SmoothStripes - January 04, 2004
Author: Max Rudberg
Version: 4.1
Reviewed by: Phillip Ryu
User Rating: 
66%
Though originally created to erase the stripes so prominent in 10.1 and Jaguar, SmoothStripes has since become much more. By updating almost every element in Aqua, Max has created a set of themes that remains Aqua at their hearts, but can change to fit any user's whims.
Aesthetics
SmoothStripes is an improvement over Aqua: the labor of Max's many hours on top of years of development by Apple. For that reason, there is basically nothing to fault in its aesthetics. Widgets have been improved tremendously (they are smoother and more polished than Apple's), and the sunken elements variation is a natural extension of what Apple appears to be moving towards. In addition, Max includes options to turn all widgets blue (an amazing idea, one that was originally proposed by this reviewer 
) and to square off windows and the menubar.
Finally, Max's greatest diversion from the Aqua base is his "Gloss" variation, where window titlebars and menus are overlaid with a shiny white gloss, and selected menus items are rounded, bright blue and reflective. Because of it's overall brightness, SmoothStripes Gloss has a "10.1" look to it, though updated to Panther's polish.
Usability
SmoothStripes is generally just as usable as the default Aqua. The lack of stripes only helps create a cleaner look, but does not make Aqua any less usable. (The overall brightness remains the same.) However, Max's blue and gloss variations come with their minor usability problems. The blue widget variation, of course, has no color differentiation between the three window widgets. This probably sounds like more of a problem than it is, however. Any Mac user should have gotten the hang of each widget's functions, and the traditional x / - / + overlays still show up on mouse-over.
The gloss has more usability problems in its bright environment, but this is luckily a matter of choice. Gloss has bright blue selected menus and menu items, and the window titlebars shine white, unlike Panther's more toned down grey. Of course, there are those who would like this, and those who wouldn't. Luckily, the gloss variations are only 1/4 of the package.
Extras
SmoothStripes is loaded with extras; what other theme has 16 variations? This feature alone has to be commended for it's utter comprehensiveness... though the trade off is the uncompressed 80 megabyte+ file size. (I've been told that a guikit version is a fraction of this size.) However, since this is essentially an update on Aqua, there are no other real extras. Max provides a safari toolbar replacement set that does the job. Max, what about a mod on the system folder icons to remove its stripes?
Because SmoothStripes is such a definite improvement over Aqua, I could not recommend it further. Aqua by itself has become a highly polished, usable theme over the years, and Max's work makes it even better. For those lazy to download what may appear to be minor updates on the system default skin, SmoothStripes also offers a significantly different "Gloss" variation and cool blue widgets that are worth a try.
Comments
Posted by danielgrenell at January 5, 2004 10:52 AM | Edit | Delete
this deserves much more than you gave it. first of all of course it's not original. second of all, i think the extras rating should be higher, not perfect, but higher. imo, smooth stripes is the perfect form of aqua.
Posted by kovacs at January 5, 2004 11:51 AM | Edit | Delete
And best of all the latest version is still compatible with themechanger.
Posted by Phillip Ryu at January 5, 2004 02:20 PM | Edit | Delete
SmoothStripes is indeed better than Aqua, but since the achievement is less in my opinion than say, Aluminum Alloy, I gave it a lower score. The reason why I gave a relatively low extras score is because Max's package is devoid of any desktops, or iconsets. I especially think that a stripeless Aqua iconset is deserved by this theme.
Posted by rorschach at January 5, 2004 04:01 PM | Edit | Delete
I love the Sunken variation of SmoothStripes! It's my second favorite theme, Milk being my favorite. I don't like the Glossy variation specifically for the reasons you mentioned.
Yeah, it's not original. But, then, that really wasn't the point. ;).
Posted by Greg J at January 7, 2004 02:55 AM | Edit | Delete
I liked it better when it was called Simple Aqua.
Posted by Adam Betts at January 8, 2004 06:09 PM | Edit | Delete
Greg, I believe Simple Aqua was done by Zimphire (the maker of Sosumi), not Max Rudberg.
Zimphire and Max both have slightly different design decisions for their own strip-less version of Aqua and they each have their own followers =)
I like them both just as equally although SmoothStripes have been receiving more attention from the author than SimpleAqua did.
Posted by danielgrenell at February 2, 2004 10:27 PM | Edit | Delete
BEST THEME EVER! all it needs is a plastic aqua version. it has sunken and floating.
Posted by 3nzo at February 19, 2004 02:50 AM | Edit | Delete
I agree...best theme ever...and the most usable...
First thing I do after loading a new OS onto a Mac is replace Aqua with SmoothStripes. If any theme deserves a perfect 10 it's SmoothStripes. Granted...it would be nice to have a "stripeless" icon set...extra desktops would be stupid with this theme.
Posted by Jonathan at July 6, 2004 02:07 PM | Edit | Delete
In the images of this review it appears to be an aqua finder yet when I install it, the finder is still metal.
I hate the metal finder
Posted by Sam Hakluyt at September 11, 2004 01:06 PM | Edit | Delete
thanks this really agree with it
Posted by June at September 25, 2004 12:04 AM | Edit | Delete
uk phone sex
phone sex uk
uk phone sex