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Personally, I like the smooth gray skin of the new iTunes over the brushed metal look of Safari. I never did like the brushed metal in the first place - it looks heavy and clunky. However, I actually like the aqua buttons much more than the new muted scroll bar in iTunes 7. The full color version look a little too childish, so I tone it down by selecting the "graphite" appearance.
 
Looks like Leopard is shaping up to be something great. :)

One thing, though. Am I the only one who thinks the following dialog box is a little too "windows-ish"? I mean, one of the best things about OSX (IMO, obviously there are many greater things, too) is that when you plug in a new device, beit USB, Firewire, ethernet, or otherwise, nothing happens. No bubble messages. No annoying audio feedback. "Yes, I know I plugged something in, and yes, I know what it is, you don't have to tell me. I also know what it is for, you don't need to tell me that either." The device is simply available for use, with no suggestions or presumptions as to how the user would like to use it. Part of the beauty of Apple's OS is that setting up your devices is so simple, you don't need any "wizards" or what-have-you.

I just hope Apple keeps OSX the way it is now (read: non-obtrusive, non-intrusive, and of course, intuitive as can be).

picture-22.jpg



BTW, sorry if this opinion has already been expressed in this thread. I admit I haven't read through it in it's entirety as of yet. :)
 
I'm glad they put it in, because it makes me look like a smarty when I pulled it idea out of my ass and called it "Finder Peek" for my entries for the 10.5 fake screenshot contest back last summer. *heh* Now I can lie to myself and say that they did it after seeing my entries.

:D I like your style. I'll back you up. ;)
 
Here's why I think upgrading is worth it.

1) Time Machine - Yes there are other incremental backup programs, but none that are integrated into the OS. It's going to be the best backup program for most Mac users for the same reason the AddressBook is the best contact manager for most users. AddressBook isn't close to being the best contact manager in and of itself, but it's totally worth using for the way it integrates with the rest of your system components. The same will probably be true for Time Machine. It won't be as fully featured as some other products, but it will work seamlessly with everything else on your computer, and that's always a killer feature.

2) Spaces - This is gonna be one of those things that, once you use it, you'll never wanna go back to the old way. By nature, all modern OSes spawn a ton of windows. If you're just using a single app, you can do a hide all, and then bring just the programs to the front that you want, but that's slow and cumbersome, and if you need to jump into another program for a quick sec you need to rehide it when you're done, and so on and so forth. With spaces you can just setup a workspace for each particular activity you do, and then everything else gets out of the way so you can just get down to doing your business without clutter and interference. Like if you're always doing business research reports, you'll setup a work space that just has your spreadsheet program, your word processor, and safari in it, and all arranged in the perfect on screen layout. Then if you need to pop into the finder for a second to check a file name or something, you can just flip to the general space, find your info, and then flip back to your work with everything exactly as it was. This is the type of usability thing that computers SHOULD do, just get of your way and let you do what YOU want to do, not the computer. This is a killer feature too.

* 3) I didn't think that 10.4 was worth upgrading to, because all it added that I wanted was the built in dictionary and the updated safari. So for those of us that never upgraded to 10.4, we get the 2 killer features of 10.5 plus all the minor features from 10.4 (p.s. Yes, I know about spotlight in 10.4, but in my opinion it is only marginally more useful than the Find feature)
 
Yes, I can't imagine why Apple wouldn't include the functionality that would allow its users to play ripped DVDs (still illegal to do in the US if they have copy protection) with their software. I mean, it's not like that'd be a conflict of interest, what with them trying to court the movie industry for digital distribution on the iTunes Store. :rolleyes:

I mean, come on. At some point your needs become more esoteric than 90% of the Apple userbase. Or, at least, the userbase Apple is targeting with features like Front Row.

It seems to me that there's a simple solution to this illegality business. If Apple allowed disks to be ripped, but encoded them with FairPlay as iTunes ripped them, then there couldn't be much question of distributing on the 'net. Both versions would then have copy protection, and, I think it could be argued, it would then fall back under the purview of Fair Use laws.

Just a thought...

I do take offense, because I do have a very strong visual sense, and that's not just according to me. I didn't judge other peoples opinions, so you have no right to judge mine, that's why they're called opinions.

I was very specific about using the term entertainment value and not quality. I did NOT say standard def delivers 95% of the image quality that hd does, because it doesn't come close. But hd's greatly enhanced image detail, which I am fully capable of perceiving and distinguishing, only makes my enjoyment of viewing the same tv show or movie about 5% greater. It doesn't mean I can't see the difference in quality between the 2 images, because I can, and the difference is huge, it just doesn't make a great movie that much more fun to watch and it doesn't make a crappy movie suck less. And in terms of how much that extra image quality is worth, which is what the word value means, it's totally not worth it to me.

I couldn't agree more. I have long felt that the move to HD wasn't worth that much. Right now, it would cost me about $800 to get a TV the same size as my 15 year old TV that still works just fine. There would be two things that I would get out of that $800. (1) Widescreen and (2) HD. Neither is really worth it to me. And, indeed, widescreen is more worth it to me than HD is. As you put it, that extra 5% just isn't worth that much. ;)
 
I think it's fairly certain Leopard will feature plenty more than so far shown, and will be out sooner than expected - Apple might be as fast as an OAP in introducing new tech into its' hardware, but it's usually ahead of the game and pressuring the competition in the software arena, which means Vista, so I expect flashy new **** - fast.

TBH I won't be excited until Aqua is refined to something more pastel and subtle, overlying an entirely new Finder based on metatags - more like a database than the current idea of GUIs, which once felt liberating, but now feel clumsy and too easily get messy.
 
Most of it looks pretty cool... it lacks polish, but we all know that will be fixed soon.

I honestly don't see why people hate Aqua/Brushed Metal though... If anything, that nasty, dark, depressing, Windows-like gray metal used in iTunes 7 is the abomination that should be purged from existence.
 
I have been reading this thread and I can only say, the opinions expressed here are not representative for most people! One guy hates all GUIs, another one things that Aqua sucks, the other thinks that Leopard won't be worth its money. I think most of you here are overreacting.

If Leopard is going to be available by the end of April, all features should be locked by now and heavily tested. I don't think that we will see more features than the currently announced or seen in the latest build. Only if Apple has a strong Beta User Base and publishes different betas of Leopard, we could have something to wait for...

Many of us seem to forget what Leopard brings:

  • Full 64 bit support. All current Intel Models will gain from 64bit support. Speed will be a great improvement
  • Time Machine: Yes, I know, most of us have a backup solution, but having one integrated in the OS is just great! The Time Machine UI is also great! I don't understand the ones that find it bad.
  • Spaces: Again, this is a UI change that will make working with the OS much easier
  • iChat: It will become much better than before and I agree, MSN integration will be missed, I can't blame Apple for the lack of it though. MSN should federate with AOL, then this could be possible!
  • Deleted Items recovery: isn't that a great feature?
  • iCal gains new groupware functions, but I agree it could be much better. I believe Apple wants to keep iCal simple
  • Mail will be much better. Tasks Support, Notes, RSS feeds...It certainly looks good
  • The quick look app looks also nice.
  • Safari will be also improved, especially Tabs, Phishing Filter
  • Dashboard will be much better and the web clipping feature is cool
  • Don't forget the new dev tools and Core Animation! They will make the new gen apps much nicer
  • ZFS support could also become something major!
 
Most of it looks pretty cool... it lacks polish, but we all know that will be fixed soon.

I honestly don't see why people hate Aqua/Brushed Metal though... If anything, that nasty, dark, depressing, Windows-like gray metal used in iTunes 7 is the abomination that should be purged from existence.
You know what, I have to agree... the simpler Brushed Metal look, as used in Mail, I like the best, and would gladly use it systemwide if the option to do so was available.
 
You know what, I have to agree... the simpler Brushed Metal look, as used in Mail, I like the best, and would gladly use it systemwide if the option to do so was available.

That style is known as "Unified" in the Mac GUI world and has exploded in popularity since its introduction - in fact, I'd estimate that as many as 70%-75% of active Mac developers have made their applications unified. While it can be used in multi-document programs (Photoshop, Word, etc) it feels forced in those cases. Unified works particularly well in single-window apps, hence Apple's use of it in Mail and System Preferences.
 
The main reason most folks here don't think the GUI is going to change much is because of the dev releases.

Remember one thing.

iTV

The interface is going to be different than the way front row is now.Because of this Apple is holding back on showing off any changes to the GUI that could reveal aspects of the new front row iTV integration..Even to developers.Dev's don't need to see any new GUI until after MWSF2007.
After that we should see vast improvements to the GUI.And developers will get kits.Plenty of time for the March release.
 
Steve Jobs doesn't care what you or I have to say. He is a "benevolent dictator" who believes that his way is best for all of us.

It's clear to any intelligent observer that the reason why we can't customize our Macs without hacks is because any change would "spoil" the interface he has bestowed upon us.

The only way to actually change the products coming out of Cupertino is to invent something better and have Steve notice and like your new invention. Then Apple will take your idea, modify it enough that you can't sue them, and release it as their own glorious new work.

Ha Ha... Were you previously employed by Konfabulator? :p
 
...If you look at Quick Look in particular, you can see a strong embodiment of what Illuminous potentially will be--light use of transparency, consistent rich smoke and black colors (but not overbearing--bright, vibrant colors still pop in the previews), and the use of Core Animation and Core Image effects to accent, but not upstage, the UI.

I really think that Illuminous is going for the rich blacks, but only in complement to lighter, brighter colors. Take a look at the Leopard pages, especially developer.apple.com. It all comes together and looks appealing without being "dark." Illuminous seems like it will be about the use of light and shadow, contrast and vibrance--not about "black."

Hmm...All of this (brighter colors, set against rich blacks) will only look better on the MacBook's (pro and non) glossy screens. Is this a case of the UI conforming to fit where the hardware is going?
 
Hmm...All of this (brighter colors, set against rich blacks) will only look better on the MacBook's (pro and non) glossy screens. Is this a case of the UI conforming to fit where the hardware is going?
I think you may be right... remember, Brushed Metal came about because of the metallic shell on the PowerMac G5 when it was introduced.
 
To those saying that Leopard won't have a UI improvement, they're forgetting that, YES, it already is and has been stated and proven: Resolution Independance.

Most of the Res-Independant stuff hasn't been seen in the Developer's builds, yet we know it is coming. It is CONFIRMED through that alone that Apple is working on a new UI. If it will look similar is a different story, but I don't see Apple completely revamping the UI to fit Res-Independance and keeping the old look.
 
I think you may be right... remember, Brushed Metal came about because of the metallic shell on the PowerMac G5 when it was introduced.

hmm...

no, it didn't. quicktime has been brushed metal since moses came off the mountain. itunes was brushed metal... i'm pretty sure safari was out before the g5, as well as ichat, blah blah blah.
 
That's a riot! And have you seen how much the blended iPod is going for? (True, it does come with a blender, but still...)

Yeah, but it's for a good cause (a Children's Hospital), and so whoever wins it probably can fill out a donation form and use it as a tax write-off.

I love that site, though. It reminds me of the sort of stuff Letterman used to do in the early days of his show (when it was still great, not merely good like it is now).
 
I notice that Finder's action (gear) menu looks different (smaller and uncentered) in that shot, not matching the rest of the toolbar. Signs of Apple messing with the scalable UI stuff? Only Quartz Debug knows for sure....

I wondered about that too. Frankly, it's really ugly. It looks like it was ripped from 10.1

Personally, I like the smooth gray skin of the new iTunes over the brushed metal look of Safari. I never did like the brushed metal in the first place - it looks heavy and clunky. However, I actually like the aqua buttons much more than the new muted scroll bar in iTunes 7. The full color version look a little too childish, so I tone it down by selecting the "graphite" appearance.

I completely agree. I hope they keep the gel look, maybe make it a little flatter on the scrollbars and the normal buttons, like they did from 10.1 to 10.2, but like I said, I like the look.

I think whoever said the look will reflect the Leopard page (dark and light working together) is on to something. I'd hate a really dark UI, but I really am starting to love black glossy windows. I really have never liked metal as an interface element. I hope Apple ditches the iTunes 7 look ASAP.
 
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