FYI, I hate brushed metal UI, but I'd like to see Apple either go whole hog and drop Aqua, and have ONLY BM, or drop brushed metal (I can dream!) and use Aqua exclusively.
Or redesign OSX's widgets altogether. I volunteer.
What's intriguing and somewhat unclear is there strategy regarding 'Brushed Metal'...
Anodizing the finder is a big deal and, to me it seems they are slowly but surely droping Aqua. This should be pretty anoying for developpers like Adobe or Macromedia that spend resources to develop their own custom UI elements that match a 'standard interface' on a given OS.
If Apple changes its Visual Design every two years, that could pose a problem for some.
But who cares ;-) I like the idea of a perpetually evolving Design; it's like a WebSite, it's not engraved in stone...
What i most dislike about Aqua icons is that they tend to be gaudy and mutli coloured.
Actually IE5 for Mac was IMHO the nicest implementation of Aqua buttons and icons - because they were one colour and 3D.
This is what i like about brushed metal UI - simple icons and the interfaces tend to have fewer icons as a result. i.e a better and more thoroughly thought out interface.
Like many of the finder buttons were consolidated in the contextual menu like 'action button', i'm sure something similar could be done for Mail.app.
In fact, i was more or less expecting Mail to get the brusshed metal facelift and surprised that it was the Finder that got it instead.
I suppose both Apple and Microsoft are now trying to integrate the web browser with the OS and file manager.
Aqua looks quite elegant and refined (at least in 10.2) while brushed metal just looks wrong/ugly for certain applications- this would include the Finder, and adding the metal gradient widgets onto the titlebars on Aqua apps? ugh.....
Expect to see this in the new Panther Human Interface Guidelnes.
He he.\ Do you think there will be any Panther HI guidelines at all? Oh, wait! There will be one guideline stating that themes are strictly prohibited.
Like many of the finder buttons were consolidated in the contextual menu like 'action button', i'm sure something similar could be done for Mail.app.
christ thats sucha windows solution to a problem "ARGH TOO MANY BUTTONZZZZ QUICK PUT THEM IN A MENU SO YOU HAVE TO CLICK THROUGH EVERYTHING TO GET FUNCTIONXXXZZZ"
Meh, I got so sick of brushed metal conflicting with Aqua so that... I made everything brushed metal! Thank you Metalifizer and the Brushed 3 theme. Now my system is consistent!
can't you just check 'textured window' to get a brushed metal mail?
Yes, but there's several nibs that you need to change, it's a pain. It's easier to get Metalifizer and select only Mail.app or whatever others you want.
Chych ack all metal! I used Metallifizer to turn metal off. I just hope Apple includes an option or Unsanity saves my sanity yet again in an update. Metal is bad for anything but QT and maybe iPhoto. Was iCal Metal? I think it was and God I can't imagine how stupid it would look as metal. Address book, Finder, et al as metal? Whyyyyyyyyyyyy why.
Hmmm I like the metal apps, but not because of the colour or the texture. I think the main factor about apple switching to metal apps is the layout.
top right corner = search box,
top left corner = nav buttons (iTMS, Safari style.)
left side = lists eg, address book, font book, finder (10.3 version)
middle = The stuff!
Its all getting very easy to use a new app if you have used another metal app. I think this is way more important that weather or not its pinstripe, metal or sky-blue-pink.
Hmmm I like the metal apps, but not because of the colour or the texture. I think the main factor about apple switching to metal apps is the layout.
top right corner = search box,
top left corner = nav buttons (iTMS, Safari style.)
left side = lists eg, address book, font book, finder (10.3 version)
middle = The stuff!
Its all getting very easy to use a new app if you have used another metal app. I think this is way more important that weather or not its pinstripe, metal or sky-blue-pink.
I reckon that's seriously one of the best justifications for using metal and explains the reason for its use in a number of applications (but not all).
Then they have to make the menubar darker. Metal interface is easier on the eyes in when you are using a program in a dark room. System 9 grey was ideal in contrast and readability with black text on. Metal is closer to that than Aqua. Perhaps the more toned down Aqua will be better and somewhat darker.
Unsanity's Metallifizer turns off brushed metal in Safari. I'm supposing that Unsanity will update Metallifizer to work with 10.3, but the one question would bw: does the brushed-metal finder use the same metal resources as app like Safari, where it can be replaced with Aqua elements, or is it hard-coded into the app, like iTunes.
Has anybody tried to de-metallifize the finder in 10.3 using the current Unsanity Metallifizer? Just curious.
Um Dale look at how many apps on VersionTracker out there kill Metal in Safari alone. At least half the people here turn it off. Gargoyle nailed it though, simple apps like iApps have a good clean layout. But there is no reason they can't be Aqua. After I turned on Metallifizer all Metal apps looked better.
Its seems the best thing Apple could do to make everyone happy is to enable themes for these apps. You choose: metal, old aqua pins tripes, new aqua, basic grey for multimedia folks who don't want to many other colors grabbing their attention.
I have nothing against Apple trying to bring consistancy to the user experience, but for those who want o change things, why not?
Comments
Or redesign OSX's widgets altogether. I volunteer.
Seriously.
Anodizing the finder is a big deal and, to me it seems they are slowly but surely droping Aqua. This should be pretty anoying for developpers like Adobe or Macromedia that spend resources to develop their own custom UI elements that match a 'standard interface' on a given OS.
If Apple changes its Visual Design every two years, that could pose a problem for some.
But who cares ;-) I like the idea of a perpetually evolving Design; it's like a WebSite, it's not engraved in stone...
Brushed Metal = hey, look at me!
regular Aqua = I'm just an ordinary app (sigh)
Expect to see this in the new Panther Human Interface Guidelnes.
Honestly, I have no idea anymore, other than "this app is built around our nifty iApp UI philsophy". I don't think they do either.
Actually IE5 for Mac was IMHO the nicest implementation of Aqua buttons and icons - because they were one colour and 3D.
This is what i like about brushed metal UI - simple icons and the interfaces tend to have fewer icons as a result. i.e a better and more thoroughly thought out interface.
Like many of the finder buttons were consolidated in the contextual menu like 'action button', i'm sure something similar could be done for Mail.app.
In fact, i was more or less expecting Mail to get the brusshed metal facelift and surprised that it was the Finder that got it instead.
I suppose both Apple and Microsoft are now trying to integrate the web browser with the OS and file manager.
Aqua looks quite elegant and refined (at least in 10.2) while brushed metal just looks wrong/ugly for certain applications- this would include the Finder, and adding the metal gradient widgets onto the titlebars on Aqua apps? ugh.....
Originally posted by Hobbes
Expect to see this in the new Panther Human Interface Guidelnes.
He he.
Originally posted by rmendis
Like many of the finder buttons were consolidated in the contextual menu like 'action button', i'm sure something similar could be done for Mail.app.
christ thats sucha windows solution to a problem "ARGH TOO MANY BUTTONZZZZ QUICK PUT THEM IN A MENU SO YOU HAVE TO CLICK THROUGH EVERYTHING TO GET FUNCTIONXXXZZZ"
Originally posted by giant
can't you just check 'textured window' to get a brushed metal mail?
Yes, but there's several nibs that you need to change, it's a pain. It's easier to get Metalifizer and select only Mail.app or whatever others you want.
top right corner = search box,
top left corner = nav buttons (iTMS, Safari style.)
left side = lists eg, address book, font book, finder (10.3 version)
middle = The stuff!
Its all getting very easy to use a new app if you have used another metal app. I think this is way more important that weather or not its pinstripe, metal or sky-blue-pink.
It's clear it's not popular
Originally posted by Gargoyle
Hmmm I like the metal apps, but not because of the colour or the texture. I think the main factor about apple switching to metal apps is the layout.
top right corner = search box,
top left corner = nav buttons (iTMS, Safari style.)
left side = lists eg, address book, font book, finder (10.3 version)
middle = The stuff!
Its all getting very easy to use a new app if you have used another metal app. I think this is way more important that weather or not its pinstripe, metal or sky-blue-pink.
I reckon that's seriously one of the best justifications for using metal and explains the reason for its use in a number of applications (but not all).
WM
Originally posted by the dead parot
Maybe we should start a user feedback and flood Steve Jobs with a "no metal" campaign.
It's clear it's not popular
Obviously...look how poorly Safari went over
Has anybody tried to de-metallifize the finder in 10.3 using the current Unsanity Metallifizer? Just curious.
CV
I have nothing against Apple trying to bring consistancy to the user experience, but for those who want o change things, why not?