Rhapsodized - March 26, 2004
Author: Max Rudberg
Version: 1.4
Reviewed by: Steven Canfield
User Rating: 
67%
Max Rudberg's Rhapsodized is an attempt to deliver a forward looking take on the Classic interface -- adding color and smooth lines indiscriminately. The newest version, 1.4, further refines the idea and adds some extras. Highly recommended download.
Aesthetics
Does anyone remember Platinum? Max Rudberg does. He remembers everything that Platinum was, and he sees what it could have become. Let me explain something: back in the OS 9 days, Mac OS did not have a strong UNIX underpinning -- it was unstable, it couldn't run UNIX software like apache or gdb, and it didn't have the fantastic Cocoa framework. What Mac OS 9 did have is a truly streamlined interface, which was intuitive enough that graphics professionals stuck with the platform when outward appearances would make that seem like an unattractive thing to do. Like Platinum, Rhapsodized is utterly usable and intuitive. Rhapsodized is not flashy, but having used it for two weeks now, I can't help but feel that it is elegant. With most themes, you may try them for a while, and it's fun, but at some point you revert to Aqua or a close cousin (Aluminum Alloy or Aqua Extreme perhaps). Rhapsodized may well be the theme you stick with.
Everything in Rhapsodized is smooth, from the gradients in the progress indicators and scrollbars to the animation of the default button. Things like tabs and buttons have a very physical feel to their animation (ie they look like real buttons being pushed in). Additionally, Rhapsodized comes with 4 variants: Azul, Lime, Poppy, Silver. The colors chosen in version 1.4 are somewhat lighter than the colors in earlier versions, but many of the buttons and window backgrounds have been made slightly darker, so no contrast is lost, and the theme is a bit easier on the eyes. Buttons in the Finder, Safari, and iTunes fit with the theme very nicely as well. In the end, though, Rhapsodized gets out of your way so you can get some work done.
Usability
Max may have hit the nail on the head here. I feel like I'm sticking my neck out when I say that this theme has no issues whatsoever (so feel free to bash me in the comments), but in my time with Rhapsodized, I haven't seen anything. The variants (including, surprisingly, the Silver one) all retain plenty of contrast between the controls and the window background, and the use of white on highlight color for menus is delightful to look at.
Extras
With the release of ShapeShifter 1.2, the crew here at MacThemes has a lot of thinking to do. Max has added two application skins to Rhapsodized 1.4, Safari and iTunes. The theme also comes with a lovely iconset (4 variants!) and a bunch of wallpapers (make your own color choice). I am absolutely in love with the desktops, because it feels like they capture exactly the spirit of the old Mac OS. A MightyMouse cursor is also included, which replaces the beachball with the old (and yet new again) OS 9 wait cursor. For the next round, maybe Max could get around to adding support for some other apps (Mail, Xcode, and the other iApps) and a few more backgrounds, but, really, you have to set a limit. This theme is quite complete.
Comments
Posted by Blacktiger at April 14, 2004 10:50 AM | Edit | Delete
I like Rhapsodized, and while the new version is good, I miss the old version with it's many variants. Most specifically, I miss the white aqua windows that it used to have but oh well.
Posted by Alain at April 14, 2004 03:16 PM | Edit | Delete
I love this theme but I don't much fancy the new itunes skin at all. Is there a way install the theme without it?
Posted by Michael P. McHugh at April 14, 2004 04:11 PM | Edit | Delete
Just add iTunes to the ShapeShifter Exclude list. That's what I do.
-mpm
Posted by Scottish at April 14, 2004 04:46 PM | Edit | Delete
This is the theme I've been waiting for to buy Shapeshifter, and it's finally here. The iTunes skin could use some work, I agree, and I also loved the light variation, but it's still an outstanding theme.
I asked for and received a modded Light variation from a kind user on Max's forum, but it was just a simple lightening of the window background and titlebar and such, and looked like a glitch in certain places (iTunes Song Information window comes to mind), so I reverted to the normal.
Posted by Daniel Grenell at April 14, 2004 05:34 PM | Edit | Delete
definitely one of my favorite themes (if not my favorite period). it scores big in my book with usability.
Posted by kwyjibo at April 14, 2004 07:14 PM | Edit | Delete
The white versions, as Max has said, were hideous. Let it die. Additionally, having iTunes match is a bonus. If you don't like it, die.
Why do people fear change?
Posted by Heiesuke at April 15, 2004 12:52 AM | Edit | Delete
It's clean and straight forward. But it's boring quicker than I'd like for a theme, i do understand the methodology behind it so if i had a scale to 10 it would rate 7.8 lol
Posted by Angel at April 17, 2004 12:49 AM | Edit | Delete
THis is definitely one of my favorite themes, period.
Posted by iNeusch at April 24, 2004 09:04 AM | Edit | Delete
Nice theme... but too simple compared to th rest.....
Posted by Ernest Liu at April 24, 2004 10:30 PM | Edit | Delete
When I look at the widgets, it just doesn't seem as apealing as the new aqua-style ones. It feels old-school. Well done on the usability, though.
Posted by Zekek at May 1, 2004 08:19 AM | Edit | Delete
This is my favorite theme by far. I feel that it's even more usable than Aqua. For me the aesthetics comes out in being able to use it day after day and having the UI fade away.
Posted by Nuno Sousa at May 14, 2004 11:42 AM | Edit | Delete
Best theme yet and I have tried them all. Beautiful, simple... Great !
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