Apple Releases OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6

[huschpuscheli]

That's a familiar image

it's one of mike okuda's okudagrams for starfleet's lcars computer software from star trek tng and later.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

Im very underwhelmed by the new icon design. I know we are still ~2 months out from release but it just seems half done. It no longer shows a difference between USB + firewire, In finder it shows firewire as an external sidebar icon but Usb as an internal, it just all feels thrown together and rushed. I know they are still working but this just seemed like a "Show them something" move. Personally I wish my Booted drive looked different than my other nonremovables but thats a personal thing I could change on my own and since apple doesn't have anything in their current line up to support extra internal drives it shouldn't really be them who addresses that anymore.

 

[ashdelacroix]

I'm wondering if Apple has been force seeding updates to the public beta. I noticed a couple nights ago my iMac woke up and I saw an update progress bar come up and my iMac restarted when it was finished without any input from me. I also just noticed the new Yosemite wallpaper is available in my desktop pictures. Was this originally included in the public beta and now just made its way into the DP6 release?

Strange you should say that because I had exactly the same thought! Only because Yosemite seems to have become generally more stable for me, despite being stuck on the public beta. Folders seem more responsive etc. Of course, this is probably just our perception. Or some caching or maintenance scripts in the background kicking in. Who knows. As magical as it sounds, I don't think Apple would push updates without telling us first -- or would they?

 

[Kevax]

Is anyone else having this on a non-retina device (mine is a 2013 mba 13")?
The anti-aliasing is really bad in menus that use the dark mode. switching to light mode looks perfectly fine - here are the links for comparison:

Dark mode: bad
http://bit.ly/1AupoPK
http://bit.ly/1AuptTm

Light mode: good
http://bit.ly/1AupIxU
http://bit.ly/1AupN4G

I have the exact same issue on my late 2010 MBA. Dark mode looks bad but Light mode is okay.

 

[ashdelacroix]

Im very underwhelmed by the new icon design. I know we are still ~2 months out from release but it just seems half done.

I agree that the "iconography" (to adopt a word from the art world) is haphazard, but as you say, we are 2 months away from launch. Plus there will be future updates after launch that will no doubt refine the aesthetics. As much as some of the design ideas leave us cold, and seem arbitrary, it also highlights how adjustments can be made easily enough in future.

I'm sure Apple is terrifically busy on background issues and feel that updating the icons awaiting review in their design labs can wait until more difficult decisions are made. I work in software and love to spend time refining UIs but, with the best will in the world, it is difficult to maximise that time when there are other pressing technical and political matters to take care of.

Personally, I like much of the new design, and many of the new icons, though it appears to me that there is a definite issue with consistency and someone with an exacting eye for detail needs to pore over the whole OS and make the subtle adjustment that will make Yosemite truly shine.

 

[rGiskard]

Dashboard background is just great, now widgets can't be used while referencing text in the background!

 

[Planey28]

Dashboard background is just great, now widgets can't be used while referencing text in the background!

It's only blurred when dashboard is set to show as a space. The background is not blurred when dashboard is an overlay.

 

[DiabBarca]

I have the exact same issue on my late 2010 MBA. Dark mode looks bad but Light mode is okay.

I have the exact same issue on my 13" Mid 2012 MBP. Dark mode looks bad but Light mode is okay.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

Personally, I like much of the new design, and many of the new icons, though it appears to me that there is a definite issue with consistency and someone with an exacting eye for detail needs to pore over the whole OS and make the subtle adjustment that will make Yosemite truly shine.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. Its the lack of consistency thats bothering me right now. While I do like the new look of Yosemite (I think its overall look is more organic and less of a workstation) it needs an artists eye too look it over, someone not involved in the "under the hood" stuff. Think Ive circa 97.
I do like that each update brings more and more attention to the look but it really needs the fine tooth comb look over.

 

[rGiskard]

It's only blurred when dashboard is set to show as a space. The background is not blurred when dashboard is an overlay.

Thanks, that is good to hear.

 

[happyslayer]

These commands worked for me:

sudo find /private/var/folders/ -name com.apple.dock.iconcache -exec rm {} \;
sudo find /private/var/folders/ -name com.apple.iconservices -exec rm -rf {} \;
sudo mv /Library/Caches/com.apple.iconservices.store com.apple.ic

(credit to inket's post here: https://gist.github.com/fabiofl/5873100 )

This totally worked for me! Thanks!! I've got the purty new icons now. Thanks again!

 

[alexgowers]

Honestly I'm annoyed flat is considered modern because it's far from it. Look old and tasteless!

Yosemite is gonna need tweaks by myself before i would even consider an update to my system.

Blue folder icons - So ugly it's hard to describe the pain in my eyes.
Dock - Black dots are nasty and dock just feels clunky.
Dock Icons - Now I don't like standard maverick icons and replace mine but these are all so bad and the choice of jaunty square, rectangle and circle mean app designers are all gonna go with a circle and I really hate that look, like it gives me chills.
Windows - every single window item has these weird shades of colour, all different greys that just merge into a grey faceless blob. I don't think mavericks is the best but it at least places emphasis on elements with fine bevels and shadows where needed. If you strip it away you still need fine lines in there and it's a mistake to go too flat, you can be flat with tiny edge shadows and details and textures.
General use of CYAN, WHY WHY CYAN is horrible.
Icons - GRADIENTS GRADIENT, insensitive use of color gradients everywhere that are way way too deep in change with no subtly or finesse.

The retina screen is amazing and lets the designers do amazing UI elements and they just rubbished that idea and went super clunky. It'll get better as ios7 has with tweaks to UI but right now it's so super ugly in places I don't know what to say.

 

[Erastopic]

I don't know if someone has already mentioned it but Dark Mode now removes all Menu Bar drop shadow.

I hope they can do so with Light Mode too.. Some wallpapers gets ruined by the drop shadow, especially really bright ones and I for one prefer Light Mode over Dark Mode.

 

[thefro1957]

Monet had failing sight at the end of his life but he still had taste and consistency in what he did. I'm hoping to be surprised in the end by the new look and some of what i have see is a bad dream.

i want something restful on my eyes when I'm working all day on a monitor. not to get eye strain.

the Colour Picker gets worse looks like something you would produce for someone with failing eyesight.

 

[trifid]

I do not think the Mavericks icons are better at all...

I agree the Mavericks folder icons weren't that great either but at least they weren't neon...

 

[grahamperrin]

… I had exactly the same thought! … I don't think Apple would push updates without telling us first …

There's an answer in post 538.

 

[grahamperrin]

it's one of mike okuda's okudagrams for starfleet's lcars computer software from star trek tng and later.

Ah, so my pretence of not immediately recognising Star Trek style led me to gain knowledge of its background – thanks!

http://lcarsdeveloper.com – lush. Representative of people who truly do know their dark mode. I'm fairly certain that transparency would not improve it …

 

[druchtie]

Safari Search for twitter

I'm not sure this is a new function in beta 6 but apparently safari can search twitter.

 

[Kees]

Image

dashboard now have same wallpaper as desktop ...love it

So let me get this straight, if I now popup Dashboard to use the calculator, I can no longer see the numbers I want to calculate? (I never set Dashboard as a space for precisely this reason)

Brilliant

 

[charlituna]

Because I'm using it.

But consider how much easier and more efficient it would be if those functions were integrated into the main system. Perhaps widgets in NC.

 

[iRock1]

People seem to forget he gave us this:

Image

While Jonathan Ive gave us this:

(Now, please pardon me me while I go to puke.)

 

[0000111]

So let me get this straight, if I now popup Dashboard to use the calculator, I can no longer see the numbers I want to calculate? (I never set Dashboard as a space for precisely this reason)

Brilliant

Or you could use the calculator widget in notification center!

 

[djtech42]

I do not think the Mavericks icons are better at all...

They are boring but less tacky

 

[Kees]

Or you could use the calculator widget in notification center!

call me a purist, but a calculator widget in my 'today' view just doesn't work for me.

If I understand correctly though, if you set up Dashboard to not show as space, you can still see all the windows behind the widgets, so it's all good then.

 

[crashoverride77]

New look, new icons, new visuals.

Now there's some Awesome Innovation coming out of Cupertino.

I know microsoft is just so far ahead in the game and innovating on such a crazy level nobody can keep up. Pffff #