Apple's "New" GUI

[craybox]

as a relative OSX newbie 3 years ish i was pretty disappointed. As a new OS it doesnt appear to breath much new life into OSX our expectations are always too high.

Couple of GUI effects here and there, I guess the proof is in the pudding we'll see.....

[.kvn]

Looks damn good to me.

[acies]

I think it's quite nice. Nothing amazing. I do actually like the transparent menu bar, I can see why they went with it. I think alot of people over hyped the "new" UI.

And boy did they go to town on those shadows.

PS anyone got that wallpaper?

[Southern Patriot]

Notice btw how all the Dock icons have matching shadows behind them. Nice subtle detail.

It's not just the Dock icons. Any window you bring close to the Dock gets reflected.

[saxondale.]

Very very nice.

[instant.human]

very, very, very nice.

no, seriously, i think it looks so great. =) i cant tell you why, it just fits, i think.

needs some tweaking here and there, maybe but... i love it. =)

[acies]

It's not just the Dock icons. Any window you bring close to the Dock gets reflected.

I think he meant the shadows behind the actually icons

[giga Veteran]

I can't help but keep watching the Desktop, Finder, and Quick Look demos. Outstanding. (Y)

[.Neo]

It's not just the Dock icons. Any window you bring close to the Dock gets reflected.

You're talking about the reflections. I'm talking about the shadows behind (read: Not under) the Dock icons on the Desktop itself.

[Flummery]

Apple usually does an amazing job one-upping MS on UI, but this time around I feel they almost took a step backwords. Seems like they went from a nice streamlined UI to a bloated icons everywhere interface. Who wants to look through 50 items in a stack to try to find what they are looking for, seems kind of awkward to me, that's what folders are for.

Even as a Windows user, I was expecting a lot more from Apple, I saw room for some amazing UI but at this point I am disappointed. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and we'll truly see a few months from now what the final release looks like.

[suspiria]

I love how Apple has finally unified the interface to use one standard theme. The dark unified theme looks professional without being dull. Though the old Aqua "traffic light" window controls have got to go, along with the rest of the old Aqua controls and buttons.

It's about time we get all new icons. Not simply folders, but from what it looks like, new icons on a global scale. They look so similar to Jonas Rask's "QuickLook" icons. -- http://macthemes2.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16780150

The new dock, while pretty, looks too "heavy" with that floor underneath it. I'm curious to know how well it looks at smaller sizes though.

And, I absolutely hate that transparent Menu Bar. I really thought Apple learned their lesson with the overuse of transparency.

Finally, a vastly updated Finder!

[.Neo]

Apple usually does an amazing job one-upping MS on UI, but this time around I feel they almost took a step backwords. Seems like they went from a nice streamlined UI to a bloated icons everywhere interface. Who wants to look through 50 items in a stack to try to find what they are looking for, seems kind of awkward to me, that's what folders are for.

So you rather create a folder in some directory, make aliasses of all of your - let's say - applications, move those to the folder you just created and then drag it to the Dock; instead of just picking up those same applications, drag them to the Dock and let it create a virtual folder (called a Stack in this case) automatically for you for quick access?

A Stack seems like a more convenient option to me.

[giga Veteran]

Apple usually does an amazing job one-upping MS on UI, but this time around I feel they almost took a step backwords. Seems like they went from a nice streamlined UI to a bloated icons everywhere interface. Who wants to look through 50 items in a stack to try to find what they are looking for, seems kind of awkward to me, that's what folders are for.

Even as a Windows user, I was expecting a lot more from Apple, I saw room for some amazing UI but at this point I am disappointed. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and we'll truly see a few months from now what the final release looks like.

Maybe you missed the point of stacks. It's not to store a place for files--it's for easier access and less clutter.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

The stacks implementation looks quite good... but I would have to with-hold judgement until I use it... it's a natural evolution of the dock (kind of like MS task bar grouping)..

I hope no-one can seriously tell me that they think that leopard is the very best that they believe Apple is capable in terms of eye-candy???

[vf-]

I think its bollocks. The Tiger UI is much nicer. Leopard doesn't even have curved ends on the menubar! I liked that on Tiger so much, round feels new and modern. Leopard now feels old fashioned. Metal everywhere, god, it reminds me of sugar paper or cardboard.

What was all this hype about illuminous, making it sound like a dark glass UI, a complete overhaul. They didn't even remake the traffic lights! Though don't get me wrong I like them still, but things have been so overhyped that not much has changed visually. I prefer the platinum windows better currently than I do the new metal on system preferences and such.

The new dock is nice, but the 3D dock seems rather off putting, seems a bit too bling bling. Though it will open new possibilities for skin creators!

Though to me it just didn't feel new as I've already seen that sort of stuff in Stardock's Objectdock.

[Bahiatronic]

Does anyone find the new Desktop GUI similar to Java's Looking Glass Project? (especially the dock)

[chaos_disorder]

The changes are nice, but nothing spectacular. I'm not surprised though - Tiger was an excellent release, and it would have been nearly impossible to top that.

That dock looks very familiar though. I've seen and used something very similar to that on Windows before, but I can't remember the name of the application. The difference was the lack of reflection on the Windows app.

[cosine]

Wow, that's a whole lot of terrible. My favorite part is the semi-transparent menubar for no reason whatsoever. What the hell, Apple?

[.kvn]

The dock may have a similarity in that it has a 3d look but that's it with regards to Java's Looking glass project. Also, this works whereas the Looking Glass was bloated and prone to causing mayhem on your pc.

Leopard's look is a refinement of an otherwise near perfect gui. Some of us will love it and others will hate it. The rest of us will be as happy as ever Mac users getting to grips with the other 299 new features.

I think its bollocks

Wonderful terminology. ;)

[fuBar.]

Every thing looks good except the transparent menu bar. It does not match the theme.

[vf-]

Wow, that's a whole lot of terrible. My favorite part is the semi-transparent menubar for no reason whatsoever. What the hell, Apple?

That doesn't even look good, as well. Looks like somebody had used some app to dim the menubar. If they were going to do what they have done they should have used black. Transparent white is rather cheap and tacky, which makes it look as if its solid white and also it makes the Apple logo/menu look as if it has an inner shadow.

If this is the final thing, they've ruined Aqua or whatever its to be called now. Either way its still ruined. I really don't like it.

Edited June 11, 2007 by voo

[FlibbyFlobby]

Can't say I'm that impressed myself. The menu bar seems slap dash, and transparency really doesn't suit it (especially as its white). The dock looks shiny and clean though. The windows have that plain iTunes look, nothing spectacular. I was hoping for more in the light of Windows Vista to be honest.

[Southern Patriot]

Who wants to look through 50 items in a stack to try to find what they are looking for, seems kind of awkward to me, that's what folders are for.

Stacks are not meant as a replacement for folders, but as a way to quickly access items that might be stored elsewhere. They are groups of shortcuts, not the actual files themselves.

[Menge]

the only thing i REALLY liked were the stacks. that was pretty cool.

other than that... it all feels like a joke from Apple

[.Neo]

I think its bollocks. The Tiger UI is much nicer. Leopard doesn't even have curved ends on the menubar! I liked that on Tiger so much, round feels new and modern. Leopard now feels old fashioned.

LOL what?! Those rounded curves on the Menubar have been there since System 1 (if I recall correctly) which was released somewhere in the mid-80s. ;)

Does anyone find the new Desktop GUI similar to Java's Looking Glass Project? (especially the dock)

Yeah it crossed my mind as well. :)