Liquid Glass - A must read critique

[Siliconguy]

I've been around Apple long enough to see that this is a cash grab; by massively increasing gpu usage to render the glass effect, many many older devices are going to start feeling their age.

I suspect that is why all the 2018 minis got cut off even though they were sold throughout 2022 so by Apple's own rules they should be supported for Tahoe and Tahoe +1. The Intel HD 630 GPU is pretty gutless. It didn't help that the low end configuration was sold with 128 GB of storage.

Apple is also being obstinate about the details of the T2 chip which makes it hard to repurpose those Macs to Linux. No tech specs and not even an Nvidia style binary blob so the OS can talk to the super secret T2. Got to get those old machines into the dumpsters as quickly as possible.

I wonder if Apple will use AI demands as a reason to cut off the M1's extra quickly too, or maybe all 8 GB RAM machines. They pretty much admitted you need 16 when they bumped everything up at once.

 

[nathansz]

Mo

and the curved window edges i'm looking at right now in logic is as far as it goes

the curvature of logic's main windows haven't been changed as of yet, you can see this quite clearly by setting a logic window next to another window as I've illustrated above

as far as where would I expect them to apply liquid glass in logic? I will expect they will apply it half-hazardly across the app like they have with the rest of their apps. I truly hope that they don't, but apple app GUIs do change when the os gui changes. most of their other apps have liquid glass all over them.

 

[fisherking]

as far as where would I expect them to apply liquid glass in logic? I will expect they will apply it half-hazardly across the app like they have with the rest of their apps. I truly hope that they don't, but apple app GUIs do change when the os gui changes. most of their other apps have liquid glass all over them.

if. when. in the meantime, i'll keep working 🙄

 

[turbineseaplane]

View attachment 2526382

they even made this freeway onramp glass

It might just be me, but removing the Interstate sign strips a lot of very helpful context for instant recognition of what the App/Icon is.

I like most all of 2020-2021 version, but I'd add in the gray/concrete on the curve that is in 2021-2025 version.

If everything didn't "have to be a squircle", I'd prefer to work off the 2017-2020 version as the square shape and white border convey that it's a map. Take that one, add the gray concrete curve and sub in the I-280 sign for the "3d direction pointer thing" and it's just about perfect for a Maps icon.

Honestly, beyond just changing it for the sake of it, the 2013-2014 one is just fine and conveys what the icon is for as good or better than all the other versions.

It's all so much change for the sake of change ... a perfect description of the Tim Cook era.

The more I just "glance" at the image below, the more I notice how the 2020-2021 version, with that I-280 sign, just JUMPS off the page and instantly catches my eye as "Maps" / "navigation".

 

[fisherking]

I've been around Apple long enough to see that this is a cash grab

that's the most nonsensical thing i've read today (and i've been reading thru this thread 🤣). how long have you been around apple? and do you mean inside the actual building? and how does something that so many people seem to not like equal a 'cash grab'?

"let's make the OS so ugly that everyone will want a new mac"

 

[turbineseaplane]

Now that I think about it, it's really bizarre that the Messages app got changed to green ..

Green bubbles are the non-iPhone users

 

[AlanMarron]

I’m gonna leave a thought then exit, not because I’m angry, but because this thread has already done a magnificent job pointing out the shortcomings of Liquor Grass (my spellcheck did that!) and perhaps someone at AAPL is taking notes.

Here’s the thought:

Mas o menos, this thread says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But other MacRumors’ threads say, “What has Apple done to make me wanna upgrade?”

Rumors say that the iPhone 17 will be different than the 15 and 16, and depending on how one looks at it, different than the 11 through 16. Now add Liquid Glass.

The “different” voices were heard, or maybe we’re just at a preplanned turn in the AAPL roadmap.

APPL isn’t going to ditch Liquor Grass. (It did it again!) The company may revise elements but it’s baked into the cake.

I’ll likely stay on older OSes, unless Apple Intelligence seduces me to use 26 on the few devices that I own that support Ai. (And if I don’t upgrade my 13 mini, I won’t be able to update my Watches.)

No loss to me staying on an older OS for a couple more years, and APPL cares about my personal needs exactly the same amount as the government cares about my personal needs. Only the aggregate matters. Only revenue, market share, and stock valuation.

When I complain about the loss of small phones, other users shout THE MARKET HAS SPOKEN. Apply that here and YMMV.

 

[mac57mac57]

I too will "exit stage left" on this topic, after noting with relief that I am not the only one who thinks that Apple's recent macOS GUI changes are nothing short of appalling.

 

[Siliconguy]

"let's make the OS so ugly that everyone will want a new mac"

Not quite. More like 'let's make the OS so GPU intensive that everyone will want a new Mac'.

 

[blipmusic]

It might just be me, but removing the Interstate sign strips a lot of very helpful context for instant recognition of what the App/Icon is.

In the US perhaps, but Apple's market is international as far as I know. These kind of signs look nothing like the Interstate sign where I, and presumably many others, live.

 

[MrCdvr]

It's not that I dislike general idea of "liquid glass" but it does look like they had some fancy vision and just slammed some Ai slop filter on top of every icon and now they are trying to "fix" it manually because it did not go well and needed to rush it before releasing a beta. I understand how software developement works but it looks undercooked/rushed in a lot of places like they came out with it 2 weeks before WWDC

 

[turbineseaplane]

Ok - In the interest of being fair here, I have to post this from STS today.

I think it's valuable that he qualifies this with "it's closer to iPadOS than it's ever been and you'll either love that or hate it"

I hate that

On the positive side, since we'll be stuck with this for a long time, I guess it's good to see that it's grown on him and he has come around to liking it.

 

[StellarVixen]

I’ve been playing with it for the past few hours. I can see what they seem to be going for, but they are still somewhere in the middle of the road is what I’m getting from it.

I might stay on Sequoia and wait for 27 or maybe even 28 until this new design solidifies and becomes more consistent. We’ll see how this entire beta process plays out, but it looks to me it’s a lot of work to be finished in just few months, especially when we take into the account that the macOS probably gets the least amount of resources and human hours.

 

[nathansz]

I’ve been playing with it for the past few hours. I can see what they seem to be going for, but they are still somewhere in the middle of the road is what I’m getting from it.

I might stay on Sequoia and wait for 27 or maybe even 28 until this new design solidifies and becomes more consistent. We’ll see how this entire beta process plays out, but it looks to me it’s a lot of work to be finished in just few months, especially when we take into the account that the macOS probably gets the least amount of resources and human hours.

I'm almost certainly going to skip 26, we'll see what 27 brings

the silver lining is that since 26 is almost entirely a cosmetic update I won't feel like I'm missing out on any useful new features in order to avoid the terrible UI

 

[turbineseaplane]

Well, I'll give them credit on this one ... at least they are trying to make it look like a book again.

The very first one (2012-2014) is the best one to my eyes.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Based upon how it's going with "ever less contrast", I think I found the next version of the Books icon.

 

[goodthymes]

Well, I'll give them credit on this one ... at least they are trying to make it look like a book again.

The very first one (2012-2014) is the best one to my eyes.

View attachment 2526571

Totally agreed. I knew exactly what I was looking at without much thoughts (2012-2014). I get what they're trying with the 2025 icon but something is still off with this iteration - it might even be slightly worse than the current one the longer I look at it!

 

[turbineseaplane]

Totally agreed. I knew exactly what I was looking at without much thoughts (2012-2014). I get what they're trying with the 2025 icon but something is still off with this iteration - it might even be slightly worse than the current one the longer I look at it!

It's like they don't know what to do other than reduce everything down to increasingly vague shapes.

 

[ThomasJL]

Louie Mantia has posted a superb critique on the Liquid Glass situation.

I just now looked at Louie Mantia's resume:

https://lmnt.me/files/louie-mantia-r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9.pdf

His resume says the following:

Apple, Visual Designer

Cupertino • April 2010 – August 2011

Contributed visual design for iTunes, iPhoto, iBooks, iMovie, and GarageBand.

In other words, he worked at Apple during the peak era of their UI design, which was entirely skeuomorphism, and made rich contributions to it. This man definitely knows what he is talking about.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I just now looked Louie Mantia's resume:

https://lmnt.me/files/louie-mantia-r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9.pdf

His resume says the following:

I'm delighted to see that someone picked up on this and not surprised it was you.

👏😊

People shrugging it off as "just another critique from the internet" completely missed it.

 

[fisherking]

I'm delighted to see that someone picked up on this and not surprised it was you.

👏😊

People shrugging it off as "just another critique from the internet" completely missed it.

it is 'just another critique from the internet' since, regardless of the work he did 14-15 years ago, his is still just another opinion.

maybe apple will make major changes to liquid glass before tahoe official; i imagine they'll mostly tweak things. either way, we'll get there and survive.

some of the points made on this thread seem valid (to me), but there's a lot of whining. it's really the same thing on the forum every year. at least it makes for entertaining reading 👍

 

[tkermit]

I just now looked at Louie Mantia's resume:

https://lmnt.me/files/louie-mantia-r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9.pdf

His resume says the following:


In other words, he worked at Apple during the peak era of their UI design, which was entirely skeuomorphism, and made rich contributions to it. This man definitely knows what he is talking about.

His Apple story is a fun read.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Every time I see an issue, I ask, “What problem is this solving?” And every time, there is no answer. There is seemingly no benefit to any of this.

Eight words from Apple's PR release point to the answer:

"Inspired by the depth and dimensionality of visionOS"

👉 It serves to unify Apple's design language and prop up its mixed-reality headset championed by Apple's CEO (...on which the amount of transparency actually may make sense - but which has otherwise been only lukewarmly received)

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

for those who thought that there wouldn’t be any changes, good news. Apparently the beta three updates significantly reduce the liquid Glass effect.
and now people are complaining that it looks “too much like iOS 18”.

 

[StellarVixen]

and now people are complaining that it looks “too much like iOS 18”.

So, redesign was pointless and all of this was a blunder? All of their promotional videos where they talk about glass and all the cool effects are already ripe for being thrown into the trash. That's what I am getting from this. It increasingly looks like a fiasco.