July 1st is going to be an extra special great day for us all on this thread. Jony Ive is getting his "so called promotion". Good luck to him. Hopefully, it will be good riddance for his input in OS X and iOS. Well, I surely hope so.
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Yosemite looks terrible!
- Thread starter OldGuyTom
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Ah ok. I thought those were post numbers, not thread numbers
On sites like MacRumors the title is typically shown at the top of the page, and there are other ways of seeing the full page title (such as hovering over a tab). However, if the absence of a title bar bothers you that much, simply use Firefox with it enabled.
I agree there should be a preference in Safari to bring it back for those who wish to do so. Same goes for the default behavior of the green button in Yosemite.
A roundup
There are many annoying things in Yosemite, most if not all of those things are already in (or linked from) this topic.
Personally, with https://appleseed.apple.com/sp/welcome as my starting point, in particular:
– the appearance of prerelease Yosemite fell far below the quality, below the standards that I had learnt to expect from Apple.
So deeply substandard, with little or no hope of a pleasing appearance, that I withdrew from testing and lost faith in the abilities of the overseers who were ultimately responsible for a displeasing milestone release. The rest is history. For the record, I can not fault the seed team.
Web browsers
Amongst my key phrases: at-a-glance.
That's a move of the pointer, then a wait, then a glance at the title.
If Yosemite were the only operating system, I would prefer OmniWeb. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/19487265 for a partial explanation. Plus I have thousands of .webarchive files that Firefox can not open, and so on.
Other topics with consideration of alternatives to Safari 8 include:
There are many annoying things in Yosemite, most if not all of those things are already in (or linked from) this topic.
Personally, with https://appleseed.apple.com/sp/welcome as my starting point, in particular:
"We want to collect feedback from our customers to improve the overall quality of our products"
– the appearance of prerelease Yosemite fell far below the quality, below the standards that I had learnt to expect from Apple.
So deeply substandard, with little or no hope of a pleasing appearance, that I withdrew from testing and lost faith in the abilities of the overseers who were ultimately responsible for a displeasing milestone release. The rest is history. For the record, I can not fault the seed team.
Web browsers
Amongst my key phrases: at-a-glance.
That's a move of the pointer, then a wait, then a glance at the title.
If Yosemite were the only operating system, I would prefer OmniWeb. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/19487265 for a partial explanation. Plus I have thousands of .webarchive files that Firefox can not open, and so on.
Other topics with consideration of alternatives to Safari 8 include:
- https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/19540193 and other posts under The value of addresses/locations/paths/URLs in Safari, and of title bars in general (2014-07-26)
- https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/21502068 and other posts under Non OS X Alternatives to OS X Yosemite (2014-12-20).
For true masochists, you can now have the worst of both worlds:
You can now make your Windows PC look just like Yosemite!
http://www.thememypc.com/yosemite-transformation-pack-2-0/
You can now make your Windows PC look just like Yosemite!
http://www.thememypc.com/yosemite-transformation-pack-2-0/
Yosemite Transformation Pack 2.0 will transform your Windows 8.1/8/7/Vista/XP user interface to Mac OS X Yosemite, including OS X Yosemite Boot Screen, Login Screen, Themes, Icons, Wallpapers, Sounds, Fonts, Dock, Dashboard, Spaces, Launchpad and more.
Etan
Faint praise for San Francisco in El Capitan review by Ars Technica:
First look: OS X El Capitan brings a little Snow Leopard to Yosemite by Andrew Cunningham
Jun 15, 2015 3:00pm EDT
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/0...st-beta-is-a-promising-heap-of-refinements/2/
Gee, sure is funny Ars Technica never mentioned this blurring problem when salivating over Yosemite in the opus magnum review they introduced to the clash of symbols and a heavenly choir!
Etan
… San Francisco might actually help with readability on non-Retina displays. Since characters are generally narrower but taller, there's a very small increase in the amount of space between letters, and letters like "a" and "e" don't blur into themselves as much as they did in Helvetica Neue. The post-Yosemite UI is obviously optimized for Retina displays, but San Francisco helps keep the characters from blurring together the way they sometimes can on standard screens.
This is apparently as close as Ars Technica is willing to go in finally acknowledging the font blurriness they virtually ignored when earlier fawning over Yosemite!
First look: OS X El Capitan brings a little Snow Leopard to Yosemite by Andrew Cunningham
Jun 15, 2015 3:00pm EDT
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/0...st-beta-is-a-promising-heap-of-refinements/2/
Gee, sure is funny Ars Technica never mentioned this blurring problem when salivating over Yosemite in the opus magnum review they introduced to the clash of symbols and a heavenly choir!
Etan
San Francisco Heights
Am I the only person who finds it peculiar that uppercase characters generally appear not as high as lowercase? https://twitter.com/grahamperrin/status/615066561481732096
Am I the only person who finds it peculiar that uppercase characters generally appear not as high as lowercase? https://twitter.com/grahamperrin/status/615066561481732096
This is the problem that many face. I would love to be rid of my google mail, but have had it so long that I am reluctant to ditch many years of correspondence.
I have concerns with the San Francisco font appearing lighter than Helvetica Neue. That's what I've noticed with the El Cap screenshots I've seen to date on MacRumors and other sites. Apple might as well offer a bold option like they did in iOS 7, but that may not be possible to do in OS X. I do understand this is the first betas, and hopefully the San Francisco font gets darker in weight.
In all the non-retina screenshots I've seen SF looks much more readable than Helvetica in Yosemite. Thinner doesn't necessarily mean harder to read – SF appears to be hinted better than Helvetica.
Yosemite is simply a reflection of Apples preferences as a mobile focused gadget / smartphone maker that just happens to build a line of computers. Convergence between iOS and OS X seems to be the direction their headed like it or not. It's no worse then any other change they make primarily for profit.
Thanks, Paulk - I likewise always look forward to your posts as well!
maxsix, your comment brings back to fore the earlier discussion in this thread regarding Apple's choice of convergence methods coming at the expense of those of us who use and depend on our Macintosh computers. In re-reviewing Ars Technica's massive and glowing review at the introduction of Yosemite, I noticed an ironic sub-heading for that part of their review, at page 20 whose irony and significance I had previously missed:
One will, one resolve, one cause
The historic lack of integration between iOS and OS X is shocking in retrospect. The interaction concepts and visual treatments that did migrate from iOS to OS X tended to arrive as invasive species. Some technology—but precious few ideas—moved in the opposite direction.… Mavericks was released in the middle of this course correction, remaining uncomfortably out of step with iOS.
Yosemite and iOS 8 are the first great victories for the newly collaborative Apple. The visual coherence between the products blessedly obsoletes the former one-way mimicry and reflects a deeper technological unity.…
The historic lack of integration between iOS and OS X is shocking in retrospect. The interaction concepts and visual treatments that did migrate from iOS to OS X tended to arrive as invasive species. Some technology—but precious few ideas—moved in the opposite direction.… Mavericks was released in the middle of this course correction, remaining uncomfortably out of step with iOS.
Yosemite and iOS 8 are the first great victories for the newly collaborative Apple. The visual coherence between the products blessedly obsoletes the former one-way mimicry and reflects a deeper technological unity.…
Later, that choice of words in the sub-heading, as well as Siracusa's praise of trying to turn the Mac into merely an oversize iPhone, bounced around in my head. Isn't that what Steve Jobs was condemning in "1984" -
(the hammer thrower) races towards a large screen with the image of a Big Brother-like figure… giving a speech:
Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology—where each worker may bloom, secure from the pests purveying contradictory truths. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(advertisement)
Was that merely an inside joke or is that what John Siracusa and Ars Technica are praising???
Etan
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Call me naïve, but I had no idea that people were being forced to post and read messages on this thread against their will!
I had assumed that all of us who frequently visit this thread to read and comment were doing so voluntarily.
Best wishes, Etan
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In addition, a careful reading of the ongoing commentary demonstrates, I think, that we are not necessarily advocating for a return to the so-called "dated pre-Yosemite theme" nor is the discussion merely about themes. It's not a debate about whether some theoretical tool is best represented on screen by a drawing of Popeye or by a picture of a can of spinach; and in fact it is a trivialization of the seriousness of the subject to suggest that it is simply or necessarily "a longing for the good old days." Everyone who chose or chooses Macintosh chooses progress, but progress is about enhancement and improvement in the use of a product, not about reducing its usefulness.
Thus, the discussion in this thread is about an awareness that Apple's current implementation of Yosemite has damaged functionality of production and legibility and visibility of the printed words on screen; and that this serious damage must somehow be undone soon by some effective means, or the percentage of productivity shops and workers choosing the Mac platform is going to drop off considerably.
Respectfully,
Etan
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Having said all that I think this thread is useful, I've followed it for quite some time, and it has been educational for me as not being a particularly "computerate" user.
If, as some have argued on this thread, that the changes made to both Microsoft and Mac bring them closer together, it makes sense. I don't have "devices" to enable comparison but I sense that the Microsoft domination of gaming needs to be challenged by Mac, if Mac are not to lose many of the younger generation. Boot Camp and buying a windows programme are not enough to keep the Mac share of the market t present levels.
If, as some have argued on this thread, that the changes made to both Microsoft and Mac bring them closer together, it makes sense. I don't have "devices" to enable comparison but I sense that the Microsoft domination of gaming needs to be challenged by Mac, if Mac are not to lose many of the younger generation. Boot Camp and buying a windows programme are not enough to keep the Mac share of the market t present levels.
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I spent the last 2 days being stuck having to use a Yosemite system. I always brushed off the complaints about sticking the web address right in the title bar, or I suppose conversely getting rid of the title bar, probably because I never used Yosemite long enough to be irritated by it, but good lord, is that ever annoying! By habit I just tend to grab the top of the window and move it but now I do this and I'm right in the middle of a web entry field, frequently modifying entries I had no intention of navigating, and finding I have to go out of my way just to move a window around. It's almost as if someone sat down and said, "How best can we annoy people."
On top of that, the user who installed this did this against my recommendations. I told her she might have network problems because she connects wirelessly and Yosemite is known for them, and guess what? She has wireless connectivity problems. I asked her why she did this and she told me that another "expert" who just happens to be an elementary school teacher told her it was awesome. Why should anyone listen to the advice of an Apple certified consultant when they can get sound advice from someone specializing in grades 1-4? On top of all that, somehow or other Yosemite managed to wipe out her contacts and a bunch of other information when syncing between iOS 8 and Yosemite. She contacted the local Apple store and wanted this fixed ASAP, but they couldn't give her an appointment for 4 days!! She said normally appointments could be made on the same day or the next day. Gee….I wonder what's causing that!
I look at it this way: The cartoonish appearance of the OS does its quality justice!
On top of that, the user who installed this did this against my recommendations. I told her she might have network problems because she connects wirelessly and Yosemite is known for them, and guess what? She has wireless connectivity problems. I asked her why she did this and she told me that another "expert" who just happens to be an elementary school teacher told her it was awesome. Why should anyone listen to the advice of an Apple certified consultant when they can get sound advice from someone specializing in grades 1-4? On top of all that, somehow or other Yosemite managed to wipe out her contacts and a bunch of other information when syncing between iOS 8 and Yosemite. She contacted the local Apple store and wanted this fixed ASAP, but they couldn't give her an appointment for 4 days!! She said normally appointments could be made on the same day or the next day. Gee….I wonder what's causing that!
I look at it this way: The cartoonish appearance of the OS does its quality justice!
I guess I am happy with Mountain Lion. If and when I get a new computer I will have to consider more carefully between Mac and Microsoft. So in that sense I've learned a lot from this thread.
I guess I am happy with Mountain Lion. If and when I get a new computer I will have to consider more carefully between Mac and Microsoft. So in that sense I've learned a lot from this thread.
It will be a very sad day for me when and if I have to leave Mac, but in the meantime I am hedging my bet by running Windows 10 Insider Preview within Parallels to see whether the competition, under their new command and mission, is doing any better in taking care of its users. So far, it does not appear that they are trying to turn PCs into giant Windows cell phones, despite their claims of a unified OS under Windows 10.
And of course I am still hoping against hope that Apple sees the light as to productivity users' complaints and does some sort of course correction soon! Then the commenter above can start referring to Yosemite as "dated", right?
Etan
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