Brushed metal (interface)
Encyclopedia
Brushed metal is a discontinued graphical user interface
design used in Apple Computer
's Mac OS X
operating system
for Macintosh computers. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime
4.0 in 1999.
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines state that the brushed metal interface should be used for programs that mimic the operation of, or interface with, common devices. Older versions (before 5.0) of iTunes
and the Panther
and Tiger
Calculator
both use brushed metal because they mimic real-world devices, while iSync features the theme because it interfaces with PDA
s.
Besides the metal appearance, Brushed metal has a few functional differences from other types of Aqua. Brushed metal windows can be moved by clicking any part of the window background which isn't occupied by a control; Aqua
windows can only be moved by clicking within the title bar
.
Continuing the growth of Apple-sponsored, non-Aqua themes, Apple also introduced a Pro theme
that is used in its high-end video, music and image production and editing software. At the same time, with the release of Mac OS X v10.4
and new iLife
applications, Brushed metal was being slowly replaced with a darker Aqua theme, often dubbed Polished Metal. Mac OS X v10.5
fully replaced brushed metal with the new darkened Aqua theme, finally restoring a consistent look and feel to Mac OS X.
, Apple's web browser, and the Macintosh Finder
itself. With the release of Mac OS X v10.3
, Apple further expanded its list of acceptable uses for brushed metal to include windows that navigate lists of information. This absolves the Finder, but Safari's use of brushed metal remains a mystery. Opponents of the theory point out that even Apple's guidelines for the use of brushed metal are inconsistent, and that the motivation behind the alternative appearance's existence is unclear.
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
design used in Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
's Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
for Macintosh computers. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
4.0 in 1999.
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines state that the brushed metal interface should be used for programs that mimic the operation of, or interface with, common devices. Older versions (before 5.0) of iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and the Panther
Mac OS X v10.3
Mac OS X Panther is the fourth major release of Mac OS X, Apple’s desktop and server operating system. It followed Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" and preceded Mac OS X Tiger...
and Tiger
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
Calculator
Calculator (software)
Calculator is a basic calculator application made by Apple and bundled with Mac OS X. It has three modes: basic, scientific, and programmer. Basic includes a number pad, buttons for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, as well as memory keys...
both use brushed metal because they mimic real-world devices, while iSync features the theme because it interfaces with PDA
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
s.
Besides the metal appearance, Brushed metal has a few functional differences from other types of Aqua. Brushed metal windows can be moved by clicking any part of the window background which isn't occupied by a control; Aqua
Aqua (user interface)
Aqua is the GUI and primary visual theme of Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system. It is based around the theme of water, as its name suggests, with droplet-like elements and liberal use of translucency and reflection effects...
windows can only be moved by clicking within the title bar
Title bar
In computing, the title bar consists of that part of a window where the title of the window appears. Most graphical operating systems and window managers position the title bar at the top of the application window as a horizontal bar....
.
Continuing the growth of Apple-sponsored, non-Aqua themes, Apple also introduced a Pro theme
Pro theme
Pro Theme is a GUI style used by Apple Inc. for its Mac OS X operating system. It is reserved for Apple's high-end video, music and image editing products, such as Final Cut Pro HD, Soundtrack Pro and Aperture....
that is used in its high-end video, music and image production and editing software. At the same time, with the release of Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
and new iLife
ILife
iLife is a suite of software applications developed by Apple for organizing, editing, and publishing photos, movies, and music. The suite comprises five applications: iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb, all of which run on the Mac OS X operating system....
applications, Brushed metal was being slowly replaced with a darker Aqua theme, often dubbed Polished Metal. Mac OS X v10.5
Mac OS X v10.5
Mac OS X Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007 as the successor of Tiger , and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a...
fully replaced brushed metal with the new darkened Aqua theme, finally restoring a consistent look and feel to Mac OS X.
Criticism
Brushed metal has been criticised by user interface purists, who point out that Apple frequently violates its own rules for the use of the brushed metal look. The most notable of the supposed violations are SafariSafari (web browser)
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. and included with the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems. First released as a public beta on January 7, 2003 on the company's Mac OS X operating system, it became Apple's default browser beginning with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther". Safari is also the...
, Apple's web browser, and the Macintosh Finder
Macintosh Finder
The Finder is the default file manager used on Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems; it is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications...
itself. With the release of Mac OS X v10.3
Mac OS X v10.3
Mac OS X Panther is the fourth major release of Mac OS X, Apple’s desktop and server operating system. It followed Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" and preceded Mac OS X Tiger...
, Apple further expanded its list of acceptable uses for brushed metal to include windows that navigate lists of information. This absolves the Finder, but Safari's use of brushed metal remains a mystery. Opponents of the theory point out that even Apple's guidelines for the use of brushed metal are inconsistent, and that the motivation behind the alternative appearance's existence is unclear.