Stop the Madness

This Web site is an open letter to Apple, maker of the world's best-looking computers and operating system, asking it not to implement the ugly look of brushed metal in the next version of the Finder.

Currently, many of the core applications, such as the Safari Web browser and QuickTime, as well as many of the iApps, use this look. Now, Apple has threatened to add this monstrosity to the Finder when OS X 10.3 ("Panther") comes out this fall.

I know that I am not alone in hating brushed metal, as postings on different Web sites indicate. Let's let Apple know how we feel. I've started a petition to encourage Apple to allow users to disable the brushed metal look.

Sign the Petition

Why would Apple listen to us? There is a precedent. When the first OS X beta came out, many designers complained about the candy colored buttons. Apple responded by creating the "Graphite" preference, which turns the colors of the window buttons and scroll bars to a tasteful graphite gray-blue color. Hopefully they will see the complaints about brushed metal and give us some option to turn it off in the Finder.

Comments

[Schmelding]

I happen to like the brushed metal. It's much easier to stare at all day long than the current white with horizontal stripes. Ugh.

[Tim]

It would be nice to have the option of displaying either. In cases where I have 10 windows open on top of each other the combination of horizontal striping, drop shadows, and translucency makes it very difficult to distinguish where one window ends and another starts. In this case I find the brushed metal look to be easier.

[Brian]

Without a doubt, I prefer the brushed metal appearance to the original Aqua one. All those lines made made my head spin.

The biggest problem, however, is the fact that the two are randomly mixed about. That's just plain sloppy.

http://www.maxthemes.com/ to the rescue. :)

[aaa]

Brushed Metal is pleasing. Maybe I should start a petition, "Keep Brushed Metal."

[Rob]

Brushed metal is sort of OK, but it's a very distinctive look that could get tedious before too long.

The solution? I propose: Brushed Donkey.

[Schmelding]

Um.

[pb]

brushed metal is far, far better. the striped aqua is dismal.

[rik]

i say keep the brushed metal! it's elegant clean and simple. what's the problem?

[Shaun]

Apple really needs to get on the stick with themes. Two or three official Apple themes would be great. That way I can "metal-up" my GUI all I want and other folks can have their stripes.

[Alexis]

Brush metal is kind of nice when used with caution. To make it system wide would be a bad idea: it is far too dark.
However, brush metal on the finder is really a BAD thing. Apple somehow acknowledges this, since in recent Panther builds, hiding the sidebar and toolbar in a Finder window makes it appear in standard Aqua. The problem is that the Finder window with sidebar is becoming more and more like the Windows Explorer, and that a Finder window and an Explorer window should be 2 perfectly different things (spatial finder anybody ?).

Anyhow, I won't sign this petition for one could reason: you should not try to make Apple give users the choice to "disable" brushed metal. Applications are designed for brush metal or aqua (buttons, etc), allowing to switch between them will lead directly to total ugliness (tm) (ever converted safari to aqua ? eek).

My advice to Apple. Drop the metal look altogether for the Finder, or make the Explorer thing a separate application, reverting the Finder to a spatial Finder à la MacOS Classic.

[Hurtle]

I understand the misgivings about a brushed metal finder, but since playing around with a couple of the panther builds I've gotten used to it.

In fact I quite like it now, regular aqua is a little too bright for me. The previous poster said:

-----------------
However, brush metal on the finder is really a BAD thing. Apple somehow acknowledges this, since in recent Panther builds, hiding the sidebar and toolbar in a Finder window makes it appear in standard Aqua
-----------------

This isn't entirely true, I'm not running panther at the moment, but I'm sure that when the sidebar is hidden, the window still has a slight metal sheen to it.

In a way brushed metal harks back to system 7, its a lot closer to the platinum look of system 7 than aqua is.

My .02 euros

Mike

[KJC]

I might've been more inclined to sign the petition if it were written more intelligently with actual usability issues as reasons, rather than saying it's "ugly" and a "monstrosity".

[Sebhelyesfarku]

Both brushed metal and striped white are crap! Back with simple gray areas!

[John S]

My brain associates brushed metal with riding the Chicago CTA, which is not the connotoation I would like.

[ruprecht]

Apple should allow the user to choose. Brushed metal might look nice if you have a metal machine (G5 or Powerbook) while white stripes might look better on an iMac or iBook. Some might prefer the conflict between the brushed metal interface and their white machine.
Give people the choice and let them decide.

[Jacob Martin]

I'm not a Mac user, but the brushed metal things is on my list of reasons to get a Mac laptop this Christmas and not a PC laptop. Maybe your efforts would be better spent encouraging people to make skins and themes for the existing Mac applications. (I am assuming this is possible.)

[mdb]

I won't get into useability differences, since that doesn't seem to be the focus here. Aesthetically, I don't like the brushed metal appearance since it's crass and hard on the eyes. That said, I don't like the stripes either. To me, pattern fills are cheesy and don't appeal to my minimalist preferences. However, I won't sign the petition, since it's not all that cogently written, and I and others can already express these sorts of issues to Apple's feedback page.

[Kent]

I think there are far more things to worry about than the brushed metal look. I don't mind it at all.

[Hugh Jass]

I like chocolate ice cream. And puppies. And long walks on the beach.

[machead]

Why is this site taking away internt bandwidth.

[Mac Arthurson]

The striped look was an attempt to have some continuity with the old look of OS 9, but unfortunately, it was a miserable failure. The brushed metal looks great, and I can't wait to see it throughout the system. And forget this "themes" thing. It's too Microsofty.

[caffeinated]

The metal finder is *awful*. There is *no* reason to make what I feel is the default application into a DeLorean door. I have been totally baffled by this decision since its announcement. The OS X team needs to get out more and clear their heads.

I really don't get it. Were people *complaining* about the 10.2 finder's design/functionality?

[Hurtle]

"I really don't get it. Were people *complaining* about the 10.2 finder's design/functionality? "

Yes

[richard longman]

totally agree. brushed metal is fine for selected AV applications but horrible on office and productivity software. very distracting. but i've also dumped the christmas tree/barbershop colours of aqua for the nice clean greys of the fatal e theme. recommend others do the same.

[kriz]

Two things, first a reply to ruprecht, no it is not possible to create interface themes for Mac OS X. While some people would like this Apple has stated many times that it is much more simple to for troubleshooting purposes to have a standard interface, in addition they don't want someones crappy theme to be associated with the OS by a casual observer.

Second, I like replacing the title bar witha more solid grey version, ala the collapsed window of panther, but I'm not sure about the new finder look. On the other hand I would like to ask people to wait and try it out first, maybe you'll like it.

Don't be like all those people who outright refused to even try OS X, and stick with OS 9 because it was different. Admittedly it may not be perfect but it is alot better than some people give it credit.