Thanks for the edit....
Evidently, it wasn't only IMO.
But, actually, I could have lived with it either way. I'm glad Apple listened to the critiques anyway - what I couldn't live with, was the transparent menu bar.
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The "Bring Back Translucent Menus" Thread
- Thread starter kuwisdelu
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Thanks for the edit....
Evidently, it wasn't only IMO.
But, actually, I could have lived with it either way. I'm glad Apple listened to the critiques anyway - what I couldn't live with, was the transparent menu bar.
I think the reason I dont like the new ones is that they are just too bright. Menus kind of glare at me now. With the opacity lower they were less white, with them higher it jacked up the original design's intentions. Which leads me to further believe that this was a programmer meddling with design without the designer's consent. They need to make the menu shade a darker color if they are going to increase opacity, the original color was surely adjusted until it looked right at that specific opacity (or vice versa), changing the opacity requires a whole new shade so it doesnt stick out like a sore thumb.
I see what you mean. That's just how I see it. They're too bright against the rest of my screen and call too much attention to themselves.
While I generally agree with the idea that there should be a slider for setting this sort of thing, I *do* think that people are going a bit overboard here.
The difference in transparency between 10.5.1 and 10.5.2 is not that big at all, it's not even noticeable for most users. The difference between either and the betas is a lot more noticeable however.
What surprises me more is that the gigantic increase in the drop shadow (which looks rather horrible IMO), between Leopard and Tiger has not even been a topic of conversation, let alone complaint. The shadow looks quite "muddy" now in a similar way to how the menu transparency modifies what's underneath. I think this is much more "jarring" to the eye and is "in your face" as an interface issue far more than whether the menus use 22% or 25% as their transparency.
Speaking as someone with discerning taste and excellent vision, it would be nice if we had two sliders (transparency and blurriness), for the menus and the shadows IMO.
think different
The more common position (based on the ubiquity of Windows and Linux installs), is to provide the user with the ability to customise almost every aspect of the UI in terms of cosmetics. Themes are also available for those operating systems from multiple vendors, as well as from the OS designers themselves.
Also, almost every stupid program made by every half-assed programmer out there is "skin-able" lately, (or considered to be less valuable somehow if it is not.)
Apple stands alone in resisting this trend and thus is definitely "Thinking Different(ly)."
Technically Apple *is* "thinking different(ly)" on this one.
The more common position (based on the ubiquity of Windows and Linux installs), is to provide the user with the ability to customise almost every aspect of the UI in terms of cosmetics. Themes are also available for those operating systems from multiple vendors, as well as from the OS designers themselves.
Also, almost every stupid program made by every half-assed programmer out there is "skin-able" lately, (or considered to be less valuable somehow if it is not.)
Apple stands alone in resisting this trend and thus is definitely "Thinking Different(ly)."
It's definitely noticeable for me. It's hardly translucent at all, now. Went more from .63 to .9 in opacity. I have to look at my screen from a really strange angle to notice at all. Personally, I don't even want a slider. Just an "on" and "off" option.
Apple stands alone in resisting this trend and thus is definitely "Thinking Different(ly)."
lack of options should never been glorified. "think different", lol, didn't see apple resists anything when comes down to allow windows run on a mac!, or brag about M$ office can run on mac. or give users a half-hearted pathbar.
Exactly. I can live with it, I just thought the more transparent menus looked a lot better and weren't so bright. I'd even be pretty happy with something half-way in-between the new look and the old.
Surprises me too. But! Before I used Leopard, I thought the new shadows looked horrible. Once I actually used it though, I found them surprisingly nice.
Yup, and it's good they're not bloating the OS with too many options, but maybe a on/off setting like they did with the menu bar would be a better solution in this case? (and I really think the settings should be under Appearance, it's not obvious to look under Desktop & Screen Saver)Apple stands alone in resisting this trend and thus is definitely "Thinking Different(ly)."
This is what I was expecting. As cool as a slider would be, I do think that would be a bit too confusing to find as good a translucency setting on our own. I'd like Apple to take care of that for me, and just give me the option to turn it on or off. That's not too needy, is it? They gave it to the people who wanted their precious opaque menu bar back. Why can't we get a translucent menu button? Or at least sync it with the menu bar so they don't clash. I'm tempted sometimes to change my menu bar to opaque just so it doesn't clash with the new menus as much, but I like its translucency too much to do that.
And yes, it really should be under "Appearance." I agree with the idea that it was some programmers addressing people's complaints without bothering to consult anyone in the design department...
meh. tis kinda funny how we make a big deal about stuff but, so what? As long as it doesn't run our lives...
Anyway... I want my translucent menus back, Apple! And without the translucent menu bar. I had a white desktop and the combo with the shadows made it look idiotic. bah. I like to futz around with my compy. That's what makes it mine! and while you're at it, Apple, could we have some other colours besides graphite and blue?
Anyway... I want my translucent menus back, Apple! And without the translucent menu bar. I had a white desktop and the combo with the shadows made it look idiotic. bah. I like to futz around with my compy. That's what makes it mine! and while you're at it, Apple, could we have some other colours besides graphite and blue?
This is kind of a stupid thread, as the drop-down menus are still transparent, just less than before. This was intentional and something that Apple is very likely not to change. Yes, a setting would be nice, but it goes against Apple's philosophy of simplicity, and thus will likely never happen.
Transparency for the sake of it isn't necessary a good thing. Vista's is well done, I think, but look at all the new HUD mods that are poisoning Leopard applications. Making everything HUD doesn't work, and thus is an example of transparency gone overboard.
The people who wanted the ability to turn off the menu bar transparency got their option, so it makes sense that we should get one, too. And they're much less translucent than before, although this depends on what kind of screen you're using. On my MacBook, they have about 98% opacity (I compared my menu's opacity levels to ones I experimented with in GIMP).
But the problem is that people simply wanted the menu bar one way or the other. You certainly cannot please the drop-down menu fanatics. Say Apple does give us an option, there will immediately be complaints because it uses radio buttons instead of a slider. Or vice versa. And then on top of that, people will complain that the available choices are either too much or too little.
There's just no pleasing people, and this is why Apple won't change their ways. They changed them once for the sake of usability, they aren't going to do it again unless there is a very good reason.
Personally, I do agree that the menus are brighter and more opaque than before, but does it really matter? It's hardly noticeable, I think, no better or worse than Tiger. The menus are certainly no less readable than before, and at the end of the day, that's what a menu is designed to do. To present options that are clear, concise and readable. The new menus succeed in doing just that, can't we just leave well enough alone?
I think those who want a slider would be satisfied by an "on" or "off" option. After all, in 10.5.1 you only heard "I want opacity!" but never "I want even MORE translucency!" No one's seemed to mind the lack of a slider for the menu bar.
Back when I was using Tiger, and I first heard about the translucent menus in Leopard, it was one of those small things that I was looking forward that would make my computing experience just a little more pleasant. And it was more pleasant. The same way that I like my translucent menu bar and it makes my OS X experience more enjoyable. Now they've been taken away because of a few complaints about usability that never impacted me, even though Apple clearly originally thought it was a good idea. I just want my menus back. Is that so much to ask?
But don't forget that we still have transparent menus, so the people that are complaining right now still have yet to see what a truly opaque menu may look like.
I'm for translucent menus. Having an option so users can decide if they want translucency or not on their system would be a good idea.