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booboo · Sep 12, 2006, 04:31 PM

iTunes 7 - I'm sure you've all got it now - with its non-Aqua scroll bars, non-System highlighting, 'unified' window style.

A Leopard pre-taster? Or just one of an ever-increasing profusion of different GUI themes?

OreoCookie · Sep 12, 2006, 04:34 PM

Usually iTunes and Mail were harbingers of new GUI elements. It is also consistent with Leopard's Mail's elements, the scroll bars looked pretty much like iTunes'.

Eug · Sep 12, 2006, 05:05 PM

So long, Aqua, it was nice knowin' ya.

goMac · Sep 12, 2006, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

So long, Aqua, it was nice knowin' ya.

I actually am starting to like the new UI.

The new iTunes icon though... that needs to go.

TimmyDee51 · Sep 12, 2006, 05:28 PM

We'll see how I feel about it over time. Right now it feels horribly out of place. It's a bit dark and reminds me of Platinum, in fact. Not that I minded Platinum, but it's weird. It's all very flat. I prefer the texture of Aqua.

OreoCookie · Sep 12, 2006, 05:42 PM

I like Aqua scroll bars. The new theme (or whatever you want to call it) seems a bit gloomy and depressing, a departure from Apple's more colorful motives.

Also notice the playlist highlight which is pretty much black or dark gray (depending on whether it is active or not). Not my style. I like colors, they shouldn't jump at you, but if one gui element is active, reminder in color isn't such a bad idea. I hope they will iron out these details from user feedback until the release of Leopard.

I also don't like the flatness so much, buttons should stand out. I really like the standard Aqua buttons (e. g. in Open and Save dialogs: they stand out and you cannot miss them). The lower buttons in the new iTunes theme don't stand out enough IMHO.

eevyl · Sep 12, 2006, 06:17 PM

The taste of things is the same. Yet Another GUI Look hardcoded into the system, then it maybe will be integrated in next OS major revision, to add to the pack.

Just a heads up, in Tiger we still have Aqua, old brushed metal, new brused metal, old toolbars, unified toolbars. There has not been such a thing as a "GUI redesign" yet, just adding different themes with confusing guidelines.

TheoCryst · Sep 12, 2006, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by eevyl

The taste of things is the same. Yet Another GUI Look hardcoded into the system, then it maybe will be integrated in next OS major revision, to add to the pack.

Just a heads up, in Tiger we still have Aqua, old brushed metal, new brused metal, old toolbars, unified toolbars. There has not been such a thing as a "GUI redesign" yet, just adding different themes with confusing guidelines.

True, but all the others were simply window designs. This is also a revamp of buttons, colors, and the overall feel of the application. I'm thinking this new look is going to have a much bigger effect than the new ones of the past.

MartiNZ · Sep 12, 2006, 07:08 PM

My first take on it was ... fugly! I don't like how they're mixing 'graphite' and 'aqua' styles - there doesn't seem to be an aqua version of the new scroll bars even, but selected items still show in the blue I'm used to.

I really hope that if this is the way the iApps (and whatever else they deem to fit into that random category) are going GUI-wise, they put in proper aqua options. I do keep trying to go with graphite system-wide but I find it dull and never last more than a day

.

techtrucker · Sep 12, 2006, 08:16 PM

I don't own any, but isn't this GUI style reminiscent of the Apple Pro apps?

Timo · Sep 12, 2006, 08:20 PM

I'll miss the eye candy of aqua too

techtrucker · Sep 12, 2006, 08:36 PM

Agreed, especially the scroll bars. For some reason they really bug me, reminds me of Fedora Core or some other Linux GUI. But I'm not completely close minded, it may grow on me.

AmericanPsych0 · Sep 12, 2006, 08:38 PM

I was a big fan of the glossy look of things, and so the dull, mostly flat playback buttons at the top are a real bummer. I'm also with the guys above in liking the brighter colors. Blue's a nice color and it fits in, even when Aqua-bright, but this darker stuff.. eh, I could live with it, but I prefer the color and contrast of the old GUI.

:dragonflypro: · Sep 12, 2006, 10:11 PM

I find it a little ironic.

Aqua was 'too bright' or 'too showy'

Now, as the entire Web 2.0 sphere begins to hover around the refined Aqua/Glass look (Aero, anyone?) Apple seems to be retreating to that thing we all wanted in the first place, a modern Platinum… and some are lamenting the loss of Aqua.

History is funny that way.

Sure, the UI seems all unhinged now, but I imagine once 10.5 comes around a lot will suddenly be right as rain.

T

Eug · Sep 12, 2006, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by :dragonflypro:

I find it a little ironic.

Aqua was 'too bright' or 'too showy'

Now, as the entire Web 2.0 sphere begins to hover around the refined Aqua/Glass look (Aero, anyone?) Apple seems to be retreating to that thing we all wanted in the first place, a modern Platinum… and some are lamenting the loss of Aqua.

Speak for yourself. I've always like Aqua (except for the bolder pinstripes).

loki74 · Sep 12, 2006, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by techtrucker

I don't own any, but isn't this GUI style reminiscent of the Apple Pro apps?

Eh, not from what I can see. The ProApps use mini-titlebars with pinstripe texture. They also use graphite-like versions of all the Aqua controls, mini version that is. Contextual menus are mini and graphite as well. But aside from color and size changes, it's still pretty consistent with Aqua.

The exceptions of course are FCP, which has flat scrollbars, some brushed metal, and a few other slight quirks which set it apart from the rest of the family, and Shake, the UI of which Apple didn't design anyway.

At any rate, I definately agree that Apple has WAY to many different UI things floating around. One of the reasons I switched was consistency... I'd like to see more of it!

PS-the new icon does indeed suck.

TheSpaz · Sep 12, 2006, 11:13 PM

I kinda like the iTunes look now... I'm not too sure where the Dark Green Highlight color came from in the Sidebar but, I'm really starting to like the overall look of iTunes... Reminds me more of Classic with a 2006 type of modern interface. I'm also digging the semi-3D album browser... neat.

pedroperez80 · Sep 13, 2006, 12:03 AM

Didn't like the new scroll bars in itunes7, the whole aplication is kinda of dark.

Timetheus · Sep 13, 2006, 12:07 AM

The icon is the worst of the changes, I actually kind of like the new interface. It feels more like Apple's current (consumer) Hardware designs - which have strayed from bold shapes and colors in favor of aesthetic simplicity. Except, of course, for the New Nanos, but, as OS X is for Macs, I'm not counting iPods in that estimation.

It also feels more uniform accross the app then some of the "older" apps like Safari, which has always felt a little disjointed to me (I never liked brushed metal paired with glossy scroll bars/buttons) but that's entirely my subjective taste.

Ixion · Sep 13, 2006, 12:15 AM

I completely disagree with the system-highlighted color override. It looks and feels almost like they wrote it for Windows and ported to the Mac. I was trying to get over the ugly that is Tiger's Mail 2 but this takes it. I fail to see the benefit in changing the iTunes icon. That blue is fairly ghastly in my opinion. Sadly, I doubt we'll see the green note again.

I typically welcome changes, but... there wasn't much wrong with iTunes before, particularly aesthetically.

MindFad · 10:29 PM

Yay, another iTunes GUI change. Probably a sign of Leopard things to come. I have to say, though, after a few minutes with it, I like it. It's more consistent with mail, anyway.

I don't think the icon needed a change, especially with that sloppy hard-edged cutoff on the shadow at the bottom of the icon. It does look nice and slick, but I'm picky about sloppy shadows. Reminds me of the hard edge on OmniWeb icon. Picky? Yes. And I'm just poking at Mike, because it looks like one of his.

http://mindfad.com/boards/sloppyshadows.jpg

Anyway, I like it so far. These new scroll bars and pane views feel very OS 9-ish, and I like it. It's clean, if way out of whack with the rest of OS X. But that's what Leopard will be fore, I imagine.

Edit: I got tooki'd.

JKT · Sep 13, 2006, 04:26 AM

The scroll bars are modified versions of those used in Apple's new style inspector palettes (e.g. Web Inspector for WebKit).

OAW · Sep 13, 2006, 12:43 PM

I like everything about the new iTunes 7 GUI except for the following:

- Highlight color in the Source pane isn't the same as in the main window. It's black/dark grey instead of aqua blue/grey. Don't understand why it wasn't consisent.

- The Browse button (the "eye" thingy) doesn't reflect state. I think the iris of the eye should light up blue like the shuffle and repeat buttons to show when the browser is displayed.

Both of these are nits for sure. But other than that, I really like the flattened, more subtle look. The raised aqua scroll bars were looking really out of place in iTunes over the last couple of versions.

OAW

Landos Mustache · Sep 13, 2006, 12:51 PM

I like the black hilights and the window colour but I don't like the dark scroll-bars or the blue highlight colour that is also mixed in with the black and gray.

If anything the highlight colour and scrollbars should also be glossy black.

mitchell_pgh · Sep 13, 2006, 01:11 PM

I actually like the new look. I just wish they would make them all consistent. One way or another...

That being said: FIX THE LOGO!

kick52 · Sep 13, 2006, 01:17 PM

oh sh*t, i love aqua.

chabig · 06:32 PM

Yesterday I didn't like it. Today, I'm really starting to like the new look. Just expand iTunes to full screen to get a real feel for the new GUI.

I imagine that Apple is going to always try to stay one step ahead of Microsoft. Remember how early 10.X versions overdid the transparency effects? Now Microsoft is going to commit the same mistake with Vista, just as Apple will be moving on to a more refined "pro" look.

Chris

techtrucker · Sep 13, 2006, 05:56 PM

That's what I was thinking Chris, just when Vista comes out all glassy and shiny and transparent Apple will have made the understated GUI the "new black"!

andreas_g4 · Sep 13, 2006, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I actually like the new look. I just wish they would make them all consistent. One way or another...

2nded, and 3rded!

workerbee · Sep 14, 2006, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by techtrucker

That's what I was thinking Chris, just when Vista comes out all glassy and shiny and transparent Apple will have made the understated GUI the "new black"!

That's all swell, but still... isn't Apple is overreacting a bit? I quite like the iTunes 7 UI and have never been a big fan of the über-glossy Aqua look, but still... somehow the "new scrollbar" looks like some Flash-based web UI to me. I'll probably get used to it, though.
Now if only Apple started to be consistent again.
Incidentally. this also includes not putting the glossy look into menu highlights, and stopping to "reflect" every and anything.

ChasingApple · Sep 14, 2006, 06:34 PM

Well I like it more then I do aqua, its cleaner looking and not so candy bright. I know I am in the minority here (THEE minority) but I prefered the look of OS 9 Windows and scrollbars. Sometimes I wish Apple would just give us a nice clean look that doesn't distract from the actual use of the app.

Cheers.

brokenjago · Sep 15, 2006, 12:59 AM

I actually like the new look. I just wish they would make them all consistent. One way or another...

4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10thed....

generationfourt · Sep 15, 2006, 01:06 AM

it reminds me of when people skin xp.

but for some reason I like it. I'm digging the dark look in album view mode. kind of has a aperture feel to it. Maybe it's the late night insomniac in me but I hope the new OS has a dark intimate feel to it!

brokenjago · Sep 15, 2006, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by generationfourt

I hope the new OS has a dark intimate feel to it!

generationfourt · Sep 15, 2006, 01:13 AM

and yes by intimate I mean I hope they throw in a desktop stripper

workerbee · Sep 15, 2006, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by generationfourt

and yes by intimate I mean I hope they throw in a desktop stripper

10'004th, 10'005th, 10'006th, 10'007th, 10'008th, 10'009th and 10'0010thed.... (my guess)

kick52 · Sep 15, 2006, 02:14 AM

it actually feels a bit emo.

again, when are we expecting leopard out?

mikemako · Sep 15, 2006, 02:36 AM

Here's another vote for the new iTunes look. I actually like the icon, too.

-Mike

mpancha · Sep 15, 2006, 09:53 AM

I personally like the new look, and since it went from 6 -> 7, its no surprise there is a new logo.

Only thing missing for me is the Equalizer button... where did it go? And I can no longer use the Command + 2 shortcut to bring it up either.

JKT · Sep 15, 2006, 02:29 PM

It's under the View menu and no longer has a shortcut. You could create your own using Keyboard Shortcuts in System Preferences, however.

Velocity211 · Sep 15, 2006, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

I actually am starting to like the new UI.

The new iTunes icon though... that needs to go.

The new icon can stay, but the new UI needs to go and Aqua needs to come back. (Actually, both of them can go)

Salty · Sep 15, 2006, 08:42 PM

I just wish they hadn't changed the tool bars. Unless leopard is going to bring in these as standard UI elements. I too agree that the new version of iTunes feels more like a windows port.

Macpilot · Sep 15, 2006, 11:15 PM

I just wish iTunes 7 would stay running long enough for me to form an opinion of how it looks.