Past, present and future interface OS X

I do not give rest interface of the new OS X 10.10, which promises to be very interesting. Opinions about the justification of the use therein of a flat interface divided. Many users still feel the irrelevance of its application in the desktop operating system, others, including myself, believe that the redesign of OS X and the inevitable does happen. In fact, Mac OS is on the threshold of global changes is not the first time. If you look into the past and to dig deeper, we can see that Apple has come a long way, polishing the user interface of its desktop OS to the species to which we are all accustomed to.

blog author 512 pixels I conducted a study of the formation of a stunning interface Mac OS, and followed its development over the last 22 years. IN article he tells in great detail about this, and based on a story to make predictions about the new OS X 10.10, which is already on the way.

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Development of a new OS is a truly monumental task. Back in January 2000, when the interface Aqua, Apple was presented was full of worries for the transition to OS X. During the development process, aimed at merging Mac OS and NeXTSTEP, Apple is hard at work on the user interface OS X. But to understand what will be OS X (and how it will look), it is important to remember how it all began.

Visual history of Mac OS

Starting with the original Macintosh, and up to 6 System Mac OS looked almost the same:

In 1991, System 7, the user interface for the first time got color:

At the same time Apple has been quite conservative, adding color to the interface Mac OS.

Mac OS 8 has brought more color with the new interface Platinum. Note the monochrome stripes in the design of windows and simple operation - even here the use of color is quite restrained.

Mac OS 8 was released 12 years after the original Macintosh, however, more than 10 years has remained the same user interface. The screens have grown in size, it has added support for color, but Apple was moving very slowly.

NeXT

At that time, as Apple virtually froze the development of Mac OS, NeXT team worked tirelessly. The debut release of the NeXTSTEP, submitted in September 1989, had a monochrome interface, but later editions were full color, including OpenStep (see. photo below).

NeXT was ahead of Apple not only in the field of interfaces, but also in terms of functionality, offering a new generation of operating systems. Kupertinovtsy at the time could not create something like this on their own, and this was one of prichinpokupki NeXT in 1996, which also came back to Apple's Steve Jobs.

The path to OS X

After buying Apple Announces Rhapsody operating system based from BSD, the working on a microkernel Mach. The system comprises an object-oriented framework Yellow Box API and environment Blue Box environment, providing compatibility with the classic applications Mac OS, as well as a virtual Java-machine.

In other words, Rhapsody has been a bridge between the old and the new. In addition, here Apple has tested a new interface for its new operating system.

Here's how the company describes its work:

Rhapsody will combine elements of both systems (Mac OS and NeXTSTEP), but will look similar to the Finder in Mac OS. We understand that customers need a common interface the two operating systems for deployment within an organization. It is important for learning and ease of use. One advantage of NeXT is to support multi-user interface paradigms.

Rhapsody was ready in August 1997, but it looked like a Mac OS NeXT with pieces of design:

Finally, in March 1999, Rhapsody became Mac OS X Server 1.0. It still remained salad of interface elements Mac OS and OpenSteps. However, it was the first release branded OS from Apple, based on NeXT.

After Mac OS X Server 1.0, Apple released a series of previews for developers (Mac OS X DP 1 and Mac OS X DP 2), which already look very familiar.

Aqua. Start

In January of 2000, Apple announces a new interface for OS X, called Aqua.

This user interface was designed to use all the possibilities of modern "iron" new "Poppy" and visually in harmony with it. Rich colors brand new iMac and iBook looked just fine with colorful and shiny elements Aqua interface.

For the first time we saw a part of Aqua OS X DP3:

This is how the Aqua John Siracusa in his review:

Anyone who has seen the screenshots know that Aqua looks very nice. Apple's attention to detail, even in the first closed release is impressive. All polished and smooth. interface elements look as good as the screenshots on the Apple site. Some of them are even better!

However, at the Aqua were still lining. Here's another quote Syracuse:

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I believe that Mac OS X DP3 is such a case. She certainly looks beautiful and impressive in action, but the devil is in the details, and a lot of things to work correctly Aqua. Doc became completely useless. It does not need to fix, and completely removed from the system by replacing a set of components that would be better served as a comprehensive dock separately, which is just awful. Finder still needs work, but he is on the right track with its new interface in the browser-style and traditional windows. The core of the operating system is very powerful and interesting as ever. As in the case of the DP2, I never was able to "hang" the system. Its performance is very good, despite all the beauty (except gin on G3 and change the background window sizes on both machines). I still enjoy the technical aspects of Mac OS X, and I hope that Apple listens to its users and to change some of the decisions in the interface Mac OS X.

In the screenshot above are clearly visible all the described problems with the interface elements of the original release. Doc - horrible transparency to make the text unreadable on some elements (eg window titles), and single-application mode is turned into the trash. Besides, I got annoying  logo in the center of the menu bar.

Interesting fact.  menu was still in the left side of the menu bar. It is so prityagivlo attention that users are often missed, trying to open a menu of complex applications.

Meanwhile, after four DP and public beta in March 2001 out 10.0 Cheetah. Apple has corrected a lot of oddities Aqua, including the logo :

Looking at the photo above, current Mac users do not find anything unusual. For many years, the interface OS X remains unchanged. After iron "Poppy" was the match the interface requirements, the Aqua shone.

Mac OS X 10.1 Puma was very similar to the 10.0:

A Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar was similar to Puma:

Aqua decline

Now the interface's OS X Aqua little left. And although the interface is relevant at the moment OS X 10.9 Mavericks clearly it originates from the fact that Apple introduced the world 13 years ago, today it is already outdated.

Changes since kick-start with 10.3 Panther, gradually come to naught. Many of Aqua fundamental bases remained intact but strips, repeating the design of poppies last time, were replaced with matt brushed metal:

in Panther buttons and scrollbars seem out of place next to a matte metal, the same applies to the windows and controls. Mac OS X Tiger went Panther line, although Apple really has made several improvements to the interface, including the font smoothing and dialog boxes. But as you can see from the screenshot below, even in the interface of 10.4 is still found some Aqua-like elements:

But with the release of Tiger's successor, there were radical changes.

Leopard interface fell like snow on his head. The bars on the windows were smoothed and brushed metal removed. Rounded corners, framing the distant 1984, the menu bar has also been removed.

Snow Leopard and «Marble»

According to rumors, Snow Leopard was supposed to get the interface in a single style, called «Marble»:

The new theme is likely to combine the existing design and maybe "flattening» Aqua, together with elements of iTunes and iPhoto interface.

While this rumor was a very strange and in the end, it was not confirmed - 10.6 does not contain the new interface. Anyway.

Modern OS X

In October 2010, Apple conducts press event «Back to the Mac.»

During the Event Company announces Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The new OS is to bring a lot of iOS-features including full-screen applications, enhanced support for gestures and Launchpad.

Lion continued path overthrow Aqua, launched Leopard, and brought out the iOS design elements such as stitched leather and linen backing.

Just look at the poor iCal:

10.8 Mountain Lion continued this trend, corrected many deficiencies Lion.

Today, OS X Mavericks similar to its predecessor 10.6 is much more than others:

Skevomorficheskie elements 10.7 and 10.8 are already considered obsolete his own. And Mavericks is almost nothing left of our old friend Aqua. I'm not even sure that this name is still in use, at least, is washed away, in which Steve Jobs introduced it to us for more than ten years ago.

Future

It goes a huge amount of the rumors that the Mac OS X 10.10 will receive a new interface.

Looking at the icons iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, immediately struck by their resemblance:

Both icons were presented at the WWDC last year, but the Mavericks received only a small interface updates, no more than the care of stitched leather and linen substrates. This is not a redesign.

This year, however, many people find that OS X will undergo a visual change. A few weeks ago it was announced and Mark Gurman of 9to5 Mac:

OS X 10.10 is the successor of 10.9 Mavericks. Mavericks focuses on advanced user features and enhancements to improve equipment performance, improved battery life and graphics processing. However, at 10.10 it will focus on aesthetics. According to sources, the Vice President of Design Jonny Ive, holds a significant upgrade to OS X design, which will be the cornerstone of the new operating system.

Changes in the design will not be as striking as in iOS 7, but will include a plurality of planar elements and the white textures instead skevomorficheskih "living" elements. In the final analysis, a redesign for Apple right now is a priority, as indicated by the specific details in the privacy policy changes. Apple is also testing new features such as Siri and improved support AirDrop, but at the moment there is no guarantee that they will be ready to enter 10.10.

2013 did not bring a new design OS X, but it is not difficult to guess that if now, Apple is ready to interface desktop OS, it will be even more like the iOS.

But how will look perekroennaya Ayvom OS X? Craig Hoknberri I have an idea:

I have no doubt that Apple is planning to redesign OS X interface in the next version. Now all the more acute the problem ceases neosootvetstviya desktop and mobile applications, which makes it difficult brendirovnie design on different platforms.

I expect to see a flat interface, rounded icon, the new dock and Helvetica Neue as the system font.

I wonder if Lucida Grande will continue Ispolzovt as the system font in 10.9. He meant a lot to OS X for years, but I'm sure that 10.10 will bring us not only the new font.

On Dribble have a conceptRepresenting OS X «a la Johnny Ive":

But - while it's uncertain how far will Apple's redesign of OS X, although it will be very interesting to look at it.

Apple recently launched program for public testing OS X Beta Seed Program, which is quite unusual for the company. Of course, for new builds 10.9 it is not as important in 10.9.3 does not appear masshabnye features and it definitely did not require a large database of testers. But if 10.10 will have a new face, why not give mnozhetvu people to test it before the final release will be submitted?

I do not know what will happen 2 June at the presentation of Tim Cook, but there is a lot of smoke, indicating a fire in Aqua colors.