…While I think there are few legitimate similarities, this comparison comes up as often as it does because the two designs share one prominent attribute: the gratuitous, inappropriate use of translucency to the detriment of usability.”
What I wrote when the transparent menu bar was announced last June:
So I was partly wrong, then, in hoping that Mac OS X will differentiate itself from Windows Vista by featuring less similar look (ie. more opaque vs. more transparent, white vs. black).
And my opinion regarding the Dock’s pseudo-3D look and reflection effect was:
“I feel that the said shadow is more of a gratuitous embellishment than subtle, pleasant design touch.”
So, dear reader, please remind me to “normalize” the Dock when I get my copy of Leopard next week by typing:
% defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES
% killall Dock
At the Terminal prompt.
Good night.
(Thanks as always to John Gruber.)
