PM in response to Graham Perrin

I agree as well. I run 10 or more calendars; I can't afford to have the list hidden except when I click on it, and then for the list to obscure some part of the calendar.

I also must have the mini-calendars visibile, otherwise I have to look at a paper calendar, defeating the purpose of the electronic one.

Why in the world Apple removed these two bits of functionality, I don't know, but it's enough to make me put off installing (or recommending others install) Lion on my other machines until the functionality is back.

Thank you so much for starting the thread!

sidebar missing from iCal in Lion — seeking a third party product to restore lost functionality