The reason Leopard looks so ugly is because the traditional OSX UI team was busy working on the iPhone whilst Leopard was being developed. So they brought in a lesser team to pull up the slack in their place, and the result is the crap-fest UI we see today.
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Mac OS X Leopard 9a499 Visual Enhancements
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I personally don't accept the premise that Leopard has to make a big leap over Vista visually at all.
What is Vista's UI? Shiny plastic, gaudy transparency, fancy animations. All that has been in OS X for over half a decade. In fact, Apple has moved on from that. Vista is 5 years behind while Apple is leading on to different things.
I think that's what's driving the simple gradients of the folders and making everything more low-key. Most things are a pendulum. It swung way to one side with Aqua, now it's swinging back to a more low-key look aimed at productivity.
Microsoft's pendulum seems to be in the exact opposite swing, but with time Windows users will get tired of the effects and Microsoft will swing back to something simpler.
People have seen Aqua and that whole sort of look, it's not amazing anymore. It's very early-2000s. It's not in style anymore. They spiced up the Dock a little, but on the whole Apple is reeling things back in.
And for those who hate it, there will be plenty of hacks to make things exactly how you want them, just as there always has been.
Thats fine and all, but the new theme has to be *better.*
The key word is better....
Right now, its a mishmash, of gaudy (menu bar, dock, desktop background), subtle (folder icons, loss of pinstripes), dark (toolbars, metal buttons), and aqua (standard buttons, original/app icons).
This is hardly "Unified" its frankenstein.
There's a lot of subjectivity in this thread, so I may as well add my own...
I happen to think Leopard looks great with one exception: The translucent menu bar! It's not quite as bad as the exceedingly ugly Window borders of Vista's Aero, but it's a close second.
Other than that, Leopard really makes Tiger look dated. It's like the Jaguar -> Panther jump. Once you've used Leopard for a while, Tiger just doesn't cut it anymore.
BTW, I use Vista, Tiger, and Leopard on a daily basis, so my opinion is based on real use rather than screenshots.
I happen to think Leopard looks great with one exception: The translucent menu bar! It's not quite as bad as the exceedingly ugly Window borders of Vista's Aero, but it's a close second.
Other than that, Leopard really makes Tiger look dated. It's like the Jaguar -> Panther jump. Once you've used Leopard for a while, Tiger just doesn't cut it anymore.
BTW, I use Vista, Tiger, and Leopard on a daily basis, so my opinion is based on real use rather than screenshots.
Low key? A garish green background, translucent menus, popup stacks that open in an arc, reflections galore in a fake 3D Dock...
For the most part, aren't most icons going to be replaced by actual previews of whatever the item is? For example, rather than a generic "document" icon, we will be looking at the first page of that document in miniature? Anyway that's what I thought we saw in the Keynote.
I agree that using the green grass background for the Keynote was a bad idea... the audience DID laugh, and like so many other people I thought it was a joke, looking like a Windows background.... but of course we can change it to whatever we like. A blue abstract would have been fine with me.
I agree that using the green grass background for the Keynote was a bad idea... the audience DID laugh, and like so many other people I thought it was a joke, looking like a Windows background.... but of course we can change it to whatever we like. A blue abstract would have been fine with me.
I won't comment on the subjective points as you're obviously entitled to your opinion, but the stacks that open in an arc are surprisingly effective. I was actually quite skeptical when they were first revealed at WWDC. Now I'm a believer.
The trash icon really needs to be made 2D, it's inconsistent.
The blue dot should be made white not blue, it would work with any coloured desktop then, par that, its perfect
But if you made the blue dot white it would be just silly calling it a blue dot.
I don't have the latest build...but those brown folders are no where to be found on my version.
As for the "ugliness"...after using leopard for a month....I can't think of any other folder icons I would want....and I habitually changed Tiger folders.
The default background...who cares...I always stuck my own pic on there anyway.
The menu bar...if you've never used it...quit yer yapping...you'll be eating crow come october.
Stacks is worth the 130 bucks alone.
And for the speed of the system....Leopard feels super snappy on my basic setup....C2D 1.83 and 1.25 gigs of ram....feels lot snappier than tiger on the same machine.
One thing I didn't see in the Keynote...spaces....it will switch spaces when you click on the dock icon....no keyboard short cuts or anything....got your mail and IM in a different space..click the dock icon and boom...new space....I like that better than command arrow.
You nay sayers should really wait.
As for Vista comparisons.....
Vista= garbled mess.
10.5 = clean refinement.
EDIT....The new dock is great once you use it...and the dots are brilliant.I was messing around on a Tiger machine at a local shop this week after being away from it for a month....it felt dated.
As for the "ugliness"...after using leopard for a month....I can't think of any other folder icons I would want....and I habitually changed Tiger folders.
The default background...who cares...I always stuck my own pic on there anyway.
The menu bar...if you've never used it...quit yer yapping...you'll be eating crow come october.
Stacks is worth the 130 bucks alone.
And for the speed of the system....Leopard feels super snappy on my basic setup....C2D 1.83 and 1.25 gigs of ram....feels lot snappier than tiger on the same machine.
One thing I didn't see in the Keynote...spaces....it will switch spaces when you click on the dock icon....no keyboard short cuts or anything....got your mail and IM in a different space..click the dock icon and boom...new space....I like that better than command arrow.
You nay sayers should really wait.
As for Vista comparisons.....
Vista= garbled mess.
10.5 = clean refinement.
EDIT....The new dock is great once you use it...and the dots are brilliant.I was messing around on a Tiger machine at a local shop this week after being away from it for a month....it felt dated.
I've been an OS X user since 10.1. I have liked all of the UI enhancements Apple has made until now. I hate everything about the translucent menu bar, the boxed corners, the icons, and obviously the fact that it's transparent. I like the fact that they are trying to unify the window look, but I'm not too crazy about the UI they've gone with. I really haven't liked iTunes since its UI was overhauled in version 6. I'm not too fond of the sharp but rounded corners on everything.
Really the only thing I like as far as Leopard's UI is concerned is the Dock. I like its reflective and 3D qualities.
If the UI doesn't change much between now and release time, I don't have any plans to upgrade. Not for awhile at least. Something about Leopard's UI just seems too Vista-like.
Really the only thing I like as far as Leopard's UI is concerned is the Dock. I like its reflective and 3D qualities.
If the UI doesn't change much between now and release time, I don't have any plans to upgrade. Not for awhile at least. Something about Leopard's UI just seems too Vista-like.
The UI alone would seriously keep you from upgrading? Most of what you don't like can be changed to suit your tastes, you know.
That's cool if ya don't feel that Leopard is worth the upgrade.....how much time have you spent on it?
Oh dear god I think I just soiled myself. This has been one of my top 10 issues with finder. Check's off one item.
-Now if you could only force finder to behave consistently when you set its view from new finder window to new finder window.
-If when dragging an icon you could use the Apple up arrow in icon view to move back a level or two or allow cutting and pasting. Whatever way I dont care. When Organizing files while previewing via their icons I cant move the files around in icon view. Its a useless view as is for organizing.
-Make sure that a fracking network share cant bring OS X to its knees. So far it sounds as if youve already addressed this but it cant be stressed enough. Beachballing from a dang network share is an embarrassment.
-Put resizing wedges on both sides of the dang window. Ive lost count the times Ive been trying to put a couple windows, not strictly just finder windows, side by side and had to move the entire dang window on the right to smack up next to the left window then had to resize it from the right all because apparently finder is easier to use when you can expand it only from one side of the window.
I can still run rings around finder in Windows Explorer with the address bar that doubles as a command line and navigation tool. Its probably the best idea MS copied from *nix.
Lordy, let me call everyone a Waaaaaambulance.
All this bitching about how everyone thinks Leopard is ugly. I'll reference another Macrumors' comments that this is typical fare:
1) New OS beta shown, everyone bitches about OS
2) OS come out
3) Everyone begins to use the OS and loves it
4) New OS announced, repeat steps 1-3
I guess it's human nature to want to criticize and complain about everything, but the truth is, it's a stellar system, with many more improvements under the hood.
All this bitching about how everyone thinks Leopard is ugly. I'll reference another Macrumors' comments that this is typical fare:
1) New OS beta shown, everyone bitches about OS
2) OS come out
3) Everyone begins to use the OS and loves it
4) New OS announced, repeat steps 1-3
I guess it's human nature to want to criticize and complain about everything, but the truth is, it's a stellar system, with many more improvements under the hood.
I guess it's human nature to want to criticize and complain about everything, but the truth is, it's a stellar system, with many more improvements under the hood.
But it has everything I don't like about vista athletically. Mainly a clashing of colours and textures. If they just brought everything in a little.
You can kinda use msn with ichat in tiger. Using a jabber msn gateway. Works ok for me, except you can not transfer files..
There is a degree of transparency in the drop down menus, admittedly not to the same degree as the menu bar, but it is there. I agree with you on the dock lights, they are wishy washy and you really need to concentrate on them to see whats apps are running. Some features are very productive like quick view, some leave me cold (Cover view), when browsing folders in my opinion does not work. Having said that I have found it extremely useful for browsing PDF files. Time machine is great, as long as you are hooked up to the relevant back up drive, which is obviously not always the case. Complaining about the desk to background seems lame to me, if you don't like it, change it! Personally I quite like it,