Re: metallized interface

FROM : Keith Pritchard
DATE : Thu Oct 31 19:18:06 2002

On Thursday, October 31, 2002, at 05:59  pm, Nicholas Riley wrote:
> You talk about this as if it's a new thing.  AppleCD Audio Player has
> been around since Apple shipped the AppleCD SC in 1988 or so, and it's
> had a CD player-like interface.  A similar interface was used for the
> Apple Video Player, and the really ugly replacement audio player
> (whose name I am forgetting).
>
> Even the old Mac four-function Calculator looked different with the
> rounded-window style, squarish buttons and a patterned background.
> Mac OS 7.5 introduced a 'utility background' pattern which was
> user-selectable and applied to DA-type single-window apps such as the
> Scrapbook and Find File.

I was talking about it in a "new thing" kind of way because I thought
it was new to maxosx ?

Perhaps I'm mis-remembering... I thought it was only fairly recently
that the metallised look was introduced into macosx. I could well be
wrong, if so, apologies although I stick by my feelings that whether
new or old it's not a great idea.

I'm not considering earlier versions of macos because they had enough
GUI problems IMHO so as to make any discussion about metal or otherwise
insignificant.

> There is a pretty consistent history of different UI treatment for real
> world device and single window apps going back to the Mac's
> introduction.  It hasn't been available as a standard feature until
> Jaguar, so it was always harder to implement, but I hope people will
> continue to use the same restraint they always did.

I doubt it.

I never *really* made the switch to mac before macosx, despite buying
them regularly and keeping up to date with things. I never liked the
aged OS.

Along with me comes a whole lot of new users and developers most of
whom will be coming from windows.

Windows developers are used to..... getting round things by doing
things their own way and pretty much ignoring GUI guidelines (MS leads
the way on that but has the advantage that when they change their mind,
they can change the guidelines to fit their whims).

So I doubt it'll stay as pure as you hope.

If it does, well, I still don't applaud having a different style but at
least it will signify something I suppose.

>> Problem is as a user, the metal look is pretty imposing and as I
>> said above, I even like it for the odd window, but if all the
>> panels, sheets, dialogues started displaying in metal, it would be
>> WAY too much for me.
>
> This is probably why Apple doesn't do it, and doesn't recommend it
> either.
>

obviously.

...however, already people are asking how to make all the windows metal
irrespective of the "guidelines" so it's well worth pointing out why
it's a bad idea as a user experience.

Welcome to metal overload and an inconsistent GUI.

Keith
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