Brushed - January 13, 2004
Author: Max Rudberg
Version: 3.5
Reviewed by: Steven Canfield
User Rating: 
65%
Brushed 3.5 is basically Apple's Brushed Metal look, reinterpreted by Max Rudberg. Of course, like all of Max's themes, every element is refined and there are 10 variations. Even if you prefer the Aqua look, Max's version is great, so take thirty seconds to download this theme. You'll likely be surprised.
Aesthetics
I have a confession to make. Before installing this theme, I absolutely hated the look of Apple's Brushed Metal. I think what I realize I dislike now is not Brushed Metal itself, but the way it is sort of used haphazardly throughout the OS. Enough of a rant -- let me just say that Brushed 3.5 is great. It comes with a great deal of variants (10!), with a choice of menu colors, plastic, aqua, or metal buttons, and various traffic light colors and symbols. I personally love the look of "Metal, Black Menus". The metal buttons look something like the OS 9 platinum buttons, but with more brushing on the metal (IE, they are not the system standard textured buttons). Scrollbar wells and scrollbars themselves look great, and really complete the metal look. The Aqua button set looks very much like 'traditional' Aqua, whereas the Plastic button set looks more like the graphics used in Apple's iApps (OK, no consistency there either, but...). For menus, you have the choice of Black or Grey. Both look great, but the black menus are semi-transparent, which is always cool. All of the Finder graphics are, as you might expect, great. The blue highlight used throughout the Metal button sets for highlighting the traffic lights, the view selection buttons in the Finder, etc, is exactly the right color choice, and it merges with the rest seamlessly, even though Apple's metal has no blue. All of the controls which are left Aqua in Apple's Brushed Metal are also updated to be metal in the metal button set (this makes a big difference with Radio and Check buttons).
Perhaps the one major problem is the removal of titlebar and menubar highlights from previous versions, and the lack of a brushed texture in metal apps, both due to ShapeShifter's current limitations. However, these are actually relatively minor concerns; some people even seem to prefer the smooth look of brushed metal in this theme.
Usability
I've used this theme for quite some time now, and frankly, I can't find a single usability issue. Controls all have great contrast, menus are quite readable (White on Black or Black on Grey), and the OS generally looks like it's something Apple could have dreamed up instead of Aqua. If I had to nitpick, which I do, I'd point out that the theme overall uses lots of grey -- perhaps too much for the eye to take.
Extras
Brushed 3.5 has a plethora of Extras -- let's take a closer look. A Safari skin is included, which looks just fine. I'd actually like to point out that the loading bar looks better than the Safari default. It's just smooth brushed metal. Brushed comes with a pair of Dock skins, one lighter than the other, to suit your tastes. Three desktop pictures are included (a mutation of the Jaguar default desktop, another that mimics the dark to light to dark gradient in metal windows, and finally a tile-able metal texture), and they are great. I'd like to see more variant desktops in the future, more like the Apple pattern images in "Apple Background Pictures", but I can hardly complain. There is also an iContainer icon set included, which replaces all the default folders (such as Applications or Library). It does not replace application images, which is something I'd like to have in a future update.
Brushed is a great theme -- nitpicks are the best cons I can come up with. Sure, some people might want more desktop pictures, or a better icon set, or might get sick of all the grey, but these people are grasping at straws. Hats off to Max, this theme is fantastic.
Comments
Posted by Jim Magacs at January 15, 2004 10:05 AM | Edit | Delete
This is a note for people such as myself that are still running Jaguar, either because their hardware won't support Panther or they want to avoid the problems of "early adoption." ShapeShifter lets you run 10.3 themes under Jaguar. You get a message indicating the theme is for a newer version of the operating system, but can still probably be used though their may be some discrepancies. I have had much success running 10.3 themes up to now, and haven't really noticed any oddities. However, Brushed 3.5 is the first theme I've seen does NOT work properly under Jaguar. You get traffic light colors, rather than blue or etched metal, for the x-+ titlebar buttons in ALL the theme variations. Brushed 3.5 seems to have been coded looking towards future ShapeShifter capabilities, and perhaps will work under Jaguar using the next update of ShapeShifter. As there is no promise of support for this, I fear that Jaguar users may find ourselves with fewer and fewer choices as themes are updated. As a programmer, I can understand not wanting to be burdened with dual development paths. Theme designers will be reluctant to rev Jaguar versions. Brushed 3.1 (recommended for Jaguar users) contains only one variation, not 10 like Brushed 3.5 for Panther. Let's hope Unsanity doesn't render (pardon the unintended pun) 10.3 themes unusable under Jaguar in future versions of ShapeShifter.
Posted by Phillip Ryu at January 15, 2004 03:55 PM | Edit | Delete
I can not test this, but I can assure you that one of Jason Harris's (ShapeShifter developer) greatest concerns is 10.2 backwards compatability. That having been said, I do believe there are specific features that themers can use only in Panther. (Bill Bart was developing Jaguar and Panther versions of his upcoming theme, Omega.) I think this is something you should definitely email Max and Jason about.
Posted by danielgrenell at January 15, 2004 05:43 PM | Edit | Delete
great review, i agree with every word you've said.
Posted by Jim Magacs at January 20, 2004 05:18 PM | Edit | Delete
Correction: Brushed 3.1 does indeed have multiple variations. Apparently ShapeShifter only indicated one variation until a subsequent login.
Posted by Ryan Powell at February 10, 2004 01:17 PM | Edit | Delete
Am I the only one that finds it incredibly incongruous for Brushed to take AWAY the very brushed texture in metal apps that is its namesake? I understand that this is a ShapeShifter limitation, but it strikes me as deeply ironic and a tad disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a great theme. I absolutely love the contrast that the black menus provide, it's just that a smooth metal Finder window was the last thing I was expecting to find upon installing this theme.
Posted by marty at March 31, 2004 09:00 PM | Edit | Delete
Well, this is my favorite theme since day one, i waited a long time for it to be adapted for Panther, now i'm running it, and i did'nt found any other themes that satisfied my like this one! well done job max!!!!
Posted by Twink at September 23, 2004 01:43 PM | Edit | Delete
Good read
Posted by Sicherman Miriam at October 1, 2004 07:44 PM | Edit | Delete
A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling.
Posted by at October 7, 2004 07:21 PM | Edit | Delete
This is the best aqua replacement theme on the market. i've been using it for over a year and now when i use the computers on campus with default 10.3, i think it looks ugly.
Posted by outsider at February 4, 2006 08:04 AM | Edit | Delete
mieszkania Warszawa, ogłoszenia nieruchomości, projektowanie stron, tworzenie stron, agencja reklamowa, reklama w internecie
Posted by git at February 4, 2006 11:46 AM | Edit | Delete
zdrowa żywność, psycholog, nauka angielskiego, soczewki kontaktowe, psyche sf, jk, ns, projektowanie wnętrz, hydraulik, opcat, domy opieki, freetimes, jidds, fabrykapoe, sfworks, polskepoeje, pb, pp, jk, wypadki, opony, agroturystyka, klimatyzacja, apteka, dentysta, fs, kray, eway, angs, gits, akupunktura, sw, sf, puz