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jimcpherson · Mar 1, 2003, 10:15 PM

Have an option in each applications preferences for choosing between the aqua or brushed metal interface. It would be great if we could pick between the two interfaces on a case by case basis. Would this work, practically speaking, when making the apps, or is it too much work for the programmers?

Terri · Mar 1, 2003, 10:26 PM

I think we have a better chance of going to Steve Job's house and redecorating it then Apple giving us that choice.

jimcpherson · Mar 1, 2003, 10:30 PM

Is Apple really that puritanical. I mean they designed BOTH interfaces. They must like 'em both.

macmike42 · Mar 1, 2003, 10:47 PM

Originally posted by jimcpherson:
Have an option in each applications preferences for choosing between the aqua or brushed metal interface. It would be great if we could pick between the two interfaces on a case by case basis. Would this work, practically speaking, when making the apps, or is it too much work for the programmers?

How in God's Name is that a solution?

I have a solution for the problem of impending nuclear war: put a big sign with the words "DON'T USE" on each and every missle. Also, make a law that requires all new missles have this sign put on them, and make it a violation of international law to remove the "DON'T USE" signs, kinda like mattress tags.

Sorry if that sounds a tad sardonic, but think about your original question for a second, geez...

DeathMan · Mar 1, 2003, 11:15 PM

Metalifizer by unsanity lets you pick on an app by app basis which you'd like to use. Works great. BTW Mail.app is a horrible metal app.

AKcrab · Mar 1, 2003, 11:26 PM

Originally posted by macmike42:
How in God's Name is that a solution?

What are you going on about? An option to toggle at will between brushed and aqua would indeed make both camps happy, no?

MacGorilla · Mar 1, 2003, 11:31 PM

I tried unmetaling Safari..it looks better metal.

mrtew · Mar 2, 2003, 12:28 AM

Originally posted by DeathMan:
BTW Mail.app is a horrible metal app.

Huh? Mail looks GREAT in metal! Whachatalkinabout?

macmike42 · Mar 2, 2003, 01:03 AM

Originally posted by AKcrab:
What are you going on about? An option to toggle at will between brushed and aqua would indeed make both camps happy, no?

Yeah, it would, but Apple won't do that, and it wasn't the suggestion. The suggestion was to put this option in EVERY application's preferences.

At the moment, it isn't possible to make that selection fully, even with Unsanity's haxie, since only Cocoa apps have an easily selectable option, Carbon has basic support to do it in code, and Java apps can't do it at all, although Java 1.4.1 w/Cocoa widgets might change that.

The reason I "went on about" it was because the original poster was suggesting a "solution" to the inconsistency problem that involved every developer adding the exact same code to every application. When such a suggestion is made, it is proof positive that the functionality needs to either be eliminated entirely (ie pick a theme, Apple) or the choice must be available right next to the blue/graphite selection in the general pane of the system preferences.

Being able to pick a different theme for every single application is a nice idea for, say, Linux, not the Mac OS.

ARENA · Mar 2, 2003, 01:30 AM

Originally posted by mrtew:
Huh? Mail looks GREAT in metal! Whachatalkinabout?

That's GREAT?? ...Oh my.
...And i have nothing against default brushed metal.

pat++ · Mar 2, 2003, 08:22 AM

The solution is simply that Apple applies its own Aqua guidelines, and stops using Brushed Metal for all their apps.

mrtew · Mar 2, 2003, 08:49 AM

Originally posted by ARENA:
That's GREAT?? ...Oh my.
...And i have nothing against default brushed metal.

Yeah, in my opinion anyway, that looks great. Mail is one of my favorite brushed apps actually! If you have nothing against brushed, then what is your problem with that screenshot? I guess I don't see it. What looks wrong there to you? Your sarcasm only makes me feel bad.... enlighten me please.

Amorya · Mar 2, 2003, 09:12 AM

That would not be an acceptible solution IMO. The point is, the two interfaces differ more than just in look. Metal apps have an extra border, are more likely to have graphical buttons floating round the window, are less likely to have textual buttons floating round, etc... they're two different interface styles and switching would mean at least one style was used wrong. There's an appropriate time to use brushed and an appropriate time to use aqua - stick to it!

(And no, Safari is not an appropriate time to use brushed. ITunes is, calculator is. Quicktime is but I don't like that app anyway.)

Amorya

Diggory Laycock · Mar 2, 2003, 09:38 AM

Giving the user the option would be equivalent to Apple saying:

"There is no difference in UI design between Metal apps and Default-styled apps -- so it doesn't matter which the user uses"

Which is not true.

They would also be destroying what little consistency there is in their app-metalling policy.

Argh! I've just noticed the banner ad at the top of this "post reply" page - It's Metalled! No Escape!

http://www.monkeyfood.com/thestuff/f...MetalledAd.png

clebin · Mar 2, 2003, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by macmike42:
How in God's Name is that a solution?

I have a solution for the problem of impending nuclear war: put a big sign with the words "DON'T USE" on each and every missle. Also, make a law that requires all new missles have this sign put on them, and make it a violation of international law to remove the "DON'T USE" signs, kinda like mattress tags.

Sorry if that sounds a tad sardonic, but think about your original question for a second, geez...

A touch sardonic? A touch mental more like..... I thought not visiting the Lounge would keep me away from talk about miss(i)les.

Back to the original suggestions: It's not a bad idea, but I think it would have to be restricted to certain applications that look good/are designed to look good both ways.

Chris

ARENA · Mar 2, 2003, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by mrtew:
Yeah, in my opinion anyway, that looks great. Mail is one of my favorite brushed apps actually! If you have nothing against brushed, then what is your problem with that screenshot? I guess I don't see it. What looks wrong there to you? Your sarcasm only makes me feel bad.... enlighten me please.

Well, that wasn't an attack. It's only that in my opinion that modified theme of yours, plus the fact that you're using Gill Sans (a typography creared for body text rather than computer GUI) does not seems great to me.