macOS Tahoe Review: Spotlight Shines, Liquid Glass Disappoints

[Just_Kevin]

not really. I gave the new spotlight a go it doesn't accomplish a lot of the things I use Alfred for

Fair enough. I'll try to keep that in mind.

 

[nathansz]

Fair enough. I'll try to keep that in mind.

not to say it might not do enough for many or even most people, or maybe I need to figure out the new spotlight better and/or make my own shortcuts

 

[thebart]

The problem is that Liquid Glass only looks good when it has something underneath it to refract. For the majority of windows in Tahoe it’s just white underneath. So you have layers of white on white, with only the faintest of drop shadows to separate the interface elements.

I'm not using Tahoe but I'm guessing liquid glass will look good if you use stage manager. With one or few windows on screen at the same time, your wallpaper will peek through. But most people don't care for stage manager on macos

 

[MacGizmo]

I'm pretty sure their design is driven by the Vision.

Their Vision is blurry.

 

[sdf]

On Tahoe, open Spotlight, type in the (partial) filename you're after and then press ⌘2.

Weirdly, those icons aren't in beta 3 but the command key shortcut is!

(I'm looking forward to beta 5, hopefully soon. I can't use 4 as it's missing some compatibility that's critical to me.)

 

[bradman83]

I'm not using Tahoe but I'm guessing liquid glass will look good if you use stage manager. With one or few windows on screen at the same time, your wallpaper will peek through. But most people don't care for stage manager on macos

The problem is not layered windows, the problem is that in Tahoe the sidebars are designed to pass through the contents of the window itself and not whatever is below it, as has been the case since Yosemite in 2014. The sidebars in Tahoe react primarily to window contents, though they do ever so faintly on the edges pick up bold colors from the desktop.

Here's a real world example of Apple Music in Tahoe against a dark blue background. The sidebar picks up some color from the categories buttons, but it's otherwise a washed out mess.

 

[kalsta]

Here's a real world example of Apple Music in Tahoe against a dark blue background. The sidebar picks up some color from the categories buttons, but it's otherwise a washed out mess.

And I see it still has the search location switch (Apple Music / Your Library) on the opposite side of the window from the actual search bar. 🤦‍♂️ Does it still get covered up if you have the right sidebar open?

 

[bradman83]

And I see it still has the search location switch (Apple Music / Your Library) on the opposite side of the window from the actual search bar. 🤦‍♂️ Does it still get covered up if you have the right sidebar open?

The search bar is actually in the center now, but it's only activated by clicking where the search bar used to be in the left hand sidebar.

But at least the search location toggle moves when the righthand lyric bar is opened. So that's a win right? Right?

Also, the right hand sidebar with the lyrics is a completely different style than the lefthand sidebar.

 

[urbanman2004]

Sucks that this will be the last available macOS compatible w/ Intel Macs. RIP Intel Macs (as I pour out a bottle)... Lost, but never forgotten.

 

[pnoozi]

I do not want Liquid Ass.

I will switch back to Windows if it comes to it. Apple has been barring Europe from using new functions anyway, so all we will get is a ruined UI, and no functionality.

Then you might want to stick with Windows 10 with ESU as you’d be walking into a whole new set of AI spam and UI issues w. Windows 11.

Or start brushing up on your Linux

Or just stay on Sequoia…