This is not how Git, a truly professional version control system, works. In Git, you start changing files on top of the master branch, then realize you don't want to commit that to master, so you fork (checkout branch) then commit your changes elsewhere. Apple has not only ignored how-many years of simple and effective computer Save As practice. It created a not-invented-here version control system... and, as usual for NIHers of complex algorithms, Apple failed badly.

That is only possible in a distributed version control system. Apple's behavior is more similar to SVN/CVS/etc. And for sure DVCS is better and the future, but modeling their functionality after a system that's been used for decades doesn't quite qualify as NIH syndrome IMO.

That's what I was thinking about. You've got to start somewhere, and this will be accepted by aunt Tilly.