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The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

nicholaswindsorhoward.com

71–80 of 440 posts

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#72
post #3

It’s not that important a point, but legal pads are a very US phenomena. I’m German and I have never ever seen a yellow pad like that in person. The current notes icon (with white paper) is much more in line with the note pads you would encounter in Germany. Paper people write on to take notes is typically just white. Maybe bound with a spiral on the left or top (and perforated paper to tear off), maybe glued togethe…

Oh that make sense then ! I never understood why most of the notes apps on my smartphone were yellow and not white, I found it bizarre and assumed it was some kind of fashion, it must be international differences then.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#73
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, Google Chrome's icon doesn't depict a webpage, but I know I can click on it and use it to browse the Web.

The difference with icons for Web browsers is that there really is no real-world equivalent of a Web browser, so producing icon metaphors is not an issue.

A globe.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#74
post #39

OS X looks better than ever. Yeah I agree with Notepad and Photos icons looking not good but everything else is perfect. I'm typing this on an OSX right now and it just looks great. Worst part of the article by far was > OS X packaging, once very elegant and eccentric (and printed on a physical box), has become thoroughly unremarkable. This is 2016, no one uses CD's anymore. And that leopard print box design looks li…

> And that leopard print box design looks like packaging for some kinky underwear.

Haha, exactly my thoughts :)

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#75

Note: This is my personal opinion! I recently had to use a computer with OS X Mavericks on it (10.9 I think). I was struck by how beautiful the interface was. I'm having trouble finding a good screenshot illustrating this, but compare http://content.gcflearnfree.org/topics/243/2013_new_desktop.... http://download.softwsp.com/sites/12/2015/11/os-x-el-capitan... Everything just looks better on Mavericks. The gradients…

Firefox's problem is that it does the whole UI by itself. This basically makes it look out of place anywhere they haven't explicitly put effort into giving it a similar experience.

It looks out of place on El Capitan and on macOS Sierra it's downright disturbing. I don't want tab titles in Times New Roman (at least it reminds me of that).

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#76
post #3

It’s not that important a point, but legal pads are a very US phenomena. I’m German and I have never ever seen a yellow pad like that in person. The current notes icon (with white paper) is much more in line with the note pads you would encounter in Germany. Paper people write on to take notes is typically just white. Maybe bound with a spiral on the left or top (and perforated paper to tear off), maybe glued togethe…

For me the old yellow colour implies that the notes taken within the app are for easy disposal and will be poorly organised - just like how yellow paper is used primarily for quick throw-away notes and scribbles in reality (at least here in the UK). The Notes app is far better than that, the white it uses now implies a more permanent organised feel which better reflects the app. The texts I store within it are import…

Where do you buy your notebooks? I've never come across yellow paper except in US media.

I'd always assumed it was dyed yellow to hide poor quality paper. Is there any truth in this?

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#77
post #61

Currently, on the same front page on HN there is an article: Humans once opposed coffee and refrigeration: why we often hate new stuff. This applies perfectly to you, dear self-righteous blog author.

By the same logic you can dismiss every critique.

Not everything new is an improvement.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#78
I totally agree with the author, in fact much of the hidden functionalities in apps that use to exist is also gone. For instance in earlier versions of previes you could join multiple pdfs into one single pdf by dragging the pdfs into thumbnail preview panel. Now that functionality simply doesn't exist, it seems like they (Apple) have done a rewrite of so many Apps, that they missed out on smaller details.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#79

Anyone link me to Apple's research papers on useability that underpin their design ideals? Or is it just fashion in the face of useability?

Or they make their own internal testing and don't provide links to their "papers"? How about that?

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#80

I like the minimalistic UI of El Capitan. It gets out of the way, and puts in focus what I really want to look at: the content, Web pages, my code, my photos. My computer is a tool, it's not an artwork I turn on to look at. Buttons still look pushable, input fields still look editable. The Dock didn't lose any functionality whatsoever by having the 3D effect removed. In my opinion, the El Cap UI requires just as much…

> My computer is a tool, it's not an artwork I turn on to look at Things looking better actually has a positive effect on usability.

And I would argue that the new flat look looks much better. That's the problem with that statement, there's no universally agreed upon "good" look.
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