Aqua buttons, Aqua radio-buttons, Aqua check boxes, Aqua sliders, Aqua scroll-bars???

[Ireland]

So we are probably nearing Leopard release candidate by now. So what in the blazes is up with all this Aqua? It's like a dirty band-aid on a healed wound. This has to be some kind of joke. If Leopard ships without Apple stripping it of all these Jellybeans® I'm gonna be surprised and annoyed. Pass the peace pipe, or whatever they're smoking at Apple, cause I think it's high time Apple killed the Aqua beast. Translucent menu-bars etc. I can take, but those buttons and scroll-bars are more than outdated in my book, and I'd bet I'm so not alone in this view. Apple, WTF?

[details]

I don't hate the aqua, but a change to something along the lines of the iTunes scroll bars and checkboxes that matched the new folder colors or something would be nice seeing how so much else has been revamped. I have a feeling that they'll be staying, though.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by details

I don't hate the aqua, but a change to something along the lines of the iTunes scroll bars and checkboxes that matched the new folder colors or something would be nice seeing how so much else has been revamped. I have a feeling that they'll be staying, though.

Wherever this feeling is coming from, banish is now.

Please

[details]

This is a very rough mock-up, but I think something along these lines would be nice...

[crentist]

Originally Posted by details

This is a very rough mock-up, but I think something along these lines would be nice...

Nice. A little darker probably and you got it spot on with the iTunes look.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by details

Yeah I see where you're going here. Here's some different screenshot I took, all in iTunes.

1st, iTunes non-Aqua scroll-bar,
2nd, iTunes account page button (which I have always loved by the way),
3rd, iTunes equalizer slider,
4th, iTunes equalizer slider (moused):

.....................


Where the slider is concerned when Apple doesn't have a dark background, they could add a subtle shadow behind the nearly-white slider to make it more pronounced.

The only real problem I see is the pre-selected button, in this case 'Screen Saver'. What color should that be, so you can hit 'Return' to select it. That's a tricky issue.

[9secondko]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Yeah I see where you're going here. Here's some different screenshot I took, all in iTunes.

1st, iTunes non-Aqua scroll-bar,
2nd, iTunes account page button (which I have always loved by the way),
3rd, iTunes equalizer slider,
4th, iTunes equalizer slider (moused):

.....................


Where the slider is concerned when Apple doesn't have a dark background, they could add a subtle shadow behind the nearly-white slider to make it more pronounced.

The only real problem I see is the pre-selected button, in this case 'Screen Saver'. What color should that be, so you can hit 'Return' to select it. That's a tricky issue.

I doubt the buttons will be so rounded, but they will look metallic.

Leopard seems to be sprorting a polished platinum look and I agree that aqua does not fit in.

I like aqua, but it is time for a change. Even if aqua were to evolve, that would be fine, but the current iteration does not look good with the rest of leopard.

[Ireland]

Here's some more non-Aqua stuff from iTunes:
..............

Die Aqua die!

[Cougar]

I was thinking that the default button would look square, like the buttons that appear in the new .mac galleries. But you'd think that Apple would have implemented them by now....

[DoctorGonzo]

I too long for the day Aqua dies. It looks horribly dated, and now completely out of place in the UI.

The iTunes/iPhone look is just about perfect. I don't see why Apple is letting the rotting corpse of the Bondi-blue iMac era remain on the desktop.

[lenny]

Then maybe all of us should send e-mails to Apple saying that Mac OS users would like aqua to disappear? Just a thought...

[Messiah]

I hope you're on the money with this one. Aqua has had its day, and I hope Apple are smart enough to realise this.

Would I be right in saying that if Apple did have alternative, non-aqua plans up its sleeve, it would be simple to swap-out these elements just before release.

I can't help but feel that Leopard's GUI is really dated every time I see an iPhone or iPod touch.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by lenny

Then maybe all of us should send e-mails to Apple saying that Mac OS users would like aqua to disappear? Just a thought...

I have been sending this feedback for some time now.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Messiah

Would I be right in saying that if Apple did have alternative, non-aqua plans up its sleeve, it would be simple to swap-out these elements just before release.

You would indeed, and I suspect Apple will do one more Beta release that does just this, or at least I hope they do. Personally I'd wait an extra month if it meant killing Aqua. I can live with those three Aqua Window buttons, for now at any rate.

Oh, and Apple? Kill those Aqua pop-up lists too. Just kill Aqua.

[donebylee]

Kill Aqua..OK with me, but please for the love of all that is good:

Bury brushed metal in a deep, deep hole. Put a stake through its heart. Set it ablaze. And cover the smoldering ashes with concrete.

Aqua is candy-land, cute, sweet and getting old. But brushed metal is Larry King.

'Nough said.

[teedoff087]

Amen.

[idoaudio]

Originally Posted by donebylee

Bury brushed metal in a deep, deep hole. Put a stake through its heart. Set it ablaze. And cover the smoldering ashes with concrete.

Aqua is candy-land, cute, sweet and getting old. But brushed metal is Larry King.

Brushed Metal is Larry King!!!!!!!!! AAHAHAHAAHAA!!!! That's awesome!

[shanmugam]

one of thing always attracted me is the aqua scroll bars, buttons, sliders and so on ...

hmmm

[tecton]

So you all want a more grey looking interface then?

Something more like os 8-9

Or more windowsy.

Thank god you aint the apple design team.

[Daffy_Duck]

You guys think shiny translucent interface elements are dated but I've got news for you. Matte gray interface elements have been done to death since the early days of the GUI. Aqua is still shiny and new compared to this.

Besides the gradients and rounded corners, the direction the interface is moving in looks more like this:



Just playing devil's advocate here. I don't hate the look of Leopard but I don't hate Aqua either nor do I think it is dated. I actually like the subtly striped menus and candy buttons. The new menus without the stripes...that's just going back to the way it was in the past. NOW which is more dated?

[kcmac]

Dduck, I fail to see any similarities between what you posted and the examples that Ireland is showing from iTunes. That stuff is just flat.

I think Apple has learned alot from the GUI of the iPhone. I don't find that old at all and certainly not Aqua. I am ready for a nice surprise from Apple, just like always.

[Ireland]

@ Daffy,

You certainly know your history, but you may need to get your eyes checked. Either that or design is not your forte.

[Daffy_Duck]

Originally Posted by Ireland

@ Daffy,

You certainly know your history, but you may need to get your eyes checked. Either that or design is not your forte.

Funny you say that because I am a design engineer by day, of course I don't design software interfaces. I don't have to to have a valid opinion though. Anyway, I don't think it's a stretch to say that the direction is heading towards the more subdued interface in pro apps like Aperture which looks much more like what's been done in the past than the original aqua interface which was IMO completely new. If you remove the gradients and rounds you basically have the NEXT interface. You'd have to do much more to the Aqua interface to make that transition.

[Ireland]

Whatever you say, if you think it looks more like the Next UI so be it - it looks better though. I'm not alone in that opinion either.

[neven]

(Designer dude here)

I think Daffy has a good point. The interface is darker, the windows have lost their borders, the colors are more muted. I don't think he was saying that Leopard looks "as bad as" NeXT, but many of the design conventions are certainly moving back in that direction.

[Daffy_Duck]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Whatever you say, if you think it looks more like the Next UI so be it - it looks better though. I'm not alone in that opinion either.

It definately looks better than the Next UI. My point is the Leopard UI has more in common with the Next UI than Aqua does. Aqua brought textured UI elements to the OS level which is something only possible with relatively modern computers and that is dissapearing. So it bothers me a bit when people describe Aqua as dated when a more correct description is that they are just personally tired of it because they have seen it a lot. People will be similarly bored with the new interface in a few years and Apple will probably come out with something with a bit more flair and then the process will repeat itself.

I was drawn to the Mac partially because of the Aqua UI which was so different than what I was used to. It took me a while before I made the leap so I mostly missed out on Aqua.

From http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/Sho...99715&SiteID=1

"Apple introduced "reality", elements that appeared touchable, smooth, Hi tech, and in motion. Glassy elements that looked beautiful to the eye. Progress bars that were 3d, white and blue barberpoles, etc. It was about desireability, touchability and excellence."

What would be said about the Leopard interface? Subdued? Metal? Classy? (Nothing wrong with that) Maybe classic. What else?

BTW, I don't hate the new interface and I'm going to be using it like the rest of you. The more they can make it look like the iPhone interface the better.

[troberts]

Originally Posted by details

This is a very rough mock-up, but I think something along these lines would be nice...

If Apple is going to change the look of the scroll bars I hope they look like yours instead of what iTunes is using. The new UI is still grey, but no brush marks so the new scroll bars can stay blue, but ditch the "glow".

[Ireland]

30 minutes work.. I'm sure Apple can do this with all the time they have, a replacement to Aqua would be more than welcomed by me.

[telusman]

Originally Posted by Ireland

30 minutes work.. I'm sure Apple can do this with all the time they have, a replacement to Aqua would be more than welcomed by me.

Feels like OS 9...

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by telusman

Feels like OS 9...

Say what you will. It looks better than Aqua, and it's metal. Guess what else is becoming metal? All Macs

Aqua was invented for those all those translucent Macs way back when, particularly the bondi-blue iMac. All these UI visuals I have in this mock-up are already found in OS X (right now), I didn't simply make them up. It's time for a more sleek, more professional, more grown-up look, to go along with all those sleek new 'aluminum' Macs. It's time to put Aqua to bed.

[buddha]

after hours of research i discovered they made a few minor changes seen here:

[teedoff087]

HAHaHAHA

[icfireball]

Originally Posted by buddha

after hours of research i discovered they made a few minor changes seen here:

*IMAGE CENSORED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH*

You make me want to kill myself

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by icfireball

You make me want to kill myself

Please... elaborate

[halo1982]

Leopard looks much better if you turn on graphite. I just ranted about that in my blog, and did some screen comparisons. Too bad you lose the traffic lights. Sigh. Hopefully Aqua will be gone soon.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by halo1982

Leopard looks much better if you turn on graphite. I just ranted about that in my blog, and did some screen comparisons. Too bad you lose the traffic lights. Sigh. Hopefully Aqua will be gone soon.

Pity graphite is still Aqua though. Personally I like the blue more than graphite, always have. Totally agree with your traffic lights bug. It's really the jellybeans that I dislike the most.

[palple]

The aqua scrollbars in the leopard interface seems not only totally out of place, but they are somewhat different than the Tiger ones and seems much less refined (the sides looks just awful especially the shadows), making me think that they are going to change them before final.

[Whyatt Thrash]

Jeez Apple, just re-introduce themes already. One Aqua for the tiger-enthusiasts, one OS 9 for the retro peeps, and one metal (not brushed mind you) for the rest of us.

Why does it have to be so hard?

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Whyatt Thrash

Jeez Apple, just re-introduce themes already. One Aqua for the tiger-enthusiasts, one OS 9 for the retro peeps, and one metal (not brushed mind you) for the rest of us.

Why does it have to be so hard?

Good point.

*remove head from arse Apple*

[PB]

Originally Posted by Whyatt Thrash

Jeez Apple, just re-introduce themes already. One Aqua for the tiger-enthusiasts, one OS 9 for the retro peeps, and one metal (not brushed mind you) for the rest of us.

Why does it have to be so hard?

Look, Apple is the good mama not leaving her children to suffer in the candy shop seeing around them so many choices.