Ryan Cushley

One of the more interesting features Apple initially mentioned regarding Lion is something called AirDrop. This Finder-integrated tool could be most easily described as a modern take on old-school Bluetooth file transfer. It is a method to send and receive files in a local area from other Lion (and possibly iOS in the future) users over Wi-Fi (although not dependent on a Wi-Fi network).

Entering AirDrop through the Finder Sidebar initiates a search, in which Finder attempts to locate other Lion users also using AirDrop within a small area of around thirty feet. Once Finder has located a user, their computer name and picture (seemingly drawn from user account), appear in the interface. From there, files can be dropped directly on top of the other computer. Within a few seconds a message will then pop up in AirDrop on the other computer with three options; save and open, decline or save. The sender of the file is notified of the response.

AirDrop really is as simple as it sounds, and works very quickly and seamlessly. While it may appear to be a minor feature, it should come in handy for many users – particularly as the solution does not use a Wi-Fi network and instead relies on an ad-hoc connection between Macs.

With Lion, Apple have completely embraced multitouch, finally giving raison d’être to the previously underutilized trackpads. The default multitouch options are now; tap to click; secondary click; look up (in Dictionary); three finger drag; zoom in or out (with iOS-like Smart Zoom); rotate; swipe between pages; swipe between full-screen apps; Mission Control; App Exposé; Launchpad; Show Desktop.

A couple of these are particularly interesting. First, the inclusion of look up in Dictionary, using three finger double tap (easier than it sounds) is fantastic. The previous method to quick-look in the Dictionary app was CTRL+CMD+D, which, while very useful, is quite a cumbersome and awkward keyboard combination. The instant popup received is great, especially as it is directly integrated in most applications. A second good use of multitouch is Launchpad and Show Desktop. These are accessed through pinching with the thumb and three fingers, and spreading with the thumb and three fingers respectively. This gesture is perhaps the most natural of any of the most complex ones, taking just a little time to get used to it.

However, despite the new gestures making the trackpad feel more substantial, customisation is still very poor. Some gestures can be customised to a pre-set alternative, while others have no customisation at all. Furthermore, some gestures do not seem to remember which selection was chosen (I’m looking at you Mission Control).

Apple really has got the multitouch experience sorted. No other company is able to deliver such a rich and fluid experience, and using multitouch in Lion is nothing short of a pleasure. Everything happens instantly, with no accidental touches or errors in understanding. Multitouch on Mac is now just as good as on the iPad, and that really is saying something.

Scrolling behaviour in Lion has also been altered to fit with iOS. Scrolling is now the opposite direction – or as Apple describe it, the ‘natural’ direction.  This makes sense in unifying the approach, but it takes a couple of hours to get used to. Adding to this, Apple has also ‘elasticated’ the scrolling in a similar way to iOS. Building on the inertial scrolling already present on recent hardware, Apple has added stretchiness to the end of documents, rubberising the ends. The result is a smoother and more natural feeling to scrolling, and one that is difficult to give up when using other operating systems.

Overall then, while gestures have been improved, there is still work to be done by Apple before they can compete with several third party gesture options. Lion certainly is a big improvement in gesture support over Snow Leopard, but one is still left wanting more. The experience, however, is absolutely top notch, and Apple yet again improve on an already industry-leading multitouch experience.

In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 1: Introduction
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 2: Installation
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 3: New Visual Changes
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 4: Launchpad and Mission Control
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 5: Full Screen and Mail
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 6: Auto-Save, Versions and Resume
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 7: Multi-Touch and AirDrop
In-Depth OS X Lion Review Part 8: Conclusion