[UNTeMac]

What's the count up to now?

iChat
iPhoto
iMovie
Address Book
Safari
iDVD
Quicktime
iTunes
Sherlock
iCal
iSync
Backup

Twelve apps and many of them are the most commonly run programs on a typical user's computer. I catch myself missing Aqua when several of these are open. What's next? Mail in brushed metal?

[chris v]

Demetallifizer is your friend.

http://www.unsanity.com/haxies/metallifizer/

CV

[Chuckmcd]

Originally posted by UNTiMac:
What's the count up to now?
Twelve apps and many of them are the most commonly run programs on a typical user's computer. I catch myself missing Aqua when several of these are open. What's next? Mail in brushed metal?

To be fair, Sherlock is Aqua. I do understand what you mean though. I find myself switching between Safari, iChat, iCal, and Address Book and getting tired of all the brushed metal. I'm not one of the people who hates the brushed metal, it's not that bad... but I do wonder if maybe it's getting out of hand.

[OAW]

Why some people insist on getting their panties all up in a bunch over brushed metal interfaces is simply beyond me! The bottom line is that there are 2 styles of OS X interfaces .... brushed metal and aqua. So please do us all a favor and get over it!

Sure, I wish Apple displayed a little more consistency about when it utilizes a brushed metal interface ... but when it is all said and done ... the sky is not falling because some friggin app is brushed metal instead of aqua!

Jeez ... some of my fellow Mac users can be downright anal about the most inane things!

OAW

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Bring it on! I love the brushed metal look!

Pinstripes are so 90's.

[Telusman]

Sherlock is brushed metal? Mine isnt. my OS 10.2 is from the Restore DVD that came with the Powerbook...

-Telusman

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Telusman:
Sherlock is brushed metal? Mine isnt. my OS 10.2 is from the Restore DVD that came with the Powerbook...

-Telusman

No it isn't now but it was when they first demo'd 10.2.

[clarkgoble]

I don't mind brushed metal. But I ran SafariIcon and tried out the Aqua version. I must admit that I like it much better than the brushed metal. I like brushed metal for iSync and iTunes. But I think it is overused.

BTW - while iMovie has brushed metal effects it also has the pin stripes used a lot as well. It is more or less brushed metal widgets on top of a stripped background. I don't like that. In fact my one complaint about iMovie is how it has this "pseudo-window" that covers everything. It is a little too much like the Windows MDI for my tastes. I'm hoping the new version of iMovie fixes this. (Anyone know?)

I do think that some applications shouldn't be brushed metal. I'm opposed to it in iPhoto and iCal, for instance. For most of the others I think it looks quite nice though.

[timmerk]

Brushed metal is horrible. But so is pinstripe. Apple needs to replace pinstripe aqua and brushed metal to the theme SmoothStripes (http://homepage.mac.com/max_08/index_themes.htm). That's the ultimate user experience.

[Michel Fortin]

Same as clarkgoble here. I feel I will get sick of brushed metal look soon if the tendancy keeps going.

It's cute, I find it very appropriate for QuickTime Player, where it all started, but Apple seems to be addicted to that metal look now. Mac OS X is more metal and less aqua month after month. Can't they release only one free app that doesn't use brushed metal?

It's just like the iEverything, this has to end somewhere. It doesn't realy mean anything now. Remember that "i" was for "internet" in iMac?

I'm still glad the APIs are public so that any developer who want to make a "real-world" object, like the control in DVD Player (or any player for that instance) can do so with a unified look. But Apple itself abuses that cool "device" look.

[UNTeMac]

Originally posted by OAW:
Jeez ... some of my fellow Mac users can be downright anal about the most inane things!

OAW

And some of my fellow mac users can too easily get their panties in a bunch over things like forum threads.

You're right, Sherlock is Aqua, I forgot about that. My point wasn't about brushed metal in general, just that there are so many now that I think it distracts from the overall interface.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by timmerk:
Brushed metal is horrible. But so is pinstripe. Apple needs to replace pinstripe aqua and brushed metal to the theme SmoothStripes (http://homepage.mac.com/max_08/index_themes.htm). That's the ultimate user experience.

Yes Pinstripes are horrible, but Apple can do much better then SmoothStripes.

[Dale Sorel]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Bring it on! I love the brushed metal look!

Pinstripes are so 90's.

All my Cocoa apps are Brushed Metal thanks to Metallifizer

[michaelb]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Bring it on! I love the brushed metal look!

Pinstripes are so 90's.

I like brushed metal too, but for the opposite reason.

Brushed metal reminds me of Platinum.

[undotwa]

Apple should make a 'glass' look by simply replacing the textures in use now to match current industrial design.

Pinstripes is dated, and brush metal is getting over used. It should stop at the iApps.

Is backup brush metal? I seem to recall it being Aqua.

Address Book, QuickTime, Safari, and Backup should be Aqua. I like to think of iApps as accessories of some sort.

[Rickster]

I like metal when there are only a couple of metal windows on my screen... but when I have iChat and iTunes and Address Book and whatever open all at once, it gets hard to tell where one window ends and the next begins, and what window is active... it's like there's less visible contrast between windows.

[clarkgoble]

A "glass" look would actually be much more difficult. You can't do it with a single pattern. You have patterns for the right, left, top, bottom and middle. It is hard to deal with small fields (as most iApps have). It can be done, of course. But it can't be done in an easy straightforward way.

I also should point out that the one weakness of Pinstripes is that it is *too* light. There is too much "white" on my screen. The pinstripes give a bit of texture, and for that reason I like it. (A single color is never as aesthetically pleasing as a texture - that's why Aqua looks so much better than "Platinum") However just a little more contrast with the window frame would be nice. Not as much as with the OSX Beta's pin stripes. That was too much. But a tad bit more than now.

I should say that I like glass. I have the "bubblegum" theme from StyleXP on my XP box. However all the XP themes I've used (even the Aqua themes) are too strong. They really "get in the way" so half the time I return to the classic Windows appearance. The nice thing about Aqua is that with the exception of the "lickable" buttons it is very reserved.

[lawgeek]

Originally posted by michaelb:
I like brushed metal too, but for the opposite reason.

Brushed metal reminds me of Platinum.

Bingo! Brushed metal IMHO is the platinum of the new millenium. I wouldn't mind going with a fully brushed metal OS X. Pinstripes look very dated to my eyes. Of course all this discussion is why Apple should encourage more themeing and give us more choices.

[eevyl]

Originally posted by Rickster:
I like metal when there are only a couple of metal windows on my screen... but when I have iChat and iTunes and Address Book and whatever open all at once, it gets hard to tell where one window ends and the next begins, and what window is active... it's like there's less visible contrast between windows.

I think that this is really the bad point about the "textured" windows as Apple calls them. The front and background windows should be more different, allowing you to identify the active window at a glance and not by looking at the widgets or the shadow.

[tikki]

I am fine with the iApp programs being in brushed metal, but stuff like iChat, Safari, etc. have no real reason. The iApps need a common user interface so newbie users don't get too confused, but the rest need distinctive aqua UIs IMO.

When Apple first showed off OS X were they showing off how sweet brushed metal looked on it, or how beautiful and elegant Aqua was?

[emil]

well hopefully in the future, apple will let us choose between BRUSHED METAL and LEOPARD PRINT

[OAW]

Originally posted by tikki:
I am fine with the iApp programs being in brushed metal, but stuff like iChat, Safari, etc. have no real reason. The iApps need a common user interface so newbie users don't get too confused, but the rest need distinctive aqua UIs IMO.

When Apple first showed off OS X were they showing off how sweet brushed metal looked on it, or how beautiful and elegant Aqua was?

IMHO, I can see the iLife apps being brushed metal since they all deal with the "digital media" thing.

Why iCal is brushed metal is beyond me. It's not a bad looking app ... it's quite attractive IMO. However, it is one of those choices that make me question the consistency of the use of brushed metal theme. I feel the same way about Address Book.

If Apple had asked me about how I would have utilized the brushed metal look (and of course, they didn't ) I would say to use it only for the "digital media" and "device" oriented applications. The breakdown would be as such ...

Brushed Metal

iTunes
iPhoto
iMovie
iDVD
iSync
QuickTime

Aqua

Mail
Address Book
iCal - and I would have simply called it "Calendar" to fit with the above two apps

Undecided

iChat
Safari

Both of these just "look nice" as brushed metal .. but they don't deal with "digital media" or "devices". I really like Safari as brushed metal because it clearly delineates the UI from the content. If I had to make a decision, I'd probably make iChat aqua and leave Safari brushed metal. But that's just me.

But as I said before, the whole brushed metal vs. aqua thing is simply not something I'm going to lose any sleep over. We can only wait and see how this all pans out.

OAW

[tikki]

Originally posted by OAW:

Brushed Metal
iTunes
iPhoto
iMovie
iDVD
iSync
QuickTime

Iagree with all of those choices, but iSync. I think iSync's interface as it is sucks. Should have just been a standard small Aqua application with a normal Aqua toolbar, etc.

Aqua
Mail
Address Book
iCal - and I would have simply called it "Calendar" to fit with the above two apps

Agreed. Especially with naming iCal Calendar

[/B]
Undecided
iChat
Safari
[/B]

iChat needs an Aqua Interface, and so does Safari. Unsanity helps take care of those problems for me. (At least with Safari. I won't touch iChat until version 2)

[Macpilot]

I think the brushed metal look is very slick and does not distract me from anything.

The only interface I would like Apple to change is the consistency of the red close window button, which in some apps like Address Book, quit the app instead of close the window.

[Eug]

I prefer brushed metal, and it matches my TiBook and monitor quite nicely.