Brushed metal UI

[weaselworld]

In a spare moment I happened to ponder the brushed metal UI Apple uses on a lot of its apps. The whole iLife suite, Quicktime, Safari, iCal, iSync, iChat, and Address Book.

It seems odd to me that they'd use this style on those apps, but not Mail, Sherlock, Keynote, etc. I was wondering if anyone thought this visual style might take more of a hold, moving into other apps, because as it is now, it feels like there's a sort of inconsistency. Originally the emphasis was on how pretty the white plastic look was, with its "floating" drop shadowed buttons and text. These new apps however are embracing a completely different look, with silver metal, inset buttons, and "etched" text.

What are the chances of Apple offering a whole new visual style choice, where the metal look is used throughout? Like you could choose the "classic" OS X interface or a new metallic interface, where most (if not all) apps would match, and possibly the menu bar might match?

I also find the hardware-software relationship kind of funny. The "entry level" computers (like the iMac, iBook) were all designed to match OS X's white plastic look, but it seems like OS X is beginning to lean towards matching the "pro level" computers (Powerbook, Powermac, and Xserve).

Sorry for this - just some casual thoughts that passed through my head in a time of boredom.

[Sogni]

You mean like this?

I really dont mind what apple ships OSX apps with as long as I can change it (hacking the UI tho).

The only one I can't seem to change is iTune's UI.

Personally I think the Brushed Metal looks more professional overall.

[wiz]

i like both.

they work great together. a metal interface Finder looks ugly, the aqua one is neat.

[Giaguara]

Mail.app? Hell no .. i'm glad it's not metal!!!

Sogni i guess the itunes problem is that it's in carbon. So unless it'll be redone in cocoa you can't really change it.

How about other metal colors? I'd like white metal .. and copper wouldn't look bad either.


There is a program called metallifizer (at versiontracker.com) that's a haxy that can change the metal look on and off of any apps written in cocoa. Try that. Personally, i would not like to see mail or my browsers in metal, but that's a question of tastes..

[weaselworld]

Well I'll be damned, I didn't know that could be done.

"Personally I think the Brushed Metal looks more professional overall."

I agree, which is why I think it's funny that all the regular apps (iLife, etc) have the Brushed Metal, while pro apps keep the plastic aqua look.

[weaselworld]

I understand, Giagura, which is why I think it would be cool if they natively offered the choice of style, just because I'm not a big fan of hacking the system. Makes me nervous for some reason.

Plus, I'm personally a fan of consistency. I'd like the option of no metal, or all metal, you know? I guess that comes from growing up with OSes that had that consistency.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want apple to drop the white for the metal. Like I said, it'd just be nice to have the choice without hacking.

I like the idea of copper tho, that would be kinda cool.

Thanks for humoring me guys!

[Sogni]

Yeah I wish apple shiped Themes by default... because I like to change the look of any operating system I'm using. And yes it can be dangerous too and I don't recomend it to a newbie.

Altho the Metal is fine, something happened to the default Brushed Metal when I switch back to aqua - apps that normally have metal no longer have widgets (the +-x buttons). Not that I'm really jonesing to go back to default.

I haven't played with other themes either because I didn't like the ones I saw or/and because I'm too lazy! heh

[Giaguara]

That kind of haxie would do.. = having e.g. 5 different themes to apply .. i like the normal aqua for most... = maybe a nicer aqua in it, a aqua color look, then metal ones.. i'd like white metal, or even a really plastic look .. but the metal grey is boring so having e.g. copper, silver, dark metal (black copper) could do. One switch in the end, in sys prefs, CLICK to change all your cocoa apps look to plastic/aqua/silver/stell/copper

Apple should do it so i don't have to ..