4 ms·

The itunes interface hasn't changed much in the last 13 years. Not many software products go that long without a major reskin, especially seeing as it came from

The itunes interface hasn't changed much in the last 13 years. Not many software products go that long without a major reskin, especially seeing as it came from a company that prides itself on it's progressive design.

72deluxe 11y ago
I quite miss the brushed metal look. It is interesting that you could take OSX from back then and put it in front of someone today and it'll behave mostly the same. Sadly the same could not be sad about mainstream Linux environments (GNOME3, Unity etc.) or Windows 8/10. Windows 10 you can to some extent. Thought provoking.
- creshal 11y ago
  > Windows 10 you can to some extent. Only compared to Windows 7 or Vista maybe. Definitely no compared to, NT4/Me/2000/XP from back then. > Sadly the same could not be sad about mainstream Linux environments I'm still wondering what the Unity/Gnome/KDE devs smoke. From what I've gathered from Gnome users, the only way to make it bearable is by ripping out half its functionality and replacing it with (Gnome-specific) extensions. That can't be the way forward, can it? (Although non-mainstream Linux desktops are an exception, too: Openbox e.g. didn't change too much over the last five or so years I've been using it, but it's so vastly configurable that my configuration has massively evolved over the years, and I figure it's similar for most of its users.)
  - sfilipov 11y ago
    That's the thing with Linux - if you don't like the default DE/WM because it changes too much, then use one which doesn't. User friendly distros pack things like Openbox or i3 with some sensible defaults. I am always "sudo apt-get install i3" and "git clone dotfiles" away from a configured tiling window manager if that's what I'm after.
  - ant6n 11y ago
    lxde ftw
  - digi_owl 11y ago
    The more worrying thing about Gnome is that by being in large part done by RH employees, their antics are not confined to the DE. Over time it has dug itself deeper and deeper into Linux user space, and will probably dig itself into the kernel once Torvalds steps down as maintainer. As best i can tell, they want to create something like a hybrid of OSX and Windows. OSX up front, and Windows in the back (to be comfortable to all those MSCEs around the corporate and government offices).
- wlesieutre 11y ago
  I don't miss brushed metal in general because they started putting it in too many places. The early concept was that it fit programs that mimicked hardware devices, and iTunes was saying "Look at me, I'm your stereo system." Then Panther (10.3) came along, and Finder went "Look at me, I'm your filing cabinet!" Eeeeeh, ok I guess? That's when it started to feel tacky and overused for me. Maybe because I only ever had one iTunes window, but the message of "You have 4 filing cabinets open on your desk" is a little bit weird. As far as iTunes in general goes, I wish it'd go back to being a simpler MP3 player. They've got so much stuff in it (iOS device sync, music store, internet radio, Apple Music, podcasts, iTunes U, whatever else I've forgotten). All the different layouts, the way the playlist sidebar appears and disappears, the multiple navigation schemes sharing one bar (pick source on the left, sometimes an icon and sometimes hidden in a dropdown, change view layout in the center) doesn't work well. Just the other day I switched modes and then was thinking "Wait, where did the list of recently added items go?" I found it in the albums layout by clicking through random stuff until I got the one I wanted, but I feel like if an MP3 player makes me hunt for something then the interface has failed me. The iTunes version screenshotted here never had hunting. Family members have asked me "Where did X go?" on more than one occasion after the redesign, and I can't answer is quickly as I'd like anymore...
  - 72deluxe 11y ago
    Ah yes brushed metal everywhere was bad. As you say, it made sense in iTunes as it looked like a hifi. It really does do too much these days. It handles backups for your phone, your iPad, plays videos, plays music, handles playlists, acts as a shop etc. etc. etc. Combined with the fact that buttons on iOS no longer look like buttons and text and hints are being replaced by cryptic symbols, and everything is flat so you don't know what is text and what responds to behaviour, I think user interaction has suffered and things aren't as discoverable as they once were, in general. Not just iTunes.
criddell 11y ago
As soon as I saw that, my first thought was that the interface has gotten worse. I realize they've crammed a lot more stuff into it, so maybe I'm being too critical. I'm pretty sure Apple can do better though. I have an iPod Touch and I wanted to listen to Beats One in iTunes. I had to go to Google to figure out where it is. Hint: it isn't part of internet radio.
GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
I'm looking at my itunes 12 window right now and it looks quite a bit different to my eye (most music players have basically the same form of 'controls on top and a big list of songs').

72deluxe 11y ago

I quite miss the brushed metal look. It is interesting that you could take OSX from back then and put it in front of someone today and it'll behave mostly the same. Sadly the same could not be sad about mainstream Linux environments (GNOME3, Unity etc.) or Windows 8/10. Windows 10 you can to some extent. Thought provoking.

creshal 11y ago
> Windows 10 you can to some extent. Only compared to Windows 7 or Vista maybe. Definitely no compared to, NT4/Me/2000/XP from back then. > Sadly the same could not be sad about mainstream Linux environments I'm still wondering what the Unity/Gnome/KDE devs smoke. From what I've gathered from Gnome users, the only way to make it bearable is by ripping out half its functionality and replacing it with (Gnome-specific) extensions. That can't be the way forward, can it? (Although non-mainstream Linux desktops are an exception, too: Openbox e.g. didn't change too much over the last five or so years I've been using it, but it's so vastly configurable that my configuration has massively evolved over the years, and I figure it's similar for most of its users.)
- sfilipov 11y ago
  That's the thing with Linux - if you don't like the default DE/WM because it changes too much, then use one which doesn't. User friendly distros pack things like Openbox or i3 with some sensible defaults. I am always "sudo apt-get install i3" and "git clone dotfiles" away from a configured tiling window manager if that's what I'm after.
- ant6n 11y ago
  lxde ftw
- digi_owl 11y ago
  The more worrying thing about Gnome is that by being in large part done by RH employees, their antics are not confined to the DE. Over time it has dug itself deeper and deeper into Linux user space, and will probably dig itself into the kernel once Torvalds steps down as maintainer. As best i can tell, they want to create something like a hybrid of OSX and Windows. OSX up front, and Windows in the back (to be comfortable to all those MSCEs around the corporate and government offices).
wlesieutre 11y ago
I don't miss brushed metal in general because they started putting it in too many places. The early concept was that it fit programs that mimicked hardware devices, and iTunes was saying "Look at me, I'm your stereo system." Then Panther (10.3) came along, and Finder went "Look at me, I'm your filing cabinet!" Eeeeeh, ok I guess? That's when it started to feel tacky and overused for me. Maybe because I only ever had one iTunes window, but the message of "You have 4 filing cabinets open on your desk" is a little bit weird. As far as iTunes in general goes, I wish it'd go back to being a simpler MP3 player. They've got so much stuff in it (iOS device sync, music store, internet radio, Apple Music, podcasts, iTunes U, whatever else I've forgotten). All the different layouts, the way the playlist sidebar appears and disappears, the multiple navigation schemes sharing one bar (pick source on the left, sometimes an icon and sometimes hidden in a dropdown, change view layout in the center) doesn't work well. Just the other day I switched modes and then was thinking "Wait, where did the list of recently added items go?" I found it in the albums layout by clicking through random stuff until I got the one I wanted, but I feel like if an MP3 player makes me hunt for something then the interface has failed me. The iTunes version screenshotted here never had hunting. Family members have asked me "Where did X go?" on more than one occasion after the redesign, and I can't answer is quickly as I'd like anymore...
- 72deluxe 11y ago
  Ah yes brushed metal everywhere was bad. As you say, it made sense in iTunes as it looked like a hifi. It really does do too much these days. It handles backups for your phone, your iPad, plays videos, plays music, handles playlists, acts as a shop etc. etc. etc. Combined with the fact that buttons on iOS no longer look like buttons and text and hints are being replaced by cryptic symbols, and everything is flat so you don't know what is text and what responds to behaviour, I think user interaction has suffered and things aren't as discoverable as they once were, in general. Not just iTunes.

criddell 11y ago

As soon as I saw that, my first thought was that the interface has gotten worse. I realize they've crammed a lot more stuff into it, so maybe I'm being too critical. I'm pretty sure Apple can do better though. I have an iPod Touch and I wanted to listen to Beats One in iTunes. I had to go to Google to figure out where it is. Hint: it isn't part of internet radio.

GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago

I'm looking at my itunes 12 window right now and it looks quite a bit different to my eye (most music players have basically the same form of 'controls on top and a big list of songs').