Summary
The recent release of macOS Tahoe has stirred up quite a discussion among users, particularly regarding its redesigned window corners. With a significantly larger corner radius, these new windows have acquired a comically oversized look that some users liken to a child's toy. Beyond the visual changes, this design modification has introduced a practical issue: difficulty in resizing windows. Users have found that the intuitive act of grabbing and dragging a window corner to resize doesn't work as expected. The active area where the system recognizes a click for resizing is now misleadingly small compared to the visual cues provided by the window's appearance, leading to frequent failed attempts and frustration. This change in design not only affects the usability of the operating system but also questions the balance between aesthetic innovation and functional integrity.
Highlights:
- macOS Tahoe features windows with oversized corner radii, likened to a child's toy.
- Users frequently fail to resize windows due to the small, misleading active area for resizing.
- The intuitive method of window resizing does not align with the new design, causing user frustration.
- Approximately 75% of the clickable area for resizing lies outside the window due to large corner radii.
- Resizing windows in macOS Tahoe now requires an unnatural and unintuitive gesture.
The macOS Tahoe update has introduced a significant change in the design of window corners, featuring an absurdly large corner radius. This aesthetic choice has been met with mixed reactions, with some users finding it visually unappealing and reminiscent of a child's toy. However, the larger issue at hand is the impact this design has on functionality, particularly the resizing of windows. Users have reported a noticeable difficulty in performing what was once a straightforward task, as the active area for resizing has been reduced to a 19x19 pixel area, misaligned with the actual corners of the window.
The problem is compounded by the fact that about 75% of the clickable area necessary for resizing the window now falls outside the actual window boundary due to the enlarged corner radius. This misalignment between the visual cue of the window corner and the functional area for interaction leads to frequent failed attempts at resizing. Users trying to grab and drag the window corner often find that their clicks are not registered, leading to frustration and decreased productivity.
The design change in macOS Tahoe challenges the balance between aesthetics and usability. While attempting to modernize the look of the operating system, the practicality of everyday tasks has been compromised. For those accustomed to the intuitive gestures associated with operating system interfaces, this adjustment feels both unnatural and unintuitive. The new resizing mechanism requires users to adapt to a less efficient method, highlighting a crucial oversight in user experience design.