POLL: Is Yosemite UGLY or NOT?

[azentropy]

I don't think Yosemite is ugly. I just find the fonts too thin, light and jaggy and much harder to read on non-retina displays.

 

[joedec]

I think this is the wrong question. Its not attractive or unattractive that bothers me, its quality, missing information and clunky controls, all in the name of minimalism.

 

[BaldiMac]

Let's repeat the two lines:

Yosemite is UGLIER than ALL Prior versions of OS X
Yosemite is UGLIER than SOME prior versions of OS X

– there's the word uglier with EMPHASIS (UPPERCASE) – twice.

Do you believe that the emphases were overlooked; do you believe that voters were not capable of understanding the word 'UGLIER'?

Rather than repeating yourself, again, please to respond directly to the point I've made multiple times.

Let's look at your claim in another context:

Fake Poll:
1) Kate Upton is uglier than Jennifer Lawrence.
2) Jennifer Lawrence is uglier than Kate Upton.

Fake Results:
1) 50%
2) 50%

grahamperrin: maybe one in two people find Kate Upton remarkably ugly.

This is a ridiculous conclusion. Obviously, it is perfectly reasonable for someone to respond to the poll and still consider both women to be attractive.

In this topic you appeared to express concern about the people who write about the ugliness of Yosemite; concern about the fact that discussion was ongoing.

No, I didn't. That's not my post that you linked to.

 

[grahamperrin]

… Let's look at your claim in another context …

I suggest:

• at least, the contexts of the three posts that I quoted in my first post
• moreover, the context of the results of the poll, which are unmistakable at the head of each page to anyone who has an interest in voting here.

If you like, now could be a good time for you to extend this poll with your in-depth interpretations of those three posts. Your personal analyses of other people's opinions could add depth, transparency, modernity, freshness and focus on content to your arguments. (I hope you don't mind me parroting some of the words that are sometimes parroted in connection with the appearance of Yosemite. Those words do seem to be so widely applicable.) By all means do those things, and more, for your own entertainment; but please know that I'm more likely to value the written clarification of a voter.

If you're deeply concerned about the effects of ten words, their effects on discussion under this poll, then you could start a separate poll to:

• ask the individuals who voted 'UGLIER than …' whether they (a) did or (b) did not think of Yosemite as remarkably ugly at the time of their vote.

… That's not my post that you linked to.

Sorry about that, I got the first and third wow-givers confused.

I didn't help by saying wow in my own first post. For readers who might have misinterpreted that use of "wow": it was echoing the first "wow", which I thought was given too soon – only fifteen hours after the around-midnight (UK) opening of the poll. Like, "Wow, there's a month to go, let's do some sums really quickly"; I guess the irony was lost. Lesson learnt.

Statistics

… Fake Poll:
1) Kate Upton is uglier than Jennifer Lawrence.
2) Jennifer Lawrence is uglier than Kate Upton. …

In the rush to ridicule, your fakery of a poll resulted in something that bore little resemblance to the real poll; in reality there are six options for the voter.

Statistically, 2 ≠ 6

If my use of the word statistically is (a) ridiculous or (b) amazing – or if that use has (c) excessive spin for The Spin Police, please proceed accordingly.

 

[Schlaefer]

> Yosemite is PRETTIER than ALL Prior versions of OS X

It's a difficult option, because the pinstripe of early OS X Version does look outdated today. 2014: does 10.10 look prettier than 10.1: yes. From the perspective of the respective release year: do I perceive it as prettier than its predecessors taking in account all the evolution happened before: no.

So I choose: "Yosemite is UGLIER than ALL Prior versions of OS X"

 

[Joshoon]

That sort of invalidates your opinion...

Not really hahaha.
By that I mean that I really don't like the current Windows UI.
I found Windows 7 pretty attractive, but when Windows 8 released, I was pretty done with Windows.

And now when Yosemite is here, I am totally in love with Mac OS, while before, I didn't like the Mac OS interface that much.

 

[bbfc]

Not really hahaha.
By that I mean that I really don't like the current Windows UI.
I found Windows 7 pretty attractive, but when Windows 8 released, I was pretty done with Windows.

And now when Yosemite is here, I am totally in love with Mac OS, while before, I didn't like the Mac OS interface that much.

I was/still is a fan of Windows 7. Windows 8 however is not to my liking.

Yosemite grew on me. At first I wasn't sure, but the more I use it, the more I like it. Going back to Mavericks (or any previous version) now just doesn't feel right. There are definitely some inconsistencies/contradictions in the UI, but overall I like it.

 

[Joshoon]

I was/still is a fan of Windows 7. Windows 8 however is not to my liking.

Yosemite grew on me. At first I wasn't sure, but the more I use it, the more I like it. Going back to Mavericks (or any previous version) now just doesn't feel right. There are definitely some inconsistencies/contradictions in the UI, but overall I like it.

Exactly, same here!

 

[tkermit]

Good design means that beauty and usability are in balance.

[Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better]

Is Yosemite pretty? No doubt, it is.

Whether or not it's a better design than Mavericks is a whole other question...

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Is Yosemite pretty? No doubt, it is.

Whether or not it's a better design than Mavericks is a whole other question...

I don't know how you come to that conclusion. "Pretty" is subjective. I might find Yosemite still preferable to Windows8, visually, but that doesn't mean I think it's a step in the right direction. If anything, it's more like Windows than past versions of OS X, particularly Windows7.

I'm seeing about 50% overall so far (the poll is open for a month and not everyone knows it exists yet; only 241 have voted as of this post, after all) "preferring" Yosemite to ALL versions of OS X, implying it's not as good looking as prior versions. One in two is significant, but it's hardly an overwhelming endorsement of the changes made in Yosemite. And and additional 16% so far prefer it to Mavericks, one should note that Mavericks is closer to Yosemite than say Jaguar. Nearly 20% prefer a prior version of OSX overall visually and the rest don't really care one way or another.

It would be interesting to see how this breaks down according to age groups as well as I'm convinced that those who more recently bought iPhones and are used to the new Johnny Ive look are going to think OS X should look more like what they're not used to. I also cannot control perceptions of Yosemite based solely on limited snapshot photos, MOST of which on here keep emphasizing their BACKGROUND PHOTOS, NOT THE GUI.

In other words, like in real life, "votes" aren't always made with the same frame of reference of knowledge base. People have voted for politicians based on sex appeal, rather than platform. Here I would do the opposite. I would only upgrade if the FEATURES overwhelmed the visuals. In fact, if it weren't for improvements to dual-monitor support in Mavericks, I'd probably still be using Mountain Lion as it was nearly bug-free here and faster feeling as well.

I also can't account for people that simply choose not to vote or didn't see the thread in the first place (i.e. those who feel more strongly about the topic are more likely to find it, thus possibly skewing the marginals and "I don't care" factors to smaller numbers than would appear otherwise.

There's also the ever-present "Apple flavored Kool-Aid" factor whereby fanatical types will vote for literally everything Apple does since everything Apple does is good and therefore Apple can do no wrong and thus and it's simply not possible for Yosemite to be anything but BETTER. Given I don't know what the percentages of so-called "fan-boys" are on here (I've always suspected somewhere between 20-40% based on posting patterns), I can't say how much that sways the "true opinions" from the "automatically for Apple" ones.

Hence, this is just an informal poll to get some basic ideas whereas the argumentative threads on its ugly or beautiful only get a number of people emphasizing their preferences over and over. Someone suggested that only 2% find it ugly and they're just very vocal. Clearly they're off by AT LEAST a magnitude in error by that estimation.

 

[lJoSquaredl]

I didn't like the new iOS and it grew on me. Come to think of it I don't like a lot of new stuff, but it grows on me, and unless something is REALLY bad or just way worse than a prior version, i've learned to accept change. Things will change, things will evolve, gotta just go with the flow in life...unless it's truly a disgrace but I don't think Yosemite is that bad;P

 

[GlenK]

It's uglier but it appears users will get used to anything. If you want to be happy for the rest of your life.....

 

[grahamperrin]

> Good design means that beauty and usability are in balance.

[Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better]

Is Yosemite pretty? No doubt, it is.

Whether or not it's a better design than Mavericks is a whole other question...

That 2002 article is very interesting – thanks. From a short summary under Implications upon Design:

"… good human-centered design practices are most essential for tasks or situations that are stressful: distractions, bottlenecks, and irritations need to be minimized. …"​

Pre-release Yosemite is prettier to me, in most ways, than any released Apple operating system for Mac

However: some aspects of the appearance of Yosemite cause levels of stress that I can not tolerate. I have not tested with bottlenecks in mind, but the system certainly presents some very annoying distractions; and some of the looks are so frequently/deeply irritating that I prefer to avoid the system altogether. Those irritating looks are ultimately repellent – and that's one of the main reasons for me treating pre-release Yosemite as the ugliest of all operating systems from Apple.

Beyond ultimate ugliness: there a question about the harshness of my condemnation of the entire OS. I'll respond properly there, later. In the meantime:

• the harshness is a reasonable reaction to the unforgiving side that Yosemite shows to me
• I do not think I have condemned the entire OS …

 

[OldGuyTom]

At present the bona-fide dissatisfaction rate using this pole is in excess of 20% (1 in 5) with another roughly 10% either unfazed or not caring.

Considering that the OS is supposed to be an improvement, I consider that to be an extremely high dissatisfaction level. What I've found is that generally after a new OS is released there's usually a percentage of kickbacks, meaning those that turn back to a previous version because they either don't like the new version or there's some type of hardware/software compatibility problem. I would have to estimate that this is usually low, like 3-5%, but it's pure speculation.

A dissatisfaction level in excess of 20% is absolutely outrageous.

 

[ls1dreams]

I'm all about simplifying things, but everything Ive touches for software turns to crap.

These super-flat, child like themes just look terrible.

I thought I'd get used to iOS7, but almost a year later now, I still hate it.

Particular hates:

- Semi-transparency - WHY? Makes text harder to read, and you can't see things underneath it anyway.
- Volume overlays - FU so much. Why do you need to block my entire screen for 2 seconds just to show a volume icon and the level? Just show a small level near the bottom of the screen and get out of my way. Everytime this happens to me when I'm trying to watch a video I immediately get angry.

 

[grahamperrin]

Some past reactions

… What I've found is that generally after a new OS is released there's usually a percentage of kickbacks, meaning those that turn back to a previous version … estimate that this is usually low, like 3-5%, but it's pure speculation.

A dissatisfaction level in excess of 20% is absolutely outrageous.

Yesterday I sought a variety of keywords in titles of topics. The list below is not intended to be comprehensive or statistically significant. Just a few items of interest that may help to gauge the moods in previous years. Not forgetting that in some of those years, fewer people were publicly interested in Macs … and so on.

In chronological order

miss the stripes, but tiger ui is just ugly. (2005)
41 replies – 4,220 views

Tiger GUI (2005)
9 replies – 1,864 views

Dated OS X icons (2005)
15 replies – 1,630 views

Alternate Designs for Mac OS X? (2005)
4 replies – 717 views

Do you want a unified OS X look? (2006)
45 replies – 3,059 views – 157 voters

Do you like the Brushed Metal Look? (2006)
32 replies – 2,126 views – 92 voters

How can i Change the GUI of Mac os x tiger? (2006)
6 replies – 3,403 views

How Can I make OSX look like OS9 (2006)
2 replies – 1,035 views

Leopards new design (2007)
6 replies – 896 views

leopard GUI? (2007)
53 replies – 5,911 views

Leopard'd new GUI (2007)
9 replies – 847 views

The problem with all this unified GUI is... (2007)
9 replies – 882 views

Leopard's GUI is Ugly and End of Themes? (2007)
68 replies – 6,057 views

Do you prefer the look of Tiger, or Leopard? (2007)
48 replies – 3,204 views – 125 voters

Is it Worth These Setbacks: Stacks, Menu Bar Transparency, Folder Icon, Ugly Dock? (2007)
8 replies – 1,223 views

Leopard worse than Tiger!!! (2007)
154 replies – 15,862 views

Will OSX ever look as good as it once did? (2008)
77 replies – 4,677 views

One thing I really want in a new Mac OS X version is... (2008)

Overall look and appearance (Leopard) (2008)
7 replies – 949 views

Snow Leopard's New look (2009)
4 replies – 962 views

Is it just me or does everything looks worse in Snow Leopard? (2009)
9 replies – 1,802 views

Do some of these design decisions bug you? (2009)
6 replies – 593 views

Ugly GUI in some elements on Snow Leopard. WTF? (2009)
9 replies – 1,988 views

Lion Demographics(ish) Poll (2011)
0 replies – 377 views – 9 voters

"Flat design" coming in 10.9 also? (2013)

How dated is Mac OS's user interface? (2013)
11 replies – 1,961 views

What new Mavericks Apps could tell us about the future look of OS X (2013)

OS X Ivericks design concept (2013)
5 replies – 1,439 views

OSX flat? (2013)
15 replies – 1,969 views

OSX + iOS 7 flat design (2013)
1 replies – 963 views

How would you feel about OS X looking like iOS 7? (2014)
18 replies – 2,498 views – 46 voters

Hopefully no mix-ups with numbers above. Most of it was copy-and-paste and reordering.

 

[soloer]

I chose "Yosemite is PRETTIER than ALL Prior versions of OS X".. but really, I don't consider it pretty at all. I consider it pleasing to look at, not pretty.

 

[rmercier]

I chose "Yosemite is PRETTIER than ALL Prior versions of OS X".. but really, I don't consider it pretty at all. I consider it pleasing to look at, not pretty.

Agreed. I would also use the term "Calming" or "Soothing". I had to restore to Mavericks for all of a couple of hours...it was "Jarring"

 

[rick3000]

My initial reaction to Yosemite was that I did not like the look, it felt cartoonish and unprofessional compared to previous versions.

It has slowly grown on me and I am sure everyone, myself included, will adapt.

My two primary complaints are the forward/back buttons, and the trash can. (Come on, the metal trash can is iconic.) My favorite change has been streamlining the look of Reminders and Notes. I will wait to see the final UI, the beta has had a few issue with transparency that I have found very annoying.

 

[FrtzPeter]

If Apple wanted to impress people instead of taking a sledge hammer to the UI they might want to try focusing on something important, like getting their current OSes to work properly by fixing existing bugs.

 

[grahamperrin]

… I am sure everyone, myself included, will adapt. …

I like the positive attitude, but – sorry – not everyone will adapt.

 

[ZVH]

It would have been interesting if someone did this study at the release of say Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, etc. I would think the distribution of results would be more distributed, because none of the changes were radical, whereas Yosemite is.

 

[hugo525]

It is nothing more than just getting rid of the rivalry between Scott Forstall and Jony Ive... In this case, the former lost, and the latter just exercising his poor UI design concepts mismatched by his hardware designing talents.

After seeing iPhone 6, I am not so sure about his hardware designing talents. and I miss Jobs more and more.

 

[grahamperrin]

Past

It would have been interesting if someone did this study at the release of say Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, etc. I would think the distribution of results would be more distributed, because none of the changes were radical, whereas Yosemite is.

I can't find a comparable poll, sorry.

From the list of topics in post 66 above, from the busiest and most viewed topic, a few posts:

• https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4424707/
• https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4452429/
• https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4975902/

From the list of polls at Mac OS X Hints:

• Where should Safari's tab bar reside? (4,979 votes)
• Expose_and_Spaces (12,382 votes)
• What's your single most hated app/feature in 10.5? (2,697 votes)
• What's your single favorite app/feature in 10.5? (2,754 votes)
• The Obligatory Mountain Lion Poll (2,474 votes)

POLL: Snow Leopard or Lion? (2011)

Pre-release Yosemite

Earlier today I had, on screen, another poll. Now I can't find that page … see post 77 below.

 

[Solomani]

I vote pretty
Oh so pretty