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darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,355
10,106
Atlanta, GA
Another disaster in Big Sur -- the "Dock & Menu Bar" preference pane is the worst UI Apple has ever designed, I think? I loathe having to dig through it or make sense of it, especially because it also seems to control all sorts of stuff that is randomly scattered. Starting to look like Windows 10's Control Panel.

Except for the addition of the Menu Bar control at the bottom that Pane hasn't changed in years... but of course it's a Big Sur problem. LOL

But I just access a lot of that by right-clicking on the dock.
 
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lupinglade

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2010
273
243
Except for the addition of the Menu Bar control at the bottom that Pane hasn't changed in years... but of course it's a Big Sur problem. LOL

But I just access a lot of that by right-clicking on the dock.
Are you really not seeing all the additions on the side bar and the mess they all lead into?
 

lupinglade

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2010
273
243
disaster? first, how much time will you be spending there? second... having options, grouped together is... a bad thing? people on this forum can find fault with anything, & have too much time on their hands.

(that includes me, too) :rolleyes:
And here I thought you left this thread. That does include you indeed. By the way, this is exactly what the thread is about.

There are too many controls in one place in this preference pane, finding things is a PITA. On top of that, they aren't really good in one place; most of these things made a lot more sense when they sat in their respective preference pane - like Date, Bluetooth, etc. In general, I really think the way the Control Center/menu bar items are configured is very unintuitive and not Apple-like. It's a mess of a UI.

Adding a Control Center preference pane would have been a better choice.

TBH, I think Control Center is redundant to begin with, never use it on my Mac. Everything in there that I use I already want/have in the menu bar, so what good is it to have that duplicate functionality in a pulldown? Would be nice to be able to remove it/turn it off.
 
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fisherking

macrumors G4
Jul 16, 2010
11,251
5,561
ny somewhere
And here I thought you left this thread. That does include you indeed.

This is too many controls in one place, finding things is a PITA. On top of that, they aren't really good in one place; most of these things made a lot more sense when they sat in their respective preference pane - like Date, Bluetooth, etc. In general, I really think the way the Control Center/menu bar items are configured is very unintuitive and not Apple-like. It's a mess of a UI.

TBH, I think Control Center is redundant to begin with, never use it on my Mac. Everything in there that I use I already want/have in the menu bar, so what good is it to have that duplicate functionality in a pulldown? Would be nice to be able to remove it/turn it off.
and that's what makes life interesting, our different opinions. i like the control center; neat, simple, easy to get to things i need. and have no problem with the preference pane; set things up as you need, and you don't have to return to it again.

i feel it's like saying "system preferences is a PITA, there are too many controls in one place". but so it goes; this is apple, and they do what they want, and we adapt... or not.
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,355
10,106
Atlanta, GA
Are you really not seeing all the additions on the side bar and the mess they all lead into?
Sorry, thought you were taking about the Dock Pane itself. I'm fine with the side bar, and they all make sense to me, but if you think its cluttered now imagine feeding all of that into a single pane. The only bad UX aspect to it is a stylistic inconsistency when compared to some of the other panes like Notifications and Accessibility.
 
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lupinglade

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2010
273
243
and that's what makes life interesting, our different opinions. i like the control center; neat, simple, easy to get to things i need. and have no problem with the preference pane; set things up as you need, and you don't have to return to it again.

i feel it's like saying "system preferences is a PITA, there are too many controls in one place". but so it goes; this is apple, and they do what they want, and we adapt... or not.

System Preferences was always well designed because it was very organized and limited controls to a reasonable amount. They worked hard to keep things simple and useful. That's why I singled out this "disaster", because it is not following that pattern. Of course I don't spend much time in there, but it's still a shame to see this.
 

fisherking

macrumors G4
Jul 16, 2010
11,251
5,561
ny somewhere
System Preferences was always well designed because it was very organized and limited controls to a reasonable amount. They worked hard to keep things simple and useful. That's why I singled out this "disaster", because it is not following that pattern. Of course I don't spend much time in there, but it's still a shame to see this.
seems fine to me... and obviously, to apple's design team, and all the people not complaining about it here.
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,355
10,106
Atlanta, GA
System Preferences was always well designed because it was very organized and limited controls to a reasonable amount. They worked hard to keep things simple and useful. That's why I singled out this "disaster", because it is not following that pattern. Of course I don't spend much time in there, but it's still a shame to see this.
The only difference between the Control Center sidebar and the top toggle bar in Keyboard, for example, is the number of options. So how would you redesign the Preferences Panes for Control Center, Notifications, Accessibility, and Extensions, which all have a lot of options, without copping out and saying "Get rid of them because I don't need them"? Which control mechanism would you standardize across all those Panes? Keep in mind that much like using CC in iOS, your sidebar alternative needs to be flexible enough to allow for additional Control Center controls in the future. Its also worth mentioning that the Keyboard preference Pane in Snow Leopard also had a sidebar so its not really correct to say that Big Sur has moved away from some previous simplicity.
 
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colourfastt

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2009
1,047
964
There are too many controls in one place in this preference pane, finding things is a PITA. On top of that, they aren't really good in one place; most of these things made a lot more sense when they sat in their respective preference pane - like Date, Bluetooth, etc. In general, I really think the way the Control Center/menu bar items are configured is very unintuitive and not Apple-like. It's a mess of a UI.
The irony abounds: for years (generic) people have bitched and moaned that the interface can't be "customised like Windows"; now, Apple have added all sorts of controls to allow for more personalised customisation, and "WAH!! There are too many controls!! WAH!!".
 
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lupinglade

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2010
273
243
The irony abounds: for years (generic) people have bitched and moaned that the interface can't be "customised like Windows"; now, Apple have added all sorts of controls to allow for more personalised customisation, and "WAH!! There are too many controls!! WAH!!".
Its not irony when it's not the same people. Some people just have higher standards for a usable UI.
 
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nickdalzell1

macrumors 68030
Dec 8, 2019
2,787
1,670
I just dug out my 2012 Toshiba Satellite laptop, which originally was a launch model for Windows 8. I had wiped it after the nightmare Win8 was to use and had put Linux on it. It's running an old KDE, based on Ubuntu 14.04, and long unsupported today. If not for my server on the same wifi acting as a certificate authority MITM the version of Firefox wouldn't do HTTPS much less Macrumors. But here it is. I had at the time themed it to resemble Windows Vista, and unlike simply changing the launchers or icon packs on Android (or dealing with the limited means on Big Sur to revert it back to Mountain Lion) this theme actually extends to any app, including firefox

snapshot2.png


snapshot3.png
 

Heat_Fan89

macrumors 68030
Feb 23, 2016
2,898
3,762
Windows 8 and 10 was the final straw for me. am now on macOS
Just the opposite for me. I'm winding down macOS after 20 years and moving towards Windows 10. For me it's currently the better OS. As a gamer NOTHING comes close to what Microsoft has done integrating the Windows and XBOX platforms, it's damn smooth. I also prefer the Windows App store over the Apple store. Cost of software and hardware is a lot less on the Microsoft side.

As far as bugs, stability and ease of use, it's a wash. Anyone can make a case the other side sucks. We are at the point where if someone wants to use Windows, macOS or Linux, they'll enjoy the experience and be able to accomplish most of their tasks.
 

Heat_Fan89

macrumors 68030
Feb 23, 2016
2,898
3,762
System Preferences was always well designed because it was very organized and limited controls to a reasonable amount. They worked hard to keep things simple and useful. That's why I singled out this "disaster", because it is not following that pattern. Of course I don't spend much time in there, but it's still a shame to see this.
It's all how you view things. It could have been well organized to you but to the next person it wasn't. Now it's a cluster#@%! to you and the other person might say it's awesome. You can't please everyone. I personally don't have a problem finding what i'm looking for in system perf but times change. If you compare the settings app in iOS 5 vs iOS 14 there's a massive and stark difference but the reality is you adjust.
 

TBoneMac

macrumors 6502
Nov 26, 2017
300
100
CA
Just the opposite for me. I'm winding down macOS after 20 years and moving towards Windows 10. For me it's currently the better OS. As a gamer NOTHING comes close to what Microsoft has done integrating the Windows and XBOX platforms, it's damn smooth. I also prefer the Windows App store over the Apple store. Cost of software and hardware is a lot less on the Microsoft side.

As far as bugs, stability and ease of use, it's a wash. Anyone can make a case the other side sucks. We are at the point where if someone wants to use Windows, macOS or Linux, they'll enjoy the experience and be able to accomplish most of their tasks.
Sadly we’re still at a point where using a Mac will make almost everyone call you a retard/moron/sheep/can’t discern for themselves/low iq

especially gamers

):

seems that they actually think they’re better than us just because they use a windows computer like most people.
 

CasualFanboy

macrumors 6502
Jun 26, 2020
382
679
I'm still getting my head around why some windows are easier to 'grab' (click-drag) than others. It's very inconsistent, which is somewhat ironic given Apple touts Big Sur as a more cohesive experience.

It's especially bad in Safari because there's no visual clue as to where the boundaries are between extensions and areas you can grab, which leaves you with very little room to manoeuvre. Furthermore, the visual 'button' that appears when you hover over an item isn't an indication that that is the boundary box - there's still a lot of area surrounding them that can't be grabbed. And the area around the bookmarks is different again!

I really do miss Aqua, it was more consistent than this nonsense.

I'm telling you, man. Big Sur is not about UI design. It's a psychological experiment, Apple's version of MK Ultra to see how far a human being can be pushed, while using the secret webcam technology to measure physical reactions. I wouldn't be surprised if the new keyboards can record your blood pressure, muscle tension, and cortisol levels.

The people running Apple have amassed so much "**** you" money that they can afford the devastating hit in reputation points. All in the name of Science!™ of course.

I'm going to ride out Catalina to the bitter end.
 
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CasualFanboy

macrumors 6502
Jun 26, 2020
382
679
If you compare the settings app in iOS 5 vs iOS 14 there's a massive and stark difference but the reality is you adjust.

Well, changes are not inherently negative or positive. Plus, subjectivity and the inability to "please everyone" are not new phenomena, yet Apple was able for decades to stand out among a wide range of user types - from casual grandma web surfers to advanced engineers - with a product that motivated people to buy it and stick with it. You could do just about anything you wanted with an Apple computer.

They were different enough to attract adventurous and creative types, but not just different for the sake of being different in some haphazard desperate attempt to be different.

Yeah, the reality is that you adjust, if you're motivated to adjust. You may adjust by switching to another product. If I stay with Apple with my next purchase, it's only because at that moment in time, I tried and failed to find something clearly better. Apple used to strive for more than that. You didn't buy Apple products as a testament to how mind-numbingly bad their competitors were.

And that's where we are now. Tim Cook simply does not have the necessary qualities to run an innovative, energetic, creative company. Of course, very few could have ever taken the place of Steve Jobs, but there's a hell of a lot of people who could have come closer than Tim Cook.
 

Heat_Fan89

macrumors 68030
Feb 23, 2016
2,898
3,762
Sadly we’re still at a point where using a Mac will make almost everyone call you a retard/moron/sheep/can’t discern for themselves/low iq

especially gamers

):

seems that they actually think they’re better than us just because they use a windows computer like most people.
I don't find that to be true anymore. People have moved on, it's no longer the 90's. Apple also did a nice job of stoking the flames with their ads between the differences between OS X and Windows. But times have changed and I think most have just moved on. Windows 10 and macOS are pretty much on equally terms, it's boils down to preference.

As far as gamers go, keep in mind you are typically dealing with a tribalism crowd i.e. Playstation kicks Microsoft's butt or Microsoft so much better than Sony. It's juvenile.
 
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Heat_Fan89

macrumors 68030
Feb 23, 2016
2,898
3,762
Well, changes are not inherently negative or positive. Plus, subjectivity and the inability to "please everyone" are not new phenomena, yet Apple was able for decades to stand out among a wide range of user types - from casual grandma web surfers to advanced engineers - with a product that motivated people to buy it and stick with it. You could do just about anything you wanted with an Apple computer.

They were different enough to attract adventurous and creative types, but not just different for the sake of being different in some haphazard desperate attempt to be different.

Yeah, the reality is that you adjust, if you're motivated to adjust. You may adjust by switching to another product. If I stay with Apple with my next purchase, it's only because at that moment in time, I tried and failed to find something clearly better. Apple used to strive for more than that. You didn't buy Apple products as a testament to how mind-numbingly bad their competitors were.

And that's where we are now. Tim Cook simply does not have the necessary qualities to run an innovative, energetic, creative company. Of course, very few could have ever taken the place of Steve Jobs, but there's a hell of a lot of people who could have come closer than Tim Cook.
But it's a different company and those who were involved in the creation of hardware and software have moved on. Jobs, Ive's, Forstall are no longer with the company. Big Sur is just another coat of paint on macOS but I still find a way to find things and navigate within the OS.
 

nickdalzell1

macrumors 68030
Dec 8, 2019
2,787
1,670
If an OS or UI is bland, sterile, feels like work, I simply stop using it. I will not get used to something I hate. A phone, laptop, tablet, etc is an extension of one's personality. I like skeuomorphism. It made it fun to use a device. It didn't need 'night shift' or 'dark mode' because it wasn't trying to burn my eyes in. Once, it was a reason I adored Apple. They nailed it. Android was merely trying and failing. We are in flat land still 8 years later and nothing is improving! Why was 6 years of ever-evolving skeuo suddenly dated while 8 years of reliving DeskMate the future? Does anyone have a logical answer to this? why are pushing 4K to render text and line-graphics?! Why not just devolve video games to 8-bit and call that 'modern?' Why not also flatten interfaces in cars? (please, let it not get that far!) Why not go back to 'traditional' 2-d animation as if it were the 1930's again? People accuse me of being stuck in the past, or those like me as 'holding back the future' but all I see is UI design and software attempting to go back to the 80s-90s again for no reason, certainly not hardware limitations. Keep in mind NO consumer demand dictated this change. the OEMs are supposed to listen to consumers, yet for the last 8 years consumers have been told to 'just get used to it!'

If a company had said that 20 years ago, it would put them into bankruptcy. Supply and demand. Or have free market economics suddenly changed lately?
 

fisherking

macrumors G4
Jul 16, 2010
11,251
5,561
ny somewhere
If an OS or UI is bland, sterile, feels like work, I simply stop using it. I will not get used to something I hate. A phone, laptop, tablet, etc is an extension of one's personality. I like skeuomorphism. It made it fun to use a device. It didn't need 'night shift' or 'dark mode' because it wasn't trying to burn my eyes in. Once, it was a reason I adored Apple. They nailed it. Android was merely trying and failing. We are in flat land still 8 years later and nothing is improving! Why was 6 years of ever-evolving skeuo suddenly dated while 8 years of reliving DeskMate the future? Does anyone have a logical answer to this? why are pushing 4K to render text and line-graphics?! Why not just devolve video games to 8-bit and call that 'modern?' Why not also flatten interfaces in cars? (please, let it not get that far!) Why not go back to 'traditional' 2-d animation as if it were the 1930's again? People accuse me of being stuck in the past, or those like me as 'holding back the future' but all I see is UI design and software attempting to go back to the 80s-90s again for no reason, certainly not hardware limitations. Keep in mind NO consumer demand dictated this change. the OEMs are supposed to listen to consumers, yet for the last 8 years consumers have been told to 'just get used to it!'

If a company had said that 20 years ago, it would put them into bankruptcy. Supply and demand. Or have free market economics suddenly changed lately?
huh. big sur on both my macs looks fine; modern, simple. and the OS is working really well... the thing i care most about it.

this is apple we're talking about? they've always moved at their own pace, in their own way, and we tag along... or don't. they're not a company driven by 'consumer demand', and that's what keeps them moving forward, instead of holding back, to appease those who are afraid of what's next.

breath, give it time, and you'll be fine. it's just an OS, and it's the real work (whatever that is, ie email, surfing, writing, editing photos, etc etc) that matters most, and the OS is doing just fine... doing it's job.
 
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