LTD Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/13/snow-l...user-interface/ Last year, Apple announced that they will be releasing the next major revision of Mac OS X (10.6 Snow Leopard) in 2009. The focus of Snow Leopard has been on performance and quality of the underlying codebase rather than introducing new end-user features. Based on our sources, however, Apple will apparently use Snow Leopard's release to tweak the overall user interface for Mac OS X and unify it across applications. Exact details of the theme changes have not been made public, as the current developer seeds for Snow Leopard still retain Apple's existing Aqua theme. The new theme will likely involve tweaks to the existing design and perhaps a "flattening" of Aqua in-line with Apple's iTunes and iPhoto interface elements. The codename for the new interface is said to be "Marble" -- though that seems likely to be an internal codename only. John Gruber had also hinted at such changes in a pre-Macworld prediction piece and had independently heard the codename "Marble". Apple's Snow Leopard is rumored to be released as early as the first quarter of 2009. Edited January 14, 2009 by LTD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkanius Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I do hope they make a complete switch I loved the Aqua interface. I simply loved it. But now it doesn't feel like Aqua anymore, and I feel like maybe it's time to do a complete jump It's hard for me to see Aqua elements without the Aqua feeling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NienorGT Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Good news, I'm already using iLeopard theme to make stuff looking like iTunes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTD Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Possible interface elements: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/01..._interface.html If so, very nice. iTunes/iPhoto interfaces FTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInAlley Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 ^ Very cool. Can't wait for Snow Leopard :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osirisX Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 This is Illuminous all over again :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTD Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 This is Illuminous all over again :/ No guarantee that what you see there will be it, but I for one wouldn't mind and itunes-like change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Remember when Steve promised that Leopard was going to bring the unified interface? This seems to be yet another upcoming empty promise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denholm Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Remember when Steve promised that Leopard was going to bring the unified interface? This seems to be yet another upcoming empty promise. Steve hasn't promised anything this time, this is only a rumor and not announced. Perhaps we should wait and see how Snow Leopard turns out and what surprises there are before jumping the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Jolt Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Remember when Steve promised that Leopard was going to bring the unified interface? This seems to be yet another upcoming empty promise. Maybe this was just one of the many reasons why they call 10.6, Snow Leopard. Because he didn't want people thinking he broke a promise, so they call the next release Snow Leopard because they planned to include the unified interface in Snow Leopard, which is still Leopard. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTD Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Remember when Steve promised that Leopard was going to bring the unified interface? This seems to be yet another upcoming empty promise. I think we're due for an empty promise from Apple. It seems to be the hot thing in the rest of the industry since about 2003. I wonder what that feels like . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PyX Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Well, they unified it a little more in Leopard, but just not enough. It was like 25% better though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 leopard did a good job....but it could be better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NienorGT Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 leopard did a good job....but it could be betterYes, Leopard is more unified than Vista at least :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Neo Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Remember when Steve promised that Leopard was going to bring the unified interface? This seems to be yet another upcoming empty promise. What are you talking about? Consistency was greatly improved with the release of Leopard. We went from Aqua, Unified Aqua, Dark Unified Aqua and Brushed in Tiger to the dark unified look only in Leopard. Granted we're still stuck with those matte elements from iTunes and iLife that don't quite fit in with the rest of the OS. I don't agree however that Apple made an complete empty promise as things did improve. Next to that this time around no promises are made yet. Anyway, I'm really hoping that the remaining Aqua buttons will disappear in Snow Leopard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInAlley Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 what is the advantage of having unified interface ? - n00b asking (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Neo Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 In my opinion one of Mac OS' strengths has been that if you learn to operate one application, you'll basically know them all. Menus are all in the same place, windows look the same and behave in the same way, they contain the same recognizable elements etc. In most cases there are no unpleasant surprises that an application looks radically different from what you are used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 what is the advantage of having unified interface ? - n00b asking (: looks better, all applications behave the same etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTD Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 In my opinion one of Mac OS' strengths has been that if you learn to operate one application, you'll basically know them all. Menus are all in the same place, windows look the same and behave in the same way, they contain the same recognizable elements etc. In most cases there are no unpleasant surprises that an application looks radically different from what you are used. I couldn't have said that better myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealexweb Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I hope Apple and Microsoft unify the interfaces in their operating systems. I would like to see the ribbon in all Windows and Windows Live apps in the future. In Mac OS X... I'm not sure what I want to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I hope Apple and Microsoft unify the interfaces in their operating systems. I would like to see the ribbon in all Windows and Windows Live apps in the future. In Mac OS X... I'm not sure what I want to see. Microsoft is getting closer in Windows 7. Office 2007 is now joined by Wordpad and Paint, as well as the new Windows Live Movie Maker. They will get their eventually, as will Apple with their unified UI quest. There are some third-party programs for Windows, like PowerArchiver 2009 and PerfectDisk 2008 that also use the Ribbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealexweb Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Microsoft is getting closer in Windows 7. Office 2007 is now joined by Wordpad and Paint, as well as the new Windows Live Movie Maker. They will get their eventually, as will Apple with their unified UI quest. There are some third-party programs for Windows, like PowerArchiver 2009 and PerfectDisk 2008 that also use the Ribbon. There was an interview posted on Neowin a few days ago. It was with someone from Microsoft saying we'll see more Windows apps with ribbons in the RC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sillysam Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Sounds great to me :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denholm Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Microsoft is getting closer in Windows 7. Office 2007 is now joined by Wordpad and Paint, as well as the new Windows Live Movie Maker. They will get their eventually, as will Apple with their unified UI quest. There are some third-party programs for Windows, like PowerArchiver 2009 and PerfectDisk 2008 that also use the Ribbon. Yes and no. Windows 7 still has the rounded 'gem' for the start menu and in Office 14 the Office 'gem' has been replaced with a transparent rectangular thing. Plus scroll bars and even Window headers in Office 2007 and Office 14 are quite different to Windows Vista or Win 7 altogether. The PerfectDisk 2008 'gem' is quite honestly useless and to frighteningly amateurish. :x There was an interview posted on Neowin a few days ago. It was with someone from Microsoft saying we'll see more Windows apps with ribbons in the RC. Explorer maybe? :laugh: I mean what else is there in Win 7 apps? Also. What's this trend of Microsoft ripping out icons from toolbars in the new Windows Live apps / Explorer in Win 7? :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Decryptor Veteran Posted January 16, 2009 Veteran Share Posted January 16, 2009 Ribbon's going to be run into the ground soon enough, you already see apps using it for no reason at all, that's the first step. And about "Marble", do we have any actual proof it's coming, or has it just been made up like all the other "It's really coming this time guys!" things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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