Mac OS X GUI inconsistency - the logo

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mpw_amherstmpw_amherst
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I only thought of this today, and assume the change will come with 10.3, rather than being 'a missed opportuinity' of the 10.2.5 or 10.2.6 update.



That is Apple's new font, started (I believe) with the iMac, now taken on the iBook and eMac. But the login screen for OS X still uses the OLD Apple font. Will this change? And if so, will the aqua 'X' change to the new font too?



On further minor questions for those with too much spare time ... I've wondered (and found it a little annoying) ever since iCal came out that the icon in the Dock didn't show the current date the moment the system started, rather than only when and after you use the App. Similarly, I've always thought what a neat feature it would be for some kind of background version of Mail to start with the system - without me needing to load it. So, rather than me ever needlessly having to fully open Mail it would show the number of new messages I'd received. If I don't have any I don't need to load the whole App.



Just some thoughts...



Mike

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    code mastercode master Posts: 344member
    There are countless little apps that will run in the background checking mail for you. I keep Mail open so I don't use them and thus don't know their names, but they are all over versiontracker.
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  • Reply 2 of 10
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Apple is constantly changing the brand a little bit, trying to keep it fresh. While it's new for them, this is common practice (I've done projects with clients who change their logo and graphic standards every two years without exception), and this stuff should be expected. I feel like the fact that Apple didn't do a whole lot with their OS, the company or their graphics for 18 years has sort of gotten everyone to assume that things would always stay the same. Apple should probably get a more systematic way of dealing with transitions like this so their work doesn't look too piecemeal, but I'm willing to deal with some of this because I personally like to see the experiments, revisions, thinking behind the new graphics and so forth.
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  • Reply 3 of 10
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    Do you know how to use the login preference pane? You could have Mail and iCal open at login, or whatever else you feel like. It's in system preferences, self-explanatory.



    On my setup, Mail doesn't use system resources unless it's actively doing something, so leaving it running at all times shouldn't slow anything down. Don't know about iCal, but I would guess it behaves much like Mail does.
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  • Reply 4 of 10
    mpw_amherstmpw_amherst Posts: 569member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg

    Do you know how to use the login preference pane? You could have Mail and iCal open at login, or whatever else you feel like. It's in system preferences, self-explanatory.



    On my setup, Mail doesn't use system resources unless it's actively doing something, so leaving it running at all times shouldn't slow anything down. Don't know about iCal, but I would guess it behaves much like Mail does.



    I know I could have them both open at login but I don't actually want them to open. I merely want the Mail icon in the Dock to show if I have any new mail (so then I'd open it) and the iCal icon to show the current date. In the case of Mail this may mean that it would effectively 'open' anyway, but I still think it would be cool not to have to click on the app, load it or have the window open - it just checks email automatically at startup and the icon in the dock shows you whether you have any email.



    ... As for the icon thing, its not a major quibble for me. Although I'm not sure how good the 'Aqua X' would look in the new font. Do you think that will change too?



    Mike
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  • Reply 5 of 10
    dobbydobby Posts: 797member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mpw_amherst

    I know I could have them both open at login but I don't actually want them to open. I merely want the Mail icon in the Dock to show if I have any new mail (so then I'd open it) and the iCal icon to show the current date. In the case of Mail this may mean that it would effectively 'open' anyway, but I still think it would be cool not to have to click on the app, load it or have the window open - it just checks email automatically at startup and the icon in the dock shows you whether you have any email.



    ... As for the icon thing, its not a major quibble for me. Although I'm not sure how good the 'Aqua X' would look in the new font. Do you think that will change too?



    Mike



    In the login preferences you can hide the app after startup so that it does this.

    It works for Entourage. Starts at login but only when a mail arrives do I get notified with a sound and animated icon.



    Dobby.
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  • Reply 6 of 10
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mpw_amherst

    I know I could have them both open at login but I don't actually want them to open. I merely want the Mail icon in the Dock to show if I have any new mail (so then I'd open it) and the iCal icon to show the current date.



    The latter is a lot more feasible than the former. Mail has to be able to check multiple accounts with multiple protocols and apply filters before it can decide that you have new mail. It's a complicated enough procedure that, pragmatically speaking, the only difference between what you want and Mail running with no browser open is the little black triangle in the Dock.



    Quote:

    In the case of Mail this may mean that it would effectively 'open' anyway, but I still think it would be cool not to have to click on the app, load it or have the window open - it just checks email automatically at startup and the icon in the dock shows you whether you have any email.



    You can get about 90% of the way there right now, and more so if you don't restart all the time. I leave Mail and iCal and iTunes running 24/7 and just sleep the machine when I'm not using it. Same difference.
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  • Reply 7 of 10
    hassan i sabbahhassan i sabbah Posts: 3,987member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Amorph





    You can get about 90% of the way there right now, and more so if you don't restart all the time.



    This is a good point. Keep your machine running! OS X loves people who keep their machine running.
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  • Reply 8 of 10
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Hassan i Sabbah

    This is a good point. Keep your machine running! OS X loves people who keep their machine running.



    Especially its lovely memory leaks. Hooray!
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  • Reply 9 of 10
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Back on topic...



    Notice the font on the Mac OS X box on Apple's website. Notice the "Apple" font used throughout the site. View "About Safari". View "About iTunes" 4.



    I think the next version of OS X adopts the new font.
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  • Reply 10 of 10
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Xool

    View "About Safari". View "About iTunes" 4.



    I think the next version of OS X adopts the new font.



    Safari's about box uses Lucida Grande. It's already the system font. iTunes' about box uses Myriad. Myriad, as has been mentioned here, has been used by Apple for product display titles since the flat panel iMac was introduced.



    Apple never used it's old product font, Garamond, as the system font. Why start with Myriad?



    Besides, on a smaller scale, Myriad doesn't look as good as Lucida Grande.
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