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I've not been fortunate/unfortunate enough to play with Vista, I only know about it what I've seen or read on the internet. I was intrigued by the display of windows in 3D, but I don't know how well this works in practice. I also liked the idea of windows becoming transparent when in the background. That said, much of Vista seemed surprisingly like the rest of the Windows family to me, however, as I had been expecting a more radical shake up over the years.
I'm not really an expert on design or on user interfaces, but I thought I'd throw in a few thoughts.
With regards to OS X, I remember thinking it looked years ahead of everything else and I was really keen to be able to play with it (migrating from System 8.6), rather than just read about it. The genie effect for the Dock was one that wowed many people I knew, and the ability for QuickTime movies to keep playing when minimized in the Dock also impressed people at the time. Now, however, there are times when I think some of the style is a bit dated.
Like many people here, I really would like Apple to be more consistent when it comes to the GUI. I don't mind if there are separate styles for the system and for applications, but I don't like the assortment of appearances we now have. I must admit I was wary of the unified look when Tiger's Mail was first shown off, but I have come to quite like it. I also prefer the slightly toned down style of Aqua that we currently have. I sometimes think the very "bulging" buttons we have (eg. buttons and radio buttons on web pages) are a bit over the top now.
I quite like the full screen interface that one can access in iPhoto (with the dark appearance) and I have to admit... I actually... quite liked the iTunes 7 interface... although I know I must be in the minority! I don't know whether I prefer iTunes 6 or iTunes 7, I quite like them both. I felt the old Aqua buttons of the early versions looked a bit ugly, and I was a bit unsure of the Aqua scrollbars. When the Finder incorporated the brushed metal windows, I liked the capabilities but hated the style; they seemed a bit "bloated" and ugly to me. I would like to see brushed metal disappear, although it was interesting in the 1990s.
A lot of OS X's features are not really used enough by me. I virtually never use the "Services" sub-menu. I infrequently use Exposé, although I recognize it can be very useful! I only started using it once I bought a multi-button mouse. Even now, I still tend to use the "Hide" command for any applications I'm not currently working with. I don't tend to use Folder Actions, AppleScript, Automator, or other items that do sound useful. I'm probably used to a certain way of working that suits me just fine, and don't tend to explore too much unless I really feel the need to. Odd, really, as I'm the type who usually quite enjoys tinkering with new things!
Without wanting to deviate from the thread too much, I do think there are a few things that could be better within the Finder. "Live updates," when files are changed, are not quick enough and sometimes files must be clicked on to update. "Show item info" for the Desktop does not seem to update for my hard disks unless I log out and log back in. And there are a few other niggles. That said, I still vastly prefer the OS X experience to any other OS. It has the occasional flaws, but I find it gets in my way a lot less than others.
Overall, I think a good GUI should be one you don't notice. An intrusive UI that is constantly "in your face" is the antithesis of what I like...
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