Re: metallized interface (offtopic rant)
Re: metallized interface (offtopic rant)
- Subject: Re: metallized interface (offtopic rant)
- From: Simon Stapleton <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 11:35:59 +0100
From: Phillip Hutchings <email@hidden>
<snip highly offtopic XP / OSX performance discussion>
As for the topic of this discussion, notice how all the apple iApps
(brushed metal ones) only ever have a single window? Sometimes pallets
etc, but never multi window? I guess this is the intended interface,
small utility apps, not something someone spends a lot of time working
in, but looks at frequently for information.
This is close to what the HIG says, although it does also say it's
acceptable to have a mix. However, "applications that provide an
interface for a digital peripheral" are unlikely to need more than one
window anyway.
The 'Real World' metaphor explains this quite well.
<rant>
No, it bloody well doesn't, unless you're a cretin or willing to
suspend disbelief to a rather large degree. My desktop (powerbook
version) doesn't feature unwashed coffee cups, cigarette burns, bits of
semi-disassembled computer hardware, screwdrivers, a powerbook, a lamp,
etc. It also doesn't have (or need) a wood-effect finish. Conversely,
my (real world) desktop has no windows in it ;-)
I am unlikely to accidentally chuck a screwdriver onto my powerbook
screen thinking it is my (real world) desktop, unless I've ingested
industrial quantities of mind-altering substances. This is because I am
capable of distinguishing between the real world and the applications
running on my powerbook.
I am also unlikely to frantically click the window of my mail app and
expect it to play some mp3s. I am as capable of distinguishing between
an mp3 player _application_ and an email _application_ as I am capable
of distinguishing between a pile of unopened letters from the bank and
my stereo. I don't need my mp3 player to look (completely) different
to my other apps, as it happily remembers where it should be on the
desktop, and therefore I know where it is. Even if it didn't, I would
be perfectly capable of finding it should I need to. I'm still using
iTunes, by the way, which even has a handy dock menu for skipping
tracks, so you don't need to ever see the ugly bloody thing - I keep it
hidden most of the time.
Then look at AddressBook/iCal. My (real world) address book is a book.
It's not metal. My (real world) calendar is made of paper. It's not
metal. I am therefore unable to use the 'visual cue' that iCal
represents my real-world device, as it looks absolutely nothing like
it. If I have a desktop full of metal apps, say AB, iPhoto, iTunes,
iCal, iSync & iChat (not that I ever do), how do I distinguish between
them? In exactly the same way I would if they were non-metallised. By
knowing what they look like. The metal interface is serving no purpose.
I loathe and despise the metal interface, and have done since the first
time I came across it. It doesn't work for me. It serves no purpose
except to irritate me with it's ugly differentness. It gets on my
nerves. Be warned. If you write a metallifised app that I consider
worth using (i.e. it provides something that I want, and can't get
elsewhere), and I'm going to have to pay for it, you can expect a
stream of moaning emails from me, approximately once a day, until you
either build me a custom version without the metal interface, or make
the metal interface optional[1]. But then, I'm a grumpy old sod[2].
By the way, don't even get me onto 'skinning', and the sort of mad
concoctions that get thrown out by clueless users with a cracked copy
of photoshop and too much time on their hands. Go look at the Audion
skins section (or, frankly, the default skin that comes with Audion)
for a reason apps shouldn't be skinnable. I downloaded Audion, said
"Ugh!", searched the skins a bit, said "Eeeeagh!", then deleted the
whole damn lot.
Of course, and way offtopic, the new OSX look has thrown away much that
was good about MacOS, and much that was good about *Step, in favour of
- well, just 'stuff'. Some examples:
- Window close button now next to minimise button. At least they kept
the 'closing the window doesn't kill the app' behaviour, so we're not
quite windows yet.
- No windowshade (except by using 3rd-party additions)
- Minimise button. What purpose does that serve that wasn't served by
window shading?
- No tear-off menus
- Useless toolbar hide button on window titlebar (how often do you need
to hide/unhide toolbars? The only possible justification for this one
is that it shows there is a toolbar when the bar itself is hidden)
- Toolbars too damn big. Actually, I'd go as far as to say that all
the UI elements are now too big. I didn't buy a 19" monitor so my
toolbars could take up more space, dammit.
- Can't remotely desktop any more
- HelpViewer
... etc. I could go on. Well, I _do_ go on, but this is in danger of
getting so offtopic I'll get booted from the list.
Sadly, I think we are going to see more and more divergence from good
UI design, and more and more metal interfaced crap, more and more
skinnable apps, until we are as bad as windows (or, god forbid,
X-Windows windowmanagers like enlightenment/sawfish/etc - have you
_seen_ some of those horrible skins?).
This is also why the finder isn't metal - it has multi windows.
But they don't have curtains, do they? Or dead flies squashed in the
corners. Do you need to get a ladder and clean them so you can see
through them? Real world my <Bad word deleted>!
Just say NO!
</rant>
Sorry, but I had to vent.
Simon
[1] I managed to get someone to build me a non-metal version of an app
I was _informally_ beta testing, for example ;-)
[2] I'll bet I'm not the only one, though.
--
AppleCare. Now _there's_ an oxymoron for you.
--
PGP Key Id : 0x50D0698D
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