# Graphite Mode?



## JaredS (Sep 13, 2000)

Graphite Mode does not appear to be talked anywhere on Apple's website. Though I am not doubting its existence, it is just weird that Apple would not cover that


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## Eolake (Sep 13, 2000)

> _Originally posted by JaredS _
> *Graphite Mode does not appear to be talked anywhere on Apple's website. Though I am not doubting its existence, it is just weird that Apple would not cover that *



What I wonder about is that from screen shots the three buttons seem exactly alike in Graphite. That seems stupid.


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## endian (Sep 14, 2000)

what 3 buttons do you mean? the window widgets? those stay un colored until the mouse is over them... otherwise imagine a screen covered in windows.. coloured spots all over the place!


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## EmAn (Sep 14, 2000)

Does anyone have pics of Graphite mode?


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## betsy (Sep 15, 2000)

To enter graphit mode, go to the general control panel in the system preferences ....


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## endian (Sep 15, 2000)

some screenshots, including graphite: http://www.maccentral.com/news/0009/appleexpo/index.html


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## Eolake (Sep 15, 2000)

> _Originally posted by endian _
> *some screenshots, including graphite: http://www.maccentral.com/news/0009/appleexpo/index.html *



exactly. See how the three widgets are exactly alike in graphite? (you would think that red, yellow, and green would have different darkness. Or that they would put in the symbols.)


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## GORDYmac (Sep 15, 2000)

That _is_ why you have a beta BTW.  Maybe we all should suggest that in graphite mode the widgets should have varying colors, or the symbols full time.


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## endian (Sep 15, 2000)

maybe different shades of gray, but i wouldnt want the symbols there full-time, the placement is enough of a differentiation in this case. one thing that would be good would be to separate the maximize & minimize controls from the close control, since theyre really very different functions.


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## endian (Sep 15, 2000)

in any case, i'd be surprised if, by final, there wasn't something like IE5's toolbar flavours, where you could set the buttons, et. al. to match whatever colour your mac is.


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## JDTyler (Sep 20, 2000)

The three widgets are all the same grphite shade. They are still easy to use however as they display the icons when the mouse is over them - Also it's very very easy to remember what does what.

I meanin OS 9 - did anybody actually know what they did when they first used them? No, new users don't know that an empty sqaure means close the window - most don't even know what a window is or what closing it does.


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## Eolake (Sep 20, 2000)

> _Originally posted by Eolake _
> *
> 
> 
> ...




Anyway, I have been using osx beta for a couple of days now, and I feel that the demand for less color is an over-reaction. the color in aqua is very, very discreet. 

And as a whole I really like the interface.


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## Dashiel (Sep 26, 2000)

> _Originally posted by JDTyler _
> *The three widgets are all the same grphite shade. They are still easy to use however as they display the icons when the mouse is over them - Also it's very very easy to remember what does what.
> 
> I meanin OS 9 - did anybody actually know what they did when they first used them? No, new users don't know that an empty sqaure means close the window - most don't even know what a window is or what closing it does. *




I found that graphite was a much more pleasing mode (for me) than the aqua mode. I just didn't like all the color. But tastes tend toward the minimalist, so it's not slam on aqua. I hope that something along the lines of Kaleidoscope comes along for OS X, but until then, i'll stick with the graphite mode....


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## matteo (Sep 26, 2000)

If you can't figure out after a few days of use which button does what based on position alone, you shouldn't be allowed to use a computer.


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## Paploo (Sep 30, 2000)

Not to create a war here, but I was *very* pleased that in graphite, the window widgets were all the same colour.

One needs to remember why the graphite was introduced:  It was supposed to be colour neutral for all the graphics artists, who's sense of colour gets distracted by all the flashy colours of aqua.

However, of the four people I know who are running OSX, we all like graphite mode *much* better, and had always complained that Aqua was much to vivid.

That isn't to say that there aren't people out there who like Aqua, and all its colours, but for me, I like more subdued, colour neutral.


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## Eolake (Sep 30, 2000)

> _Originally posted by Paploo _
> *Not to create a war here, but I was *very* pleased that in graphite, the window widgets were all the same colour.
> 
> *



Oh, it wouldn't be graphite if there were colors: I just expected them to be different *tones* of grey, so there was a difference.


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## LunaMorena (Oct 8, 2000)

Personally I think the graphite mode is fine how it is.  i definitely prefer it over aqua, and since the colors don't show up until you mouse over them anyway, you're not losing much since the icons still show up when you mouse over.  The x - + tells me a lot more than the color does anyway.


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## Zesty (Oct 8, 2000)

I read that a number of designers asked for a mode like graphite, so that the aqua color would not detract from the images on the screen. I think this is placate the folks who really do spend the $$$ to buy the fancy monitors with the graphite casing and the shade over the front.

Personally, I think I like the graphite mode better because it does highlight colors in applications better. 


Just my $0.02


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## tapella (Oct 11, 2000)

There is a difference. One's on the left, one's on the right, and one's in the middle. How complicated is that?

 [/B][/QUOTE]

Oh, it wouldn't be graphite if there were colors: I just expected them to be different *tones* of grey, so there was a difference.

 [/B][/QUOTE]


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## Cardo (Oct 13, 2000)

Well, I'll side on Aqua.  I don't find the colours all that vivid, and while working they don't seem much of a nuisance.  Graphite mode just seems boring, but that's just me ;]

I guess we'll eventually have Themes, like the ones introduced in Mac OS 8.5, but which will actually be supported.

Cardo


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## endian (Oct 13, 2000)

no themes, at least not anytime soon. from http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/01/09/osxing.html




> In a break with recent consumer OS releases, Apple won't support switchable themes in Mac OS X. Bereskin said Apple
> has spent a lot of time refining Aqua and that it will be the user interface. (Users should still be able to change color
> schemes to match their favorite iMac colors, although Apple didn't state that specifically.)


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## Jazzy_Jay (Oct 29, 2000)

I find aqua to 'pretty' the colors are to nice.  Your eyes tend to look at color taking away from some visual elements for programs and web sites.

J


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## jove (Nov 3, 2000)

Maybe I am just color blind - but I cannot detect an overall color change with graphite. The only color change I see is in the window title buttons.


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## endian (Nov 3, 2000)

and in the scroll elevators, default buttons, progress bars, and the apple icon in the menu bar. Some apps like omniweb also change their toolbar buttons.


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