I bailed on Lion

As a (forced) Lion user all I can say is keep away from it for a while. Just bought new Mac mini that came with Lion, tried to downgrade to SL after several days of unsuccessfully trying to migrate the settings and files from my previous SL Mac and the machine would just crash when booting from the original SL installation DVD. So, if you have a choice keep away, for now. I'm finding new bugs every day.

>Typical answer here. My fault, not Apple's. The other .0 releases I've upgraded to have all been stable, Lion is the exception. The blind devotion here, as well as the cynical responses baffle me.

Nope, has nothing to do with devotion. It's called common sense and you seem to be lacking if you thought installing a .0 release of ANY OS would be stable. Get a clue and quit your whining to other users. Go complain to Apple. You're just preaching to the choir here, but it seems your anger is so built up inside you it is the only thing you are capable of. So sad for you.

I agree totally. Now how do we get our money back?

I have to go on record here. While the launch pad is a cutsie version of the applications folder on the luanch bar, I absolutely disagree with the bashing of the new full screen apps and the reorganization of the finger movements and the new launch pad. The emulation of the iOS like full screen apps with the controlling mission control is a far better and easier way than spaces and hot corners. They were at best inconsistent. I can use Lion with one to three fingers now. If we could only get rid of the button on iOS except for on/off or activate/deactivate. My complaint is mistly crashing programs and degraded performance. These are things people are used to with

Microsoft not Apple. The underlying OS on all platforms is BSD so they could all work the same. Most of the UI changes are chanes that, with a true open mind and not a semi-religious adherence to what one has previously learned, are much more similar to the iPad and iPhone. The IPad and iPhone are truly a different way of interacting with the computer and Lion looks to be closing the gap. As a matter of fact I would welcome missinn control on the iPad/iPhone instead of the horrid round button. I just hope Apple would, Fix the crashing (at least the kernel isn't crashing and taking the system with it like Microsoft), restore the performance gains of Snow Leopard and put back in SAMBA so SMB networking will work well again. Please Apple do it quickly or you may restore the trend apple had before Jobs returned -- that isstraight into the ground.

Have to say azdawg99 that most of apple's .0 releases were quite good and reasonably stable. On Lion application programs crash regularly. So far every Apple program that I use: Mail, Safari (because Camino crashes with Java), Preview, Finder, SMB Networking, iMovie, should I go on. I do admit i think the calendar is ugly but that will not stop me from using it. I do not find criticism and the desire to return to snow leopard to be anger. This is the worst release from a stability standpoint. Since there are UI changes(Opinions vary), crashing, poor performance and the straw that (well ...) broken microsoft networking, Apple deserves it this time around.

I'd say they are an old dog who can't be taught new tricks. My wife hates computers an because she has spent years on Tiger with the beautiful old plexiglass computer and monitor and learned it -- it became her user friendly.

I do not know one person who has told me the want to get rid of their iPhone. The UI is truly easier and not because somone took a yar to learn all the feaures of MS word. If lion weren't so flawed otherwise people could concentrare on the new iOS like UI.

It has been a long painful process for me to endure the new osx - Lion, after my reply here I'm definitely going back to my original osx... my Finder fails, it does nothing but to auto shut if i click on all my files and other folders... it does not open any of my external hard drives. it looks nice and fancy... however it is an UNPOLISHED to fast to release version of a new osx.... I will wait until it is fully operational and without any crashes.... I'm dissatisfied! I love my MAC and many of its products... I hope they test the products completely, rather than rush in releasing new products... at least that's how I feel.

Not to single you out, but everyone who is having these types of problems needs to call AppleCare and try to work with them to correct the problems. Why?

1. Not everyone is having these problems so the issue may be something specific to your computer that can be fixed over the phone, but, if not,

2. Then a case number can be generated and sent to Apple engineers so they can isolate the problem (you can't feasibly do a beta test program that would pick up every possible permutation/combination of hardware, software, peripherals, etc.) and issue fixes in future versions.

Sorry that you are having problems but don't become part of the problem. You can sit back and wait for version .1 or .2 to fix your problems but if you don't report then your issue may be missed.

If everyone who is having problems would do this fixes will be coming much sooner rather than later.

>So save your sads, put them in your pocket for your own rainy day

Your topic was a rant. Every one of your posts is a rant. You are violating the TOS you signed up for when you logged onto this forum. It is here for peope who want help. You aren't asking for help, only to groan to other users rather than being an adult and dealing with the issues you face. Sorry, you look like a fool, more so with every post you make.

I find no stability issues at all. I find it much better than Snow Leopard in every way. Of course, I did a clean install and updated all my software to Lion capable versions before doing so. Sorry, all these whiners need to look at the mess within their own systems, it's not Lion that is the problem. I don't think people like Mr. Coleman have any desire to do anything other than whine and try to gather followers to their cause. His use of the helpful and correct answer posts is evidence of what his motive is. This entire thread is in violation of Apples TOS and should have been removed by Apple the day he posted it, since he didn't ask for help and is just here to cry like a spoiled brat that had his perfect world shattered by his own lack of ability. Wanted stability, so he installed a .0 release of an Operating System. That's just ridiculous. I'm out of this thread as there is no point in it, since people who don't want help will never accept it, much like an alcoholoic or drug addict. Have fun ranting to no one.

KJ W wrote

"...then found I could change most things I didn't like eg iCal and Address Book skins, startup screen, settings for Mail..."

Intrigued! So exactly how do you change the pathetic iCal 50's mock leather look-a-like iCal back to something resembling a computer based calendar?

It is easy to fix iCal and make Address Book a little better. There are skins available here

http://mac.softpedia.com/get/System-Utilities/Lion-iCal-and-Address-Book-Skins.s html

although I don't like Address Book with an aluminium colour. However, you can change that yourself easily too.

Just right click on the Address Book app in the applications folder, select Show Package Contents, then the folder "Contents", then "Resources". Find and right click the file "leatherTile.png" and copy it, then right click onto your desktop or in a new folder and paste it. Make a duplicate copy and keep one for spare and a backup of the original.

Then open one of your new copies of "leatherTile.png" in a image editing program such as photoshop, and change the colour of the image to a better light to mid colour brown. You can try adding a slight texture to it too, but plain looks good too. Then save again as leatherTile.png and put back into the Contents/Resources folder where you got it from in the Address Book app. Just drag and drop is easiest. You will be asked to replace and have to type your admin password in. Result, a much more stylish "leather" colour Address Book, that is easier to live with.

I used the link above to apply the plain alumium look to iCal, which looks good.

I also edited the full screen version of Photo Booth, which is also horrendous. Made the wood a much darker and more tasteful dark mohogany, and darkened the curtains too.

As for the login screen, which I also hated, you can fix that too. The image is stored here

/System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/Resources/NSTexturedFullS creenBackgroundColor.png

You can use any image but it must be saved as a .png with the same name

NSTexturedFullScreenBackgroundColor.png and of course replace the original in the location just above.

It also must be saved as 72dpi and also to your screen resolution, otherwise as I understand it, it will tile.

Eg I have a old Apple cinema display, which runs at 1680 by 1050, so I saved a copy of the desktop image of the lion that come with Lion, as 72dpi and 1680 by 1050. Looks much better. I also use it as my desktop pic. The desktop pic can be found by going to your hard drive - Library/Desktop Pictures and find the Lion.jpg or use whatever jpeg you like.

Be aware that the login screen has some sort of misting of the lighting effect that puts a misty mask over it, haven't come across any way to disable that, but it doesn't look too bad. It also puts a small apple logo over the image, same as the original.

Hope this helps take that gaudy kids look away from Lion for you. It has helped me a lot to accept it. Have fun.

Now how do we get our money back?

Very difficult to do with downloaded software.

For someone that purchased Lion on a USB card or a DVD, the software could be un-installed and then sold as used. Recouping most of the costs.