macOS 27 changes invalidate 'forward-moving' arguments for Tahoe

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Since the release of macOS 26 Tahoe, some users have defended the changes made by Apple - specifically, the implementation of Liquid Glass - as being a forward-thinking design was unproblematic, despite many clear and obvious objections that had sound reasoning. These were routinely dismissed as a "You're holding it wrong" mentality.

Today, Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate with a back-tracking on many of these design choices; small corner radius', uniform sidebars, the ability to reduce transparency without accessibility option changes, improved legibility of app icons, and much more.

Apple has reverted back to Sequoia-like design in much of this thinking. And that makes sense after all.

This is excellent news for those of us that have for a year highlighted the issues with Tahoe, and it also highlights the strength of community. That those who were able to articulate their issues with Tahoe, likely were heard. We were not "just a small number of people on the internet". And for that, and I think those who were passionate enough to share their thoughts deserve a Well done for persisting in their arguments.

Apple should never have released Tahoe in the state that it was, and I was pleasantly pleased to see that Golden Gate looks like a return to focus on quality and attention to detail.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Since the release of macOS 26 Tahoe, some users have defended the changes made by Apple - specifically, the implementation of Liquid Glass - as being a forward-thinking design was unproblematic, despite many clear and obvious objections that had sound reasoning. These were routinely dismissed as a "You're holding it wrong" mentality.

Today, Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate with a back-tracking on many of these design choices; small corner radius', uniform sidebars, the ability to reduce transparency without accessibility option changes, improved legibility of app icons, and much more.

Apple has reverted back to Sequoia-like design in much of this thinking. And that makes sense after all.

This is excellent news for those of us that have for a year highlighted the issues with Tahoe, and it also highlights the strength of community. That those who were able to articulate their issues with Tahoe, likely were heard. We were not "just a small number of people on the internet". And for that, and I think those who were passionate enough to share their thoughts deserve a Well done for persisting in their arguments.

Apple should never have released Tahoe in the state that it was, and I was pleasantly pleased to see that Golden Gate looks like a return to focus on quality and attention to detail.

Totally agree! This is a big improvement in so many key ways! I am glad I didn’t sell my M4 MBA. 😉

 

[winxmac]

I guess Apple had the same thinking when they supported 2019 iPhone models for another year. The iPhone 11 series is now the longest supported release.

I'm going to stick with iOS 18.x and macOS 13 Ventura [supposed to be macOS 15 Sequoia but compatibility with AirDrop on iPhone 7 Plus and iPad 6 is an issue] - MacBook Pro 2015

 

[StellarVixen]

Since the release of macOS 26 Tahoe, some users have defended the changes made by Apple - specifically, the implementation of Liquid Glass - as being a forward-thinking design was unproblematic, despite many clear and obvious objections that had sound reasoning. These were routinely dismissed as a "You're holding it wrong" mentality.

Today, Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate with a back-tracking on many of these design choices; small corner radius', uniform sidebars, the ability to reduce transparency without accessibility option changes, improved legibility of app icons, and much more.

Apple has reverted back to Sequoia-like design in much of this thinking. And that makes sense after all.

This is excellent news for those of us that have for a year highlighted the issues with Tahoe, and it also highlights the strength of community. That those who were able to articulate their issues with Tahoe, likely were heard. We were not "just a small number of people on the internet". And for that, and I think those who were passionate enough to share their thoughts deserve a Well done for persisting in their arguments.

Apple should never have released Tahoe in the state that it was, and I was pleasantly pleased to see that Golden Gate looks like a return to focus on quality and attention to detail.

Cheers 🥂

macOS is back!

 

[svenmany]

Where you can see that the corner radius is changed? Was this announced?

 

[svenmany]

Where you can see that the corner radius is changed? Was this announced?

Guess I should have looked at a lot of the screenshots. It does look like they plan to reduce the excessive rounding. Was it discussed specifically in the keynote address?

 

[applCore]

I guess this will be the first pre-RC beta cycle I get into for many years of a new OS release. It appears it will be at least as good as or better than the crap Tahoe has been throwing at us and I'm completely SICK of macOS 26 Tahoe hot trash.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Where you can see that the corner radius is changed?Was this announced?

In the beta, and Apple’s marketing and WWDC video.

Yes it was announced.

 

[svenmany]

In the beta, and Apple’s marketing and WWDC video.

Yes it was announced.

So far, when I look at examples on Apple's website, I see various degrees of rounding. Sometimes it's how I really like it, with really tight corners. Sometimes I see a more rounded look.

I don't think I'll install the beta just to take a look. I might watch the video. Maybe I'll stumble across the announcement you mentioned.

 

[conmee]

So far the apps I've opened all have the reduced corner radius (Finder, Mail, Safari, Contacts, Calendar, Music, Photos, etc). I'll keep an eye on dialogue boxes, etc. During initial update, the dialogues for Analytics and setting Liquid Glass still had the old radius (difficult to discern it with the screenshot attached but it's still the old radius). Also, during setup I had the current Tahoe battery icon, but once the desktop appeared, I have a different battery icon in the menu bar on GG. Also, the menu item drop-downs look fine, but I think the Control Center looks worse than before. Maybe it's just the GG wallpaper or I never paid much attention to it in Tahoe.

P.S. I know I'm going against the grain and probably even my own comments from a year ago, but I think I got used to the floaty sidebars. Now that they appear to be gone in GG (at least for this beta), it looks a little plain. Finder, etc are the same, no more floaty sidebar.

 

[CrabQueenInc]

So far, when I look at examples on Apple's website, I see various degrees of rounding. Sometimes it's how I really like it, with really tight corners. Sometimes I see a more rounded look.

I don't think I'll install the beta just to take a look. I might watch the video. Maybe I'll stumble across the announcement you mentioned.

It’s early in the video when the updated design is being introduced. The presenter specifically says that the new radius applies to all windows, and a brief animation shows the reduced radius.

 

[svenmany]

It’s early in the video when the updated design is being introduced. The presenter specifically says that the new radius applies to all windows, and a brief animation shows the reduced radius.

Thanks for that. That information was just what I was looking for.

 

[MJedi]

Where you can see that the corner radius is changed? Was this announced?

It's at timecode 8:50. I literally laughed out loud when this "feature" was introduced, as if it's a new thing. 🤣

 

[Saturn1217]

I am SO HAPPY they fixed the sidebars, corner radii, and the menu bars with all the bubble buttons. It isn’t a total revert (which is ok). I like the macOS 27 version so much better.

I waited until 26.5 to upgrade to Tahoe. I’ll probably update to Golden gate on version 27.1, 27.2 at the latest. It will depend how much Siri/AI is shoved in our faces.

I’m more concerned about iOS this time around. macOS looks pretty good.

 

[redheeler]

So far the apps I've opened all have the reduced corner radius (Finder, Mail, Safari, Contacts, Calendar, Music, Photos, etc). I'll keep an eye on dialogue boxes, etc. During initial update, the dialogues for Analytics and setting Liquid Glass still had the old radius (difficult to discern it with the screenshot attached but it's still the old radius). Also, during setup I had the current Tahoe battery icon, but once the desktop appeared, I have a different battery icon in the menu bar on GG. Also, the menu item drop-downs look fine, but I think the Control Center looks worse than before. Maybe it's just the GG wallpaper or I never paid much attention to it in Tahoe.

P.S. I know I'm going against the grain and probably even my own comments from a year ago, but I think I got used to the floaty sidebars. Now that they appear to be gone in GG (at least for this beta), it looks a little plain. Finder, etc are the same, no more floaty sidebar.

View attachment 2636318
View attachment 2636325

View attachment 2636329

I always said the light mode UI looked like someone learning CSS for the first time and going crazy with drop shadow and border radius. The new one is so much better. And the new buttons remind me of Aqua, basically how it would look if they took away the glossy reflection (IMO it looked better with that but whatever)

 

[vindasal]

Such a huge upgrade. Tahoe is always going to be seen as one of the weird 'transition' OSes that brought a bunch of goofy and unrefined changes with a massive heap of bugs on top. Lion was the same way with no more Save As, hidden Library folder, iffy fullscreen implementation, etc.

If it was not for Tahoe being the last version for Intel, it would be entirely forgettable. The awkward redheaded stepchild version with effectively zero reasons to run it over the OS that came before or after (we can hope lol, I can't see GG being worse though even if it's not much better in the end). I am still on Sequoia, I had made my peace with Liquid Glass as a concept even though I still dislike it, but the excessive rounded corners and wasted sidebar space were actual usability issues in my eyes, but now they are fixed.

To me the difference between Sequoia and GG in UI are small enough now that it is not worth running the older OS solely for this reason anymore. In honesty I feel like every major redesign of OS X/macOS has made it look worse, I'd rather it still look like Catalina or particularly Mavericks, which I feel struck a good balance between 3D definition of elements, and not being too tacky with skeuomorphic elements. But I am happy to say that for the first time in a long time we have a definitive step in the right direction.

 

[capamac]

I watched a video of 27

.

In it, there is some jelly-like jiggling in the slider doo-dad when moving it back and forth. Can this jelly jiggle be disabled? Coz it looks hecking stupid.

I do like the corners and also like the removal of the double lines on Finder window side bar.

I'm against having my UI elements jelly-jiggle or squish, however. I just plain hate that kinda nonsense. It makes me question the taste of whoever is responsible for these UI choices. It's what you call "special defects" (normally, I'd call such an effect "special effects," but when they're bad -- "special defects" instead.)

Like maybe Apple's design chief was kicked in the head by a horse a couple years back or somethin'.

It just looks too much like clear gravy / clear jelly / kids' snotty noses.

 

[AustinIllini]

That's cool they created a slider to literally delete Alan Dye.

 

[yaddam205]

Vindication!

All the enhancements, changes, and features that were promoted cement the idea that Golden Gate is Snow Leopard.

Apple took the L on Tahoe.

 

[capamac]

Vindication!

All the enhancements, changes, and features that were promoted cement the idea that Golden Gate is Snow Leopard.

Apple took the L on Tahoe.

Dunno if it's Snow Leopard yet. The video above notes several bugs and refutes claims of increased speed, etc. The beta of 27, at least, is still quite buggy.

 

[CrabQueenInc]

Dunno if it's Snow Leopard yet. The video above notes several bugs and refutes claims of increased speed, etc. The beta of 27, at least, is still quite buggy.

Golden Gate addresses some of the excess of Tahoe, but the lack of attention to the scrollbars is puzzling.

 

[Steph.fr]

fisherking, Kal Madda, here, kitty kitty kitty...😚

​

 

[Omega Mac]

Well I ahem just discovered I can't reply on some of the recent topics of Tahoe controversy, so no circling back which is kinda weird after waiting out multiple bans, and I wasn't running in to "I told you so", I was geneunly interested to see the reception.

However I can here and I will give Apple much credit here, they acknowledged all the problems as much as you might expect, made some changes, and gave it some air time in WWDC, they signalled enough I think to satisfy many, now they will try out the beta.

I think it's an encouraging recovery, and the allusion to Snow Leopard etc. also.

You can't fault a person or group for trying and when they fail, learning from that and trying again, instead doubling down, maybe a few could take a leaf out of even corporate Apples relative plasticity learn to apply that when it comes to engaging topics.

I also think this makes an argument to whatever degree that macrumors may be one of many actively sourced places of feedback by some in Apple. Though many of the issue a common sense designer who understands the balance between legacy, forward future looking with a a care for quality curation fit and finish, would spot in a heat beat.

Bottom line here, there is a feedback loop (pipe) to Apple, however it is constructed and managed, but it works to some effect.

Overall right now, I don't think you could ask for more, and I think the comment where are generally fair and I'm more enthused, but as as for the infusion of AI... you win some, you lose some! 😂

Oh and I already see words like "back tracked" will be hotly contested when used in specific contexts of "I told you so", but win' nobody got time for that!

 

[Omega Mac]

Golden Gate addresses some of the excess of Tahoe, but the lack of attention to the scrollbars is puzzling.

What's the issue with the scroll bars?