This is all my option, but I've heard some hate on Big Sur here and there as well. My question is, why does Apple want to make Mac OS into IOS like seriously; I've always liked how good and "professional" OS X looked, but now it just looks so unprofessional...

And when Apple pushes this update, do you think it is safe for me to stay on Catalina?

Like I just got my new Mac, and I see this...

I use my iPad as a Macbook replacement and have never thought the interface was “ugly“. This is the same kind of reaction Apple received when they created the iPhone X with the notch. Shortly afterwards loads of Apple competitors started copying the notch on their phones!

Just give it time to become accustomed to the new look.

Its common to perceive any changes from the familiar appearance as ugly. People’s aesthetic sence on average is quite inflexible. As people get used to it, this perception will gradually change. Case in point: this was the case with virtually any change to the UI.

Not to say that there aren’t things to criticize in Big Sur, there are certainly flaws (and hopefully Apple will fix them)

name1 said:

This is all my option, but I've heard some hate on Big Sur here and there as well. My question is, why does Apple want to make Mac OS into IOS like seriously; I've always liked how good and "professional" OS X looked, but now it just looks so unprofessional...

And when Apple pushes this update, do you think it is safe for me to stay on Catalina?

Like I just got my new Mac, and I see this...

Click to expand...

Windows XP.

The exact same criticism was levelled against XP back in the day.

Now it's seen as onr of the best desktop Windows releases ever.

And Windows 8 was heavily criticised. Actually come to think of it, it really was bad 😉.

(Sorry couldn’t help myself)

I hate the dock, icons and menubar, but quite like the rest of the UI.
The dock looks horrible, and so does the menubar with all that rounding, flat translucency and wasted space.

One serious comment about the menu bar - it’s transparent. I remember this being a feature in a previous version of MacOS and I turned it off as it just made the menu harder to see.

The contrast on Big Sur is a little outta whack... and the icons are too drop shadowy... I bet that will be toned down... these icons wont ship with the final. Too inconsistent... the contrast is a little Too much for me. All completely fixable between now and September.

leman said:

Its common to perceive any changes from the familiar appearance as ugly. People’s aesthetic sence on average is quite inflexible. As people get used to it, this perception will gradually change. Case in point: this was the case with virtually any change to the UI.

This! I couldn't have said it better, thank you. People whine and bitch about he most insignificant interface changes such as new icons, relocated buttons, etc. As we speak there's a major ********* happening among Windows users caused by, you guessed it, a new Edge icon....

Three things to keep in mind:
1) beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
2) dissatisfied users are roughly a gazillion times more vocal than satisfied ones
3) everything you read on the internet has to be taken with a grain of salt

I, for one, welcome the change. It's fresh, it's new, and people will get used to it and consider it the greatest thing since sliced bread eventually anyway. Just wait for the next UI overhaul.

Those icons are a result of a new design trend, neumorphism. Can't say I'm a fan, but a new design trend coming around is always inevitable. In the right hands, neumorphism has the potential to be interesting, but most people are going to fail at it spectacularly.

I also wish, Apple would go back to this: Now THAT is a "professional" look!

(I am being sarcastic, btw 😉)

To some extent, it IS really ugly, especially the menu bar. But I am sure a lot will be ironed out by September. Now it’s still just a beta.

We also tend to exaggarate differences. I showed Big Sur to my wife and asked what she thought of it. She used it for thirty minutes, then, to my astonishment, she said: I don’t see any difference.

NewUsername said:

To some extent, it IS really ugly, especially the menu bar. But I am sure a lot will be ironed out by September. Now it’s still just a beta.

We also tend to exaggarate differences. I showed Big Sur to my wife and asked what she thought of it. She used it for thirty minutes, then, to my astonishment, she said: I don’t see any difference.

because she's not an obsessive nerd who lives on an internet forum and sweats every little detail (often missing the big picture).

I generally like the UI except for the icons. Those are ugly af.

JohnDoe12 said:

I generally like the UI except for the icons. Those are ugly af.

I second this. My only concern is with the toolbars and titlebars now taking up more space.

Well, it just made OS X into a cartoon like bruh; half the reason why I spent 1100 dollars (CAD) on a laptop is the OS, and Apple is so pleased with my purchase they decide to make a whole new version of Mac OS that's literally a copy of IOS.

Like guys, I know it is something getting used to; but they literally made it into IOS...

name1 said:

Like guys, I know it is something getting used to; but they literally made it into IOS...

People have been saying this with almost every release since Lion. That's 9 years. I get why people are upset about the "iOSification" of the Mac, but seeing the same complaints over and over gets old after a while.

redheeler said:

People have been saying this with almost every release since Lion. That's 9 years. I get why people are upset about the "iOSification" of the Mac, but seeing the same complaints over and over gets old after a while.

Time doesn't make problems go away. Especially when the iOSification is in fact getting more extreme.

---

Some personal context:

I hate the visuals of Yosemite-era Mac OS. I hated it the moment I saw Yosemite, and I've continued to hate it ever since. There is no contrast—everything is white (or black, in dark mode) and plain and flat.

I disliked it so much that this year, I finally got fed up and downgraded all of my primary computers to OS X Mavericks. This involved finding a new set of compatible programs and buying new (old) hardware, because my existing hardware was too new.

So, obviously, I'm not one to automatically go for the new and shiny... and yet, I really like the design of Big Sur. There's actual contrast again, and color and depth. The icons are easy to scan, clickable elements are obviously clickable, and it all feels vibrant and attractive.

(For the forseeable future, I'm not leaving my new (old) Mavericks machines, because I have other problems with the direction of Mac OS—permission prompts that break all of my scripts, ever-changing app compatibility, etc—but I do feel really good about where the design is headed.)

Wowfunhappy said:

I hate the visuals of Yosemite-era Mac OS. I hated it the moment I saw Yosemite, and I've continued to hate it ever since. There is no contrast—everything is white (or black, in dark mode) and plain and flat.

Post Maverics macOS doesn't even look that different, a bit lighter gradients, and added visual effects for transparency.

Wowfunhappy said:

There's actual contrast again

It's actually harder to read text in menus now.

Wowfunhappy said:

and color and depth

Titlebars are #FFFFFF now, zero gradients.

Wowfunhappy said:

The icons are easy to scan, clickable elements are obviously clickable

By being stuck in same general shape? Toolbar buttons don't even have borders anymore.

Wowfunhappy said:

and it all feels vibrant and attractive.

By being more flat?

I don't see how you can prefer this toddlerification of OS, compared to slight change that was Yosemite.

Mr.Blacky said:

I also wish, Apple would go back to this:
View attachment 927962
Now THAT is a "professional" look!

(I am being sarcastic, btw 😉)

Ahhh... the good old days.

I like the new style.
But what is shown on the Preview app icon?

Mr.Blacky said:

I also wish, Apple would go back to this:
View attachment 927962
Now THAT is a "professional" look!

(I am being sarcastic, btw 😉)

Thanks for the "Hot Tub Time Machine" ride and "Back to The Future"! I sold my //+ just to get the first Mac. Apple, I want to be wowed like that again!

I personally like a uniform GUI and app icons across many devices. I provide tech support to a lot of friends and family who are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and similarity helps to bring about familiarity IMHO.

Stackin said:

One serious comment about the menu bar - it’s transparent. I remember this being a feature in a previous version of MacOS and I turned it off as it just made the menu harder to see.

I believe in Leopard and Snow Leopard the transparency of the menu bar could be turned off. It wasn't NEARLY as transparent as it is in Big Sur though. Like so many aspects of Big Sur's update, I don't like the menu bar transparency and wish there was a way to turn it off.