Talk:Aqua (user interface)

Screencap Removal

I removed the screencap of the Brushed Metal skin (which is already on the Brushed Metal article). This article is about Aqua. It's really confusing for readers who never seen either skins when they see there are two screencaps on top of each other, especially when the non-topical Brushed Metal is on top of the topical Aqua screencap. For comparison, one should just click on Brushed Metal. And I note, in Brushed Metal article, there's only the Brushed Metal screencap, no Aqua. So why would the Aqua article have both? Not very balanced. --Menchi 00:05, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Windows Aero

Some of the folks at Windows Vista and Windows Aero are consistently removing commentary about the similarity of Vista/Aero to OS X/Aqua. Any help there would be appreciated. -- Gnetwerker 20:26, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

I know, and really feel sick at some of those comments. But why is "Windows Aero" under See Also when it isn't even mentioned in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Semicolons (talk • contribs) 10:53, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

System 7

Should some mention be made that the theme is more similiar to the System 7 window style than Mac OS 8's platinum? -- Steven Fisher 20:14, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Well, there'd need to be a general concensus that this is the case, and furthermore why is this really significant? Brianreading 08:18, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

System 7 used primarily black-on-white with blue accents. Platinum used a lower-contrast black-on-grey interface, and there was much complaint. Aqua went back to the System 7 ideas, and there was more complaint. Then Brushed Metal brought back a lot of the Platinum ideas (albeit with higher contrast), and there was still more complaint. I think it's pretty obvious comparing the four themes which interface inspires which. As to significance, that's why I didn't add it. The evolution of the interfaces is interesting in itself, but trying to ascribe motives to it is probably speculation or original research. The contrast point, at least, seems salvageable. Anyway, I asked because I'm not sure, so any feedback is welcome. :) -- Steven Fisher 17:36, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

aqua is more system 6 than system 7 imo. coincidentally, system 7 was the first major revision of the mac operating system apple undertook without steve jobs in charge. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.125.110.223 (talk) 21:02, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

New screenshot

I added the new screenshot instead of the screenshot of Xcode because I thought it gave a better idea of what the widgets looked like. It has the same license and and image format... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.118.198.115 (talk) 00:26, 8 January 2007 (UTC).

Looks good! This is a fine representation of the component parts of the Aqua user interface. -/- Warren 01:07, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

I have to disagree. It's awesome that all of the widgets are in there, but it's a brushed metal window, not an Aqua window. Could you put up a version with a normal window? Shinyplasticbag 03:29, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Maybe consider replacing the IB 2.5 window at the top with a similar screenshot of Aqua controls from Leopard? It would make sense to have the main image as the most up to date one, and some fairly significant changes have happened. Round rect buttons, square buttons, etc. Semicolons (talk) 07:30, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Would be better, or does it need to be changed before it can be used? Image:AquaControls.pngSemicolons (talk) 10:43, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

In the "Animation" section

It talks about how the duck brings in the windows, and mentions an effect called the "Suck Effect." While this technically exists (I use it), it is not accessible directly. It has to be activated by third party software. For this reason, I have removed it. Objections? - nyeguy 03:34, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

Nope.21:06, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

It doesn't really have to be activated by third party software; defaults can be used in the Terminal to set it. I think it should be included, with a mention that it's undocumented. Falling Cloud 16:50, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

Also, Control and Shift does not do "super slow-motion" in Leopard. I am removing the section. onekopaka (talk) 04:46, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

Control+shift *does* do super slow minimize on my computer – Intel/10.5.2 with Graphics Update. Compare shift-click of the yellow button with shift-control click of the yellow button. Semicolons (talk) 09:07, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

⌃⇧click *does not* do super slow motion under X/Snow Leopard/7 (v10.6.7) , at least on my computer.—

TechnoCat (talk) 04:53, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Leopard isn't Aqua

The screenshot of Leopard at the top does not belong on this page, as Leopard's interface is not Aqua, but "Unified". The best screenshot to include here would be one of 10.0 or 10.1, because they were entirely Aqua (I.E no brushed metal or other textures.) --Adam Fisher-Cox (criticize or compliment) 00:26, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

I am reverting it to a bigger version, because You can't really see the Aqua in the tiny version, and as Aqua is the focus of the article, I dont think anyone should have to click the picture to see the article topic illustrated.--Adam Fisher-Cox (criticize or compliment) 20:13, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

I read here [1] that Leopard's theme might be called "Illuminous." But I think it's just a rumor. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Coolkid602006 (talk • contribs) 23:35, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

Leopard is Aqua! Aqua is defined as the official GUI of Mac OS X, and thus the only appropriate Aqua screenshot would be of Mac OS X 10.5. Simply modifying aspects of the GUI in a new OS which brings about a nickname "Illuminous" doesn't change the fact that Leopard's GUI is officially called "Aqua". Aqua is named after the blue glass scrollbars and buttons still found in Leopard, but the only requirement is for "Aqua applications [to] incorporate color, depth, translucence, and complex textures into a visually appealing interface." See this document and this document from the official Apple developer documentation. By the way, searching for "Illuminous" in their documentation doesn't bring up any mention of GUI. "Unified" refers only to the style of a gradient, or "unified" color in program titlebars, found in both Tiger and Leopard, though this name only refers to the titlebar and not the GUI (reference). This information should be included in the article (can one of the main authors incorporate it please?) and the references should dispel any incorrect notions. Althepal 03:00, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

Forget "Illuminous", that was a rumour and doesn't appear anywhere in the operating system or Apple's website.

About the Leopard screenshot being the only acceptable screenshot. Sorry but that makes absolutely no sense. The GUI in Tiger is no longer aqua? Or the GUI in the Public Beta? AlistairMcMillan 13:17, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

Errr... the titlebar is part of the GUI...—[semicolons]— 10:03, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Apple still uses the phrase "Aqua" to describe the user interface of Mac OS X in a number of places in its developer documentation. All these documents use the term in that way, and were updated sometime after Leopard was announced and released: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] – Mipadi 22:46, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

@AlistairMcMillan: That's like asking if the different versions of the "x" logo from various versions of Mac OS X are no longer their logo. Yes, they are all their logo, but you want to use the one that is officially and currently being used. So to with Aqua: the GUI from older versions of Mac OS X are still called Aqua, but the current official version of Aqua is found only in Leopard. It is improper to use an outdated version of Aqua as the main screenshot. As to "deemphasizing the word "Aqua" with Leopard", this is a misconception. "Aqua" doesn't refer to blue wallpaper or a pinstripe menubar, even though the name may have had something do to with this (and buttons still used in Leopard), it officially is defined as the entire Mac OS X GUI, the current version of which is ONLY found in Leopard, even if the screenshot shows 'no blue glass (because the blue glass doesn't define the "Aqua" GUI). I do not wish to revert a third time. I am asking for someone else to recognize the logic and sources I used and correct the article them self. Perhaps an older version, even the beta, of Aqua could be shown somewhere in the article for historical purpose, but not as the main one. Althepal 23:04, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

You know, I wasn't aware of this, but Apple seem to have stripped the word Aqua from every part of their non-developer webpages. For example: per-Leopard release we have "This article shows you how get around the Mac's Aqua interface..." [7] and now we have "This article shows you how get around the Mac's interface..."[8]

Anyway there is no point having the one damn screenshot on every bloody article. Having a screenshot at the top of the article that shows what Aqua looked like when it was originally introduced, is just frankly more interesting. AlistairMcMillan 01:50, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Alistair, it's simply incorrect. Just because it says "the Mac's interface" doesn't refute the fact that the Aqua GUI is defined as the Mac OS X GUI, which is currently in Leopard. I suggest that a screenshot of the public beta or version 10.0 be included somewhere in the article for historical significance and interest, but the primary screenshot has to be of the current Aqua GUI. If you don't like that the same screenshot is used in multiple articles, I suggest you take a screenshot yourself of Leopard, perhaps with a scroll bar and some blue buttons if you want. After you do that, it can be the primary picture for this article, but until then it is still most correct to have the Leopard screenshot as the main one. You know what? I'm going to put the Public Beta, Panther, and Leopard screenshots for the sake of interest and history of transition. You can always make a better or different Leopard screenshot later. Edit: Actually, I have another idea... Check the article in a few minutes. I think it will be suitable. Althepal 03:57, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Okay, now I think the article is suitable so that everyone can live with it. Again, if you think you can make a more suitable Leopard screenshot for the article, that's fine. Althepal 04:33, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Leopard Menu Bar Icons.jpg

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Fair use rationale for Image:Pages Sheet.png

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Fair use rationale for Image:Dashboard Ripple.png

Image:Dashboard Ripple.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 21:02, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Dock?

I always thought the Dock was part of OS X, not Aqua – it's an application, not an object/class. Semicolons (talk) 07:47, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Sidebar?

To me, Sidebar suggests a tool palette at the side of a window – the "sidebars" are actually just source lists, a type of table. It is still very rare to find controls in the sidebar.Semicolons (talk) 07:52, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Cocoa controls

Several things to change:

• Sheets can be NSPanel as well as NSWindow.
• NSToolbar – Unified parameter is only effective in Tiger
• Menus -mention NSMenu and NSMenuItem?
• Keyboard shortcuts can also appear on non-application menus, but can only be used with third-party software (except for the Apple menu).
• NSDatePicker has a graphical style
• Mention that some control styles (such as bevel buttons) are discouraged by Apple due to interface changes?
• Rewrite bit on sliders – circular ones can have tick marks, linear ones can be vertical and horizontal and have tick marks on either side.
• Drag and drop in colour wells?
• You can turn of bouncing icons for application launching, but there's still animation – the blue light pulsates.
• Suck is most commonly enabled with the Terminal's "defaults" command – hardly "hand-editing" a configuration file.
• Surely "Suck" is just the name given to it by the Mac community? If it's undocumented, how do we know what it's called?
• Front Row animation gone in Leopard :(
• Animation: Most Finder windows have this zoom effect – from Quick Look to Get Info.
• "Metal, Unified, or Leopard" – no, sheets can come out of all windows. It is also better to talk about "textured", not "metal" – Metal windows in Leopard are still Textured, but in a very different way.
• "Many of these effects can be turned off by the user" – how, exactly?
• How about a word on NSPanel (HUD or otherwise), NSScrollView, NSDrawer, NSRuleEditor, NSPredicateEditor, NSStepper,NSSearchField,NSSegmentedControl, NSPathControl, NSLevelIndicator, NSProgressIndicator, NSSplitView, and anything else that should go in a list of "all Cocoa interface elements".
• A word on boxes being able to draw lines?

Semicolons (talk) 10:47, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Technical information overflow

Wikipedia is not meant as a documentation of the Aqua interface, but as an encyclopaedic article that anybody should understand. What the hell is NSMatrix, NSTokenField, etc.? This is not at all explained in the article, and just information that you might need as a developer. However, developers can easily just take a look in the documentation to find their info. Wikipedia is NOT meant as a documentation. It would be better to remove this technical information to make the article understandable better. Just look at the Windows Aero article, they don't need any of this technical babbling to explain what Aero is and does. Neither does this article. I hope I get some input on this; otherwise I might just bluntly remove that information by myself. --79.93.179.56 (talk) 16:58, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

iPhone + iPod touch

Somebody might want to explain how Aqua is incorporated into iPhone OS for the iPhone and iPod touch. Aqua is typically used on application icons as well as page headers inside of applications. 69.255.16.132 (talk) 21:31, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

Snow Leopard

Someone needs to add a section talking about the GUI changes to Aqua in Snow Leopard. These would include dark contextual menus in the Dock and transitions to dark window boarders for certain windows (such as Quick Time X). Althepal (talk) 01:43, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

Lion?

No one mentioned that Aqua has been reworked for Mac OS X Lion (for example the rectangular buttons and how the scrollbar changed). Why? --Wernjump (talk) 02:49, 7 March 2011 (UTC)

OS X Lion was released

I think someone should upload the cocoa controls from Lion because there are subtle UI changes that should be shown — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.121.78.147 (talk) 04:54, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

C++

I find it quite questionable that Aqua is even mostly written in C++. At least there should be a reference for this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bail Fetter (talk • contribs) 15:10, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

It's gone from the article. Not aware of any sources for this. AlistairMcMillan (talk) 00:20, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

As it is a graphical user interface, Aqua is mostly "written" in Photoshop and Maya — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pantser (talk • contribs) 15:20, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

Mountain Lion

Shouldn't Lion and Mountain Lion's tweaks be put in the article. The buttons were changed in Lion, and the dock was changed in mountain lion. Jedieaston (talk) 18:42, 30 September 2012 (UTC)

Names of the designers

Are there some names which have been involved in the artistic design of Aqua, maybe Jonathan Ive? User:ScotXW^t@lk 17:42, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Best I can find is Kocienda's Creative Selection (2018). In chapter 2, set soon after the release of Mac OS X, he says Forstall was director of Platform Experience and in charge of the Mac UI among other things. I'm guessing that means he was involved with Aqua. The book doesn't mention Aqua so isn't usable as a source, but it's a good starting point for deeper searches. DFlhb (talk) 18:56, 14 June 2023 (UTC)

Found one! [9] In 2000, Forstall was a leading designer of the Mac’s new user interface, dubbed Aqua, which included water-themed visual cues such as translucent icons and reflections But hopefully a more detailed source can be found. DFlhb (talk) 19:08, 14 June 2023 (UTC)

Aqua (user interface) vs Aqua (theme)

As far as I can see, Aqua is a theme (computing) like Adwaita is one: http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/?content=144237 User:ScotXW^t@lk 21:40, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

True, but the theme (computing) article seems to indicate that a theme needs to be dynamically loaded, a kind of plug-in; for something to be "themable" there needs to be a choice of themes. And that doesn't hold for macOS, does it? TorLillqvist (talk) 07:51, 6 November 2020 (UTC)

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A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion

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Update

The article says aqua is the current macOS UI, but I think it isn't Dullbananas (talk) 04:49, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

It's a little complex

• Apple never officially said the new interface isn't Aqua, but they stopped using that term years ago in their marketing and documentation, and AFAIK so did the more serious secondary sources.
• A problem is that there doesn't seem to be a clear cut-off point, nor a proper name for the new interface. But the defining elements of aqua (the water theme, literally reflected in the name) are long gone. The Mac UI is now clearly based on iOS, which was never Aqua. I might place the cut-off point at OS X Yosemite.
• The code itself still refers to Aqua, but, well, it still refers to NeXTSTEP too. Even if the new interface got an official name, it's unlikely the code would be changed, to avoid breaking apps needlessly. So that doesn't indicate anything.
• Apple still has the Aqua trademark (doesn't mean much, obviously they don't want others re-appropriating the term)

But the basic fact is, I don't believe we have a source calling the current interface "Aqua" (and certainly not beyond a passing mention, i.e. we don't have a secondary source dedicated to evaluating whether the current interface is still Aqua, that concludes that it is). DFlhb (talk) 19:00, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Looking at improving this article and cleaning it up, the major problem I see is that Aqua functionally doesn't exist anymore, insofar as how this article is organized. Describing stuff like menus and window panes as if they're Aqua when they've radically changed over the years is a problem. Thanks to Siracusa's OS X reviews properly kitting out the history section will be easy, but insofar as explaining to readers what Aqua is currently I'm not sure what sources there are to use. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs ^talk 20:53, 13 June 2023 (UTC)

Without good sourcing on the cutoff, I'd fuzz it by merging "Elements" and "History" and making the article top-heavy. "Background", then "Appearance" about Aqua in the first release of Mac OS X (that release is what defined Aqua proper, so this would be the new "Elements" section), then "Evolution", then "Reception". DFlhb (talk) 21:13, 14 June 2023 (UTC)