iTunes modifies Apple's UI defaults dramatically

[pickytech]

Has anyone else noticed that iTunes 10 has moved the buttons that control the window size and hidden state?

It's a pretty dramatic change. I hope this is not the way that the rest of their UI is going in 10.7, whenever that eventually gets revealed.

The attached image is from the full player, and not the mini-player.

[Stetson]

Yeah, I didn't really like the iTunes 9 UI and this one isn't really better.

I think that iTunes really needs a complete rewrite as a native Cocoa application, maybe with iTunes 20 :rolleyes:

[Hot]

It's ugly but what's the difference, really? The only window control I ever use is close and that's still top-left.

[what]

No, I did not notice those at all...

They only did it so the controls are at the top of the window - they take up so much vertical space anyway so they're just slimming down iTunes in that respect. I don't expect it to be the new default - just like the scrollbars that I think were in iTunes 7 aren't.

[Elliott]

iTunes has always been the little UI playground for Apple. Sometimes, changes make it into OS X. Most of the time, they don't.

As for the vertical widgets, they make sense in iTunes. The top bar is large enough to support them vertically. When they were horizontal, they had to take up a certain amount of vertical space for pretty much no reason. Also, while yes, the minimize and zoom buttons are inconsistent with their normal locations, the close button is still in the right place (and it's probably the most frequently used button).

[Tom Bonez]

Not really a fan of many of the slight tweaks they've done to iTunes but you do soon get used to them.

For anyone how can't live with the changes made to the minimize, maximize, close buttons simply run the following code in terminal to resort to the old style:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes full-window -boolean YES

or if you can't stand any of the changes click here

[Quillz]

I didn't care for the vertical window widgets at first, but now I appreciate what Apple was attempting to do with it, save some vertical space by getting rid of the unnecessary title bar, and now I'd like to see that change made in 10.7 for any applications that only have a single window and thus the title bar is pointless.

I also wish 10.7 will standardize to the pastel scroll bars of iTunes 5.x-present. I don't like that I have to use a third-party hack like Aqua Extreme just to bring some consistency to the overall OS UI.

[ViperAFK]

It hardly saves any space and I personally would loathe using window buttons vertically like that. Would be a PIA to use.

[Elliott]

It hardly saves any space and I personally would loathe using window buttons vertically like that. Would be a PIA to use.

Until you actually used OS X and realized you press the minimize and zoom buttons (especially on iTunes) just about...never. :p

In fact, in the 8 years I've used OS X, I think I've pressed the zoom button less than 10 times on any application.

[-KJ]

And this is their new logo?

What happened, Apple? :huh:

[Quillz]

It hardly saves any space and I personally would loathe using window buttons vertically like that. Would be a PIA to use.

People actually click on those window widgets? Cmd+W, Cmd+M and Cmd+Q are so much quicker.

[Elliott]

And this is their new logo?

What happened, Apple? :huh:

For all the hate the icon receives, none of the replacements that I've seen have been able to execute the idea better. Maybe equally, but not really better. Staying consistent and crisp at a plethora of sizes (16x16, 32x32, 48x48, 64x64, etc. all the way up to 512x512) is a huge challenge, and none of them have really been able to do that as well as the official one. Also, absolutely none of them have challenged the general idea behind the icon (getting rid of the CD).

Edit: Another large problem, specifically on OS X, is that while the Dock can be small, it doesn't seem to use the different sizes that the designer defines in the ICNS file. So, while KoL's icon is beautiful, the well-detailed border begins to muddy at around 48x48 in the Dock. He's created a separate, beautiful state for the 48x48 icon, but the Dock won't use it.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Elliott

[Corris Veteran]

I didn't care for the vertical window widgets at first, but now I appreciate what Apple was attempting to do with it, save some vertical space by getting rid of the unnecessary title bar, and now I'd like to see that change made in 10.7 for any applications that only have a single window and thus the title bar is pointless.

I also wish 10.7 will standardize to the pastel scroll bars of iTunes 5.x-present. I don't like that I have to use a third-party hack like Aqua Extreme just to bring some consistency to the overall OS UI.

I agree, on a 13" laptop its great to have any extra space for looking at actual content, that being the music.

I would love to see this ons such things as Firefox and programs where the title bar is useless, especially with browsers where tabs hold the title of the page.

It hardly saves any space and I personally would loathe using window buttons vertically like that. Would be a PIA to use.

Sure it's not big, but it saves some space, the title bar is essentially useless anyway for such programs.

And I don't know about you, but I don't spend a lot of time pressing the buttons, and when I do its pretty easy to just move the mouse vertically in the direction I want as opposed to horizontally.

People are making way too big of a deal out of this, and being far too dramatic.

[Elliott]

I would love to see this ons such things as Firefox and programs where the title bar is useless, especially with browsers where tabs hold the title of the page.

This is the biggest thing I miss from the Safari 4 dev preview. They weren't the first to do tabs on top, but they did them in such an efficient and space-saving way (using the title bar). I wish there was still an option to put them back on top.

[LightShadow]

iTunes just needs a new UI... Maybe not for OS X as it fit's in with the rest of the silver... But on Windows needs a BIG redesign, I don't really like the look on Windows 7. It should fit in with Aero and have some windows native colours.

[Quillz]

This is the biggest thing I miss from the Safari 4 dev preview. They weren't the first to do tabs on top, but they did them in such an efficient and space-saving way (using the title bar). I wish there was still an option to put them back on top.

I know. I hate that Apple took away that option and didn't make it available in the final build.

[Xtreme $niper]

People actually click on those window widgets? Cmd+W, Cmd+M and Cmd+Q are so much quicker.

Amen, amen, amen.

[Gladiatorus]

I don't really like the look on Windows 7. It should fit in with Aero and have some windows native colours.

I think iTunes for Windws' UI whole idea is to go against Windows native UI.

[what]

and now I'd like to see that change made in 10.7 for any applications that only have a single window and thus the title bar is pointless.

It won't work for all applications. It only works in iTunes because the controls take up so much vertical space in the first place. In most apps you would be unnecessarily increasing the vertical height of the toolbars to fit the traffic lights in, and then you would be unnecessarily shifting the toolbar buttons to the right as well.

[Quattrone]

I think iTunes for Windws' UI whole idea is to go against Windows native UI.

I think it's true what you said. If you take a look at QuickTime in Windows you will see how ugly and old fashion is still QuickTime. They had not update the GUI since Windows 2000.

[.Neo]

I think iTunes for Windws' UI whole idea is to go against Windows native UI.

The idea is also to go against Mac OS X' GUI, so no real difference there. Surely people don't seriously expect Apple to give iTunes a native look and feel on Windows if they don't even provide one on Mac OS X? :laugh:

I'd also like to think that iTunes and QuickTime for Windows are Apple's way of saying thank you to Microsoft for all the amazing looking and well performing Microsoft applications on Mac OS we had and have to put up with for all this time.

[Xtreme $niper]

I'd also like to think that iTunes and QuickTime for Windows are Apple's way of saying thank you to Microsoft for all the amazing looking and well performing Microsoft applications on Mac OS we had and have to put up with for all this time.

What you give is what you get.

I guess with the release of the updated Office, Apple might have to do something about Quicktime on Windows. Maybe.

[.Neo]

I guess with the release of the updated Office, Apple might have to do something about Quicktime on Windows. Maybe.

They will, at the same time when Microsoft brings proper Windows Media support to Mac OS X.

[_neutrino Veteran]

I assumed the goal of iTunes 10 was just to upset people.. and they are doing a rather good job at it.

[Elliott]

I assumed the goal of iTunes 10 was just to upset people.. and they are doing a rather good job at it.

Just like every Facebook layout change that people end up liking. People just hate change.

There are a few rub points in iTunes 10, but overall it's better than iTunes 9. I don't get the hate.