Comments on: Apple Finally Nails Leopard’s UI, Removing the Ugly Bits

By: Jorge Quinteros

Jorge Quinteros — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:00:03 +0000

Whenever an OS update is available, I really don’t think about and just end up going for it but after I read your post, I just realized that the transparency is no longer there. I really had not noticed. How could I have missed that? Great that it’s gone though.

By: monstordh

monstordh — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:13:33 +0000

my version of 10.5.2 doesn’t include such an option. are you sure you’re not using a 3rd party app?

By: zato

zato — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:17:57 +0000

Good looking website, Kent.

By: Kent Pribbernow

Kent Pribbernow — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:18:10 +0000

I plead guilty to picking at nits.

By: Mario

Mario — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:01:38 +0000

OK, I can see why people wouldn’t like the translucent menubar and menus: they may impede productivity. But, rounded corners? C’mon, man, that’s getting nitpicky. I’ve been using Macs since 1994, and (as I can recall) Classic Mac OS would have square corners when running in a notebook screen. Big deal.

By: Kent Pribbernow

Kent Pribbernow — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:25:33 +0000

While we’re on the subject of things I don’t like about the UI, am I the only one who doesn’t like the new menubar’s squared corners? I wish there were a utility to return them to a rounded state, as in previous iterations of OSX.

By: Kent Pribbernow

Kent Pribbernow — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:02:35 +0000

Why even ask such an asinine question? I’m talking about Apple’s choice in default desktops, as a branding. Each release of OSX has had its own signature desktop. In past releases, since the inception of the OS in fact, Apple has followed along the same path with a clean blue (or optional graphite) theme that evolved over time. Granted, that motif has grown long in the tooth by now, and I am somewhat happy for its departure, but the blue desktops were always tasteful and elegant… the hallmark of Apple design.

Now, I welcome change as much as the next cultist, but Apple’s choice in signature desktops for Leopard seem oddly out of place and very… well un-Apple, for lack of a better description. Some of them look downright tacky. Take the Earth orbital images; which look like they were downloaded from Space.com. Maybe it’s a matter of personal taste, but I find them to be completely out of step with Apple design and branding. Yes, of course you can change desktops to anything that suits your fancy, including images of your pet cat. But default desktops are part of the branding experience, a visual metaphor that presents the OS to the user… “Hi, I’m Leopard!”. In that vein these images just don’t feel right to me at all.

The purplish celestial image that Apple chose as default isn’t even properly colorized. It looks too faded or subdued. I edited a copy and made colors richer and more vibrant. Click here and see for yourself the difference…

FYI: As clinically insane as it may sound, I rarely if ever change my default desktop. From OSX 10.2 Jaguar on.

By: Pages tagged "tasteful"

Pages tagged "tasteful" — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:10:44 +0000

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By: Nunuvyer Bizniz

Nunuvyer Bizniz — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:56:07 +0000

“Now, if you would kindly replace the … kitschy space wallpaper with something more tasteful?”>

You don’t even realize you can change the so-called wallpaper on your computer all by yourself?

By: Kent Pribbernow

Kent Pribbernow — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:09:47 +0000

Damn, I’m going back to bed. Or should that be “I am returning to bed?”