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You're not really thinking about it as a "mac app", but rather "the service". You expect it to act like the service you use on other platforms with all the feat

You're not really thinking about it as a "mac app", but rather "the service". You expect it to act like the service you use on other platforms with all the features you rely on. If I'm using Spotify, I don't think "oh this doesn't use windows navigation component from winUI", I immediately know where the genre categories are because I've already used it on android or linux and expect it to be there. I know exactly how to add a song to my library, to shift around playlists, to manage folders, everything is as I learned it on [other platform]. Design development becomes this duplicated burden where every feature now has to go through the ringer twice (or more) to fit native components for their respective platforms. When you hit limitations on those native components, you're now having to make the decision to either hold back the feature entirely, or create fragile workarounds. In an alternate timeline native components would have had far greater appeal, where people actually hate and boycott apps designed otherwise. But we don't. Even on iOS or mac, people regularly rely on apps that only vaguely interpret their native components. The situation is even worse on windows past 7, where the idea of a "windows app" is so jumbled there is nothing to "expect" from the experience - which is actually part of why I think these unified app designs have really taken off.

oneeyedpigeon 4y ago
> If I'm using Spotify, I don't think "oh this doesn't use windows navigation component from winUI" We're either very different people or we have different use cases :) It immediately feels jarring to me to be using macOS and suddenly presented with a non-native UI. But I only ever use macOS on the desktop, so I don't have this cross-platform issue. What I find strange is, I would have thought that was the 99% common case — it seems strange to me to optimise for individuals using multiple OSes rather than multiple apps on one OS. > Design development becomes this duplicated burden That sounds like an OS flaw if true. Of course, I accept that some design will be necessary, even with the finest SDKs available to humanity, but it should be so burdensome that going non-native is seen as the solution. > Even on iOS or mac, people regularly rely on apps that only vaguely interpret their native components. You're totally right. Every now and again, I say to myself "I really must use Safari for the 'more native' experience", but I always come running straight back to Chrome again. > The situation is even worse on windows This was one of the things I liked best about macOS when I first migrated — everything was so consistent, things didn't visually clash, etc. I still get the impression it's better on macOS, but heck, it's definitely not as good as it used to be.
- brycedriesenga 4y ago
  >I say to myself "I really must use Safari for the 'more native' experience", but I always come running straight back to Chrome again. Have you given Arc Browser a shot yet? It feels pretty great. Feels designed for Mac and has its own design language at the same time.
tehnub 4y ago
Not that I disagree with you, but have you seen the new Windows app for Apple Music? It definitely feels Windows 11-ey, with the animations you'd expect. A notable departure from the Mac design, in favor of Windows design, is the placement of the back button at the top left corner of the window, instead of slightly to the right of the top left on Mac.

oneeyedpigeon 4y ago

> If I'm using Spotify, I don't think "oh this doesn't use windows navigation component from winUI" We're either very different people or we have different use cases :) It immediately feels jarring to me to be using macOS and suddenly presented with a non-native UI. But I only ever use macOS on the desktop, so I don't have this cross-platform issue. What I find strange is, I would have thought that was the 99% common case — it seems strange to me to optimise for individuals using multiple OSes rather than multiple apps on one OS. > Design development becomes this duplicated burden That sounds like an OS flaw if true. Of course, I accept that some design will be necessary, even with the finest SDKs available to humanity, but it should be so burdensome that going non-native is seen as the solution. > Even on iOS or mac, people regularly rely on apps that only vaguely interpret their native components. You're totally right. Every now and again, I say to myself "I really must use Safari for the 'more native' experience", but I always come running straight back to Chrome again. > The situation is even worse on windows This was one of the things I liked best about macOS when I first migrated — everything was so consistent, things didn't visually clash, etc. I still get the impression it's better on macOS, but heck, it's definitely not as good as it used to be.

brycedriesenga 4y ago
>I say to myself "I really must use Safari for the 'more native' experience", but I always come running straight back to Chrome again. Have you given Arc Browser a shot yet? It feels pretty great. Feels designed for Mac and has its own design language at the same time.

tehnub 4y ago

Not that I disagree with you, but have you seen the new Windows app for Apple Music? It definitely feels Windows 11-ey, with the animations you'd expect. A notable departure from the Mac design, in favor of Windows design, is the placement of the back button at the top left corner of the window, instead of slightly to the right of the top left on Mac.