OS X Yosemite Preview 4 brings redesigned Calculator, updated Dark Mode

Posted:
in macOS edited July 2014
Alongside a host of bug fixes, the latest developer preview of Apple's next-generation desktop operating system brought a few small but noticeable visual tweaks to some of OS X's oldest components.




Like iTunes -- which received a new user interface earlier Monday -- OS X's stalwart Calculator app has been updated to bring it into alignment with Yosemite's visual style. The display is now a darker translucent material, and the buttons have been flattened.

Apple had previously updated the Calculator's icon, but did not bring the visual refresh to the application until now.




Also coming along for the ride in the fourth Yosemite beta is a change to Dark Mode. First unveiled at WWDC and enabled in the second Yosemite beta, the feature gained a System Preferences toggle in Preview 3.

In Preview 4, that toggle now reads "Use dark menu bar and Dock," suggesting that Apple's default applications may not ship with Dark Mode-specific user interfaces. In addition, Apple appears to have refined the Dark Mode versions of some of its own menu bar icons.


«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 50
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,712member
    I like the dark mode menus.

    OT .. It maybe imagination but I am feeling the whole experience seems faster. It had a laggy feeling in the prior version. This not a Safari joke BTW ... I am being serious :)
  • Reply 2 of 50
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,230member
    Not happy at all with the new Yosemite interface. At first glance, it seemed really nice, but they seem to be make some changes for change sake, and it's actually a step backwards in terms of UI refinement. I'm sure it will grow on me, though.
  • Reply 3 of 50
    gustavgustav Posts: 827member
    I'll stick with PCalc.
  • Reply 4 of 50
    xgmanxgman Posts: 159member
    Really? Redesigned calculator is news? Ok then . . . How about some stability and better app compatibility and stuff like that?
  • Reply 5 of 50
    ktappektappe Posts: 823member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by xgman View Post



    Really? Redesigned calculator is news? Ok then . . . How about some stability and better app compatibility and stuff like that?

     

    Agree. However, it's likely a lot of things also changed under the hood. This update just came out today; it will take time for people to test things like stability and compatibility.

  • Reply 6 of 50
    jamaku7jamaku7 Posts: 1member
    Yosemite means literally %u201Cthose who kill%u201D

    Bit stupid name %u2026


    http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/origin_of_word_yosemite.html
  • Reply 7 of 50
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    The calculator GUI has zero distinctiveness between numerical buttons and everything else. The plain flat perfect squares without spaces between them make each button blend in to the whole thing to an undesirable level. It all just looks the same. The expended view is even worse. It's just awful. Worst calculator app GUI I've seen in a long time. It looks like the early 80s with sharper lines.
  • Reply 8 of 50
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    I like the dark mode menus.



    OT .. It maybe imagination but I am feeling the whole experience seems faster. It had a laggy feeling in the prior version. This not a Safari joke BTW ... I am being serious image


     

     

    I agree. I'm wondering if portions of the OS were re-written because system applications are opening up on my iMac in half a bounce and that has never happened with any of the previous OS's.

  • Reply 9 of 50
    kostaskostas Posts: 2member
    So, menus in dark mode and and finder in bright! Would be a bit crazy if they keep that in the final release. Steve would never have approved that nonsense.
  • Reply 10 of 50
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    In Preview 4, that toggle now reads "Use dark menu bar and Dock," suggesting that Apple's default applications may not ship with Dark Mode-specific user interfaces.

     

    When did they ever say otherwise?

  • Reply 11 of 50
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    dysamoria wrote: »
    The calculator GUI has zero distinctiveness between numerical buttons and everything else. The plain flat perfect squares without spaces between them make each button blend in to the whole thing to an undesirable level. It all just looks the same. The expended view is even worse. It's just awful. Worst calculator app GUI I've seen in a long time. It looks like the early 80s with sharper lines.

    Aren't those distinctive, dark lines enough to distinguish the boundaries of the button?
  • Reply 12 of 50
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Looking forward to 'dark mode'.

  • Reply 13 of 50

    It looks almost identical to the free calendar app I have on my iPad/iPhone

  • Reply 14 of 50
    kernelgkernelg Posts: 6member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dysamoria View Post



    The calculator GUI has zero distinctiveness between numerical buttons and everything else.

    On my display, the numerical buttons are distinctly lighter than the other buttons, but perhaps it's not enough difference for those who don't calibrate?

  • Reply 15 of 50
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member

    Glad calculator was finally updated fro the 80s look. That was such an eyesore. 

  • Reply 16 of 50
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

     

    Glad calculator was finally updated fro the 80s look. That was such an eyesore. 


     

    To me what's surprising is not the look of the new design -- that's a subjective call -- but that Apple is devoting engineering resources to it at all. When people complain about bugs or long-standing interoperability issues between Apple apps, the apologist's response is that there are only so many engineers to go around. If that's really the case, maybe the prudent approach is to repair the framing and floors before redecorating.

     

    Then again, structural repairs won't attract buyers the way splashing on a coat of fresh paint will.

  • Reply 17 of 50
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    To me what's surprising is not the look of the new design -- that's a subjective call -- but that Apple is devoting engineering resources to it at all. When people complain about bugs or long-standing interoperability issues between Apple apps, the apologist's response is that there are only so many engineers to go around. If that's really the case, maybe the prudent approach is to repair the framing and floors before redecorating.

    Then again, structural repairs won't attract buyers the way splashing on a coat of fresh paint will.

    What bugs are you talking about. Each Mac OS X point update has several betas that list "No known issues" before they are released.
  • Reply 18 of 50
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    What bugs are you talking about. Each Mac OS X point update has several betas that list "No known issues" before they are released.

     

    Just one of my favourites:

     

    Create a new appointment in Calendar, then drag a contact into the appointment. See what the address looks like in Calendars.

     

    I can give you a few other examples but the specifics of any particular strange behaviour isn't really the point. The point is allocation of limited resources.

     

    The fact that they claim "no known issues" apparently means that they don't consider those behaviours to be "issues." That speaks volumes all by itself! :)

  • Reply 19 of 50
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    The fact that they claim "no known issues" apparently means that they don't consider those behaviours to be "issues."

    What?! No known issue ? no issues. Have you submitted this bug? I assume you must have if you're telling us about it here, so what is the status of it?
  • Reply 20 of 50
    mgsarchmgsarch Posts: 50member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Lorin Schultz View Post

     

     

    To me what's surprising is not the look of the new design -- that's a subjective call -- but that Apple is devoting engineering resources to it at all. When people complain about bugs or long-standing interoperability issues between Apple apps, the apologist's response is that there are only so many engineers to go around. If that's really the case, maybe the prudent approach is to repair the framing and floors before redecorating.

     

    Then again, structural repairs won't attract buyers the way splashing on a coat of fresh paint will.


     

    The resources being devoted to theming are quite likely mutually exclusive from the resources necessary for fixing the "long-standing interoperability issues" and/or bugs you're talking about.

Sign In or Register to comment.