Building a new operating system is a monumental challenge, and in January 2000 when Aqua was introduced, Apple was in the thick of the transition to OS X.
Beyond the staggering amount of development work taking place to smash Mac OS and NeXTSTEP together, Apple was hard at work on the user interface of OS X. But to understand what OS X would become (and how it would look), it's important to remember where the company had been before.
A Visual Tour of Mac OS
Jan 19, 2021 On Sept. 13, 2000, Apple released Mac OS X Public Beta, the first public release of OS X to include the Dock. It was also the first to feature the unprecedented eye candy that was the Aqua interface. It marked the beginning of a new era for Mac, and one we're still living in 20 years later. Jun 13, 2020 Apple is certainly planning for a new iMac, with the latest leak coming from Apple's own code. Tucked away in the an early build of iOS 14 are new iMac icons reflecting a machine with new.
From the original Macintosh up through System 6, Mac OS looked basically the same:
image via Wikipedia
1991's System 7 brought color to the user interface for the first time:
image via GUIdebook
As the screenshot shows, Apple was very conservative when adding color to the Mac's user interface.
Mac OS 8 brought much more color with its Platinum interface. Notice the monochromatic pinstripes and simple controls. Even here, color is used somewhat sparingly:
image via Wikipedia
Mac OS 8 was released over 12 years after the original Macintosh. For over a decade, the Mac's UI stayed basically the same. Screens grew in size and color support was added, but Apple moved very slowly.
(OS 9 — released partly as a stop gap carried much of the same UI.)
It would come back to bite them in the ass.
Enter NeXT
While Apple was trudging along with Mac OS, the team at NeXT was hard at work. While the initial release of NeXTSTEP was monochrome, later builds — including OpenStep, pictured below — were in full color.
image via GUIdebook
More important than its interface, NeXT offered Apple a next-gen operating system that Cupertino couldn't create on its own. So, in 1996, Apple bought NeXT.
The Road to OS X
After the purchase, Apple announced Rhapsody, a BSD-based operating system was powered by a Mach microkernel. It contained the object-oriented Yellow Box API framework, the Blue Box compatibility environment for running 'Classic' Mac OS applications and a Java Virtual Machine.
In short, Rhapsody was the structure bridging the old and the new. It was also the front lines for Apple's work on the interface of its new system.
This is how the company described its work:
Rhapsody's user interface will combine elements from both the Mac OS and NEXTSTEP, but will be closer in look and feel to the Mac OS Finder. We realize that customers need a consistent interface in the two operating systems to deploy them throughout a single organization. It's important for training and ease of use. One of the advantages of NeXT's technology is the easy support of multiple user interface paradigms.
Shipping in August 1997, Rhapsody looked like Mac OS with little chunks of NeXT design, as Apple outlined:
image via GUIdebook
Rhapsody would end up becoming Mac OS X Server 1.0 in March 1999. Still running the mash-up of Mac OS' and OpenStep's UIs, OS X Server 1.0 was the first retail release of an Apple-branded, NeXT-based OS:
Chinese in the shores. image via Object Farm
After Mac OS X Server 1.0, Apple released a series of 'OS X Developer Previews.' DP 1 and 2 should look familiar:
Aqua's early days
In January 2000, Apple announced a new look for OS X. The UI's name?
Aqua.
The user interface was designed to reflect the hardware of the day. Candy-colored iMacs and iBooks looked great with Aqua's bright buttons and colorful window controls.
Aqua first shipped as part of OS X DP3:
image via GUIdebook
In his review, John Siracusa introduces Aqua this way:
As anyone who's seen the screenshots knows, Aqua looks very nice. Even in this very first private release, the attention to detail in Aqua is impressive. Everything appears sharp and polished. All the UI elements look just as good as they do in the screen shots on Apple's web site. Some even look better.
Aqua had some issues, however. Here's Siracusa again:
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I believe that Mac OS X DP3 has its heart in the right place. It certainly looks very nice, and it is generally impressive in action. But the devil is in the details, and Aqua manages to get most of them wrong. The dock is a total write-off. It doesn't need to be 'fixed' so much as it needs to be split-out into individual components that do a particular task (and do it well), rather than a catch-all dock that does everything atrociously. The Finder still needs to be fleshed out, but it's on the right track with its offering of both the new browser-style interface and the traditional Finder windows. The core OS is sturdy and interesting as ever. As with DP2, I was not able to freeze the system at any time, and performance was quite good, with a few eye-candy-related exceptions (genie on the G3 and opaque window resizing on both machines). I continue to enjoy the technical aspects of Mac OS X, and I hold out hope that Apple will listen to its users and reconsider some of the UI decisions made for Mac OS X.
Just reviewing that screenshot shows some of the UI's initial problems. The Dock was terrible, the transparency made some content — like window titles — impossible to read at times, single-application mode was super janky and the menu bar's centered Apple logo was very troublesome.
(Fun fact — Mac OS' 'Apple menu' was still intact on the left end of the menu bar. That logo was just eye candy that apps with too many menus had to skip over. Seriously.)
By the time 10.0 Cheetah shipped in March 2001 (after four developer previews and the Public Beta), Apple had fixed a lot of the weirdness in Aqua, including that Apple logo:
image via GUIdebook
In fact, most OS X users would look at 10.0 and not be surprised by much at all.
This is due to the fact that, for many years, OS X's UI didn't change all that much, besides gaining speed. Once Mac hardware caught up to the UI's demands, Aqua shined.
Mac OS X 10.1 Puma looked a lot like 10.0:
image via GUIdebook
And Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar looked a lot like Puma:
image via GUIdebook
Aqua's Slow Decay
These days, there's not much of Aqua left. While OS X Mavericks' interface is clearly derived from what Apple announced 13 years ago, it has aged.
The changes started with 10.3 Panther and right off the bat, things went off the rails a little. Many of Aqua's conventions remained intact, but the pinstripes that once mimicked Apple's hardware were replaced with our friend Brushed Metal:
image via GUIdebook
Panther's buttons and scrollbars seem out of place next to the brushed metal, and the window controls are downright cringe-worthy. Mac OS X Tiger didn't stray far from Panther's line, although the company did make several improvements to the UI, including dialog boxes and font smoothing. As shown below in this image, even 10.4 included some very Aqua-like elements:
image via Ari Weinstein, who sent me a correct version of the screenshot I had been using originally here.
Tiger's successor, however, brought sweeping changes.
image via Apple PR
Leopard's user interface came crashing down like an iron fist. Pinstripes were smoothed over, and brushed metal was swept away. The rounded corners that had defined the Mac's menu bar since 1984 were removed.
A Brief Note on Snow Leopard and 'Marble'
Snow Leopard was rumored to bring a unified UI dubbed 'Marble:'
The new theme will likely involve tweaks to the existing design and perhaps a 'flattening' of Aqua in-line with Apple's iTunes and iPhoto interface elements.
At the time, I thought this rumor was really weird. 10.6 didn't bring a new UI, and Marble sounds more like Leopard than anything else. Oh well.
Modern OS X
In October 2010, Apple held a press event named 'Back to the Mac.'
During the event, the company announced Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The new OS brought many iOS-based features to the desktop, including full-screen apps, improved gesture support, and a grid-based app launcher named Launchpad.
Lion continued down Leopard's path of dulling Aqua, but brought things like stitched leather, linen and green felt from iOS to the Mac.
Just look at poor iCal:
image via MacStories
10.8 Mountain Lion continued that trend, but fixed many of Lion's other issues.
Today, OS X Mavericks looks like the successor to 10.6 more than anything else:
image via Apple PR
10.7 and 10.8's skeuomorphic elements are basically already considered outliers at this point.
But even in Mavericks, there's not much left of our old friend Aqua. I'm not even sure the name still really applies, at least how Steve Jobs introduced it over a decade years ago.
Homework Assignment:Find an hour to watch John Gruber's talk from Webstock 2011 on the history of Apple's UI design. The bits toward the end of the talk are a little dated, but it's still worth the watch.
The Future
There's been a lot of chatter that Mac OS X 10.10 (Sigh.) will usher in a new UI.
Based on the product artwork alone, it'd be easy to think that OS X and iOS 7 are closer in appearance than they are:
Both of these icons were present at last year's WWDC, but Mavericks got only a slight UI refresh — nothing more than losing some stitched leather and a bunch of linen. It was no redesign.
This year, however, many people believe OS X is due for a visual overhaul.
Mark Gurman at 9to5 Mac reported several weeks ago that this would be the case:
OS X 10.10 will be the successor to the current OS X, 10.9 Mavericks. Mavericks focused on power-user features and under-the-hood enhancements to improve hardware performance, battery life, and graphics processing. 10.10, however, will focus on aesthetics. According to sources, Apple Senior VP of Design Jony Ive is leading a 'significant' design overhaul for OS X, and the new design will be the operating system's cornerstone new feature (none of the mockups online, like the one above, are a good indicator of what to expect).
The new design will not be as stark as iOS 7, but it will include many of the flat elements and white textures instead of re-creations of life-like elements. The end-to-end redesign is said to be a top priority at Apple right now, with the specific details about the changes being sworn to extreme secrecy. Apple has been testing new features such as Siri and support for iOS AirDrop compatibility, but it's unconfirmed if those enhancements will be ready for 10.10.
As Peter Cohen pointed out at iMore, Apple could move OS X closer to iOS without merging the operating systems.
2013 didn't bring an OS X redesign but it's not hard to imagine that if Apple does have a new UI ready for OS X, it would fall in line with iOS.
But what would an Ive-inspired OS X look like?
Craig Hockenberry has an idea:
There's no doubt in my mind that Apple is going to overhaul the look of Mac OS X in the next version. As more and more apps bridge the gap between the desktop and mobile, the lack of consistent branding and design across platforms is becoming a problem.
I fully expect to see flatter user interfaces, squircle icons, a new Dock, and Helvetica Neue as the system font.
I'll be surprised if Lucida Grande survives as the system font past 10.9. I will, however be sad. It has defined so much of OS X for years, but I bet that 10.10 will bring more than a new typeface.
There are those 'OS X Ivericks' mockups floating around and an 'OS X Montauk' design over on Dribbble:
While I don't know if Apple would go this far with OS X, it is interesting to consider.
Apple Catch (bea) Mac Os Catalina
Apple's recent opening of an OS X Beta Seed Program is interesting, too. Surely new builds of 10.9 aren't so important that Apple would introduce this system. 10.9.3 isn't much to write home about, and certainly doesn't require a wide-reaching base of testers.
If 10.10 is going to have a new face, wouldn't it make sense to let all sorts of people test it before it ships as a final product?
As we spoke about on The Prompt, iOS 7 brought excitement. People showed off the beta to their friends like it was new toy. It's not hard to imagine that Apple would want to bottle some of that up and dump it on its aging — and comparatively boring — desktop operating system.
I don't know what's going to happen during Tim Cook's keynote on June 2, but there is a lot of smoke pointing to an Aqua-colored fire.
Caches are files your Mac creates when you use an app or browse a website for the first time. It then uses those files to load things faster for you. But, if you don't clear caches once in a while, those files start to pile up and can even cause application errors and crashes. In this post, we'll tell you more about different types of caches on your Mac and explain how to remove them. Feel free to jump to the section that interests you the most:
What are the main cache types?
There are roughly three main types of caches you can clean on your Mac:
- System cache
- User cache (including app cache and DNS cache)
- Browser cache.
This article will go over cleaning up all three.
How are cache files different from cookies?
You've probably heard and seen the term 'cache' used on your Mac, but do you know what it is?
Cache files are basically temporary data stored on your hard drive and used to speed up processes. For instance, Safari will download images on a webpage into the cache so that next time you visit the site, you don't have to download the images again.
Cookie files are tiny members of the big cache family. Your browser collects this form of cache to remember previously visited websites. Cookies collect the details of your visit, its duration, actions on a page, etc. Advertisers also use these to follow you around the internet. However annoying they are, cookies are a part of internet reality that we cannot help but 'Accept.'
There are many reasons to remove old cache from your MacBook, and disk space issue is only one of them. So what are the other benefits?
- Fixing issues with laggy web pages that load outdated content
- Removing personal data stored by websites and applications
- You need to force-delete outdated cache from an app
How is the cache created? An example from Photos
Every time you do image manipulations, like rotating a picture, its additional copy is created on your drive. In this manner, just 4 rotations are enough for image size to grow from 2.5 MB to 10 MB of disk space taken. If you edit photos and videos regularly, you may notice that your editor application also keeps temporary data — like an intermediate version of your files.
Are you ready to reclaim space on your Mac? Let's go!
Can I delete all my cache files on a Mac?
It's not completely safe to delete all cache files at once. Your Mac caches what you're doing in real-time, so if you're using an app to work on some project, removing this app's cache can erase all your progress. What you can remove is the inactive cache — the outdated files that often lie unused. Old app cache files fall into the same basket: if you've already deleted the app, no need to store its leftover cache — you can safely remove it from your Mac, and we'll tell you how to do it.
How to empty user cache on Mac?
Potential space reclaimed from junk - Up to 70%
As you can see, a single user cache folder on my computer takes up an enormous 2.05 GB of space. And that's just one folder out of hundreds. That means a good cleaning could free up gigabytes of free space and speed up your Mac in the process.
Now, when it comes to clearing cache on Mac, there are two ways you can do it. You can clean them up manually step-by-step, or you can clean them in a second with a cleaning utility like CleanMyMac X. It removes temporary files, outdated cache, and app leftovers, freeing up space on your Mac. If you want to clear the cache on your Mac right now, we suggest doing it the easy way:
- Launch CleanMyMac X (download the trial version here).
- Select System Junk.
- Click Scan, and then Clean.
That's it, all cache files cleaned! CleanMyMac X works on all systems, including the latest macOS version.
To clear your user cache manually, do the following:
- Open a Finder window and select 'Go to Folder' in the Go menu.
- Type in
~/Library/Cachesand hit enter to proceed to this folder. - Optional step: You can highlight and copy everything to a different folder, just if something goes wrong.
- Go into each of the folders and clean out everything.
Note: We recommend that you remove the insides of these folders, but not the folders themselves.
Make sure that once you have finished clearing out these caches for additional hard drive space, you empty your Trash. To do this, Control-click on the Trash icon in the dock and select 'Empty Trash.' Restart your Mac afterward so your Mac can begin to create new, fresh cache files. To help you make sense of your Library folder, here's a brief explanation of what each subfolder stands for.
4 main types of the cache within the Library folder
Caches
Temporary data created by apps and websites. Your apps keep generating cache files for as long as they are active. Relying on such pre-loaded content reduces memory load and speeds up data exchange.
Preferences
The Preferences folder is where you'll find customized settings for your apps. Sometimes, there is a need to reset an app and delete its corrupted Preferences file. Preference files always end with .plist — so they are easy to spot and delete.
App support
App support folder contains large pieces of app data, like game saves. App support files may remain on your Mac long after you've deleted the app itself. That's why 'cleaners' for system junk were invented.
Containers
Containers folder is an exchange buffer that apps use to communicate with one another. This is often referred to as 'sandboxing.' The Containers folder is automatically emptied after you restart your Mac.
How to delete system cache on Mac
Potential space reclaimed from junk - Up to 10% (manual methods) or 15% (using cleaner)
Next up, we're looking at your system cache files. Those are generated by the built-in macOS system services. To see where your Mac stores system cache enter /Library/Caches in Finder's Go menu.
The system cache files can be essential for correct system functioning. They also don't take a lot of space — usually, it's up to 2 GBs — so it's one more reason not to touch them. On the contrary, the app cache can be safely removed. And we'll tell you how.
How to delete app cache on Mac
What is app cache? In short, it's any media downloaded by the apps you use to work faster and not load it every time you open the app. Do you need it? It's debatable, but the app cache takes up disk space and can be cleaned. Some apps may generate more cache than the others — those are often Spotify, Xcode, and Steam — but there's a quick way to remove it.
You can delete the app cache on Mac in the same way as the user cache by going to ~/Library/Caches and removing the insides of the folders with the app name.
Proceed with caution! Not all app cache can be safely cleared. Some app developers keep important user info on cache folders. Backing up a folder before you delete is always a good idea. If everything works fine, then you can delete the backup later.
To be on the safe side, use CleanMyMac X; it works with a Safety Database and knows how to clear the app cache safely. As if that wasn't enough, it will also remove more junk than manual methods.
Apple Mac Os 10.8 Download
How to clear browser cache on Mac
Potential space reclaimed from junk - Up to 15%
We all love to surf the web, but every site we visit adds to the growing browser cache. Clearing your browser cache doesn't just free up space; it will also clear your browsing history to secure your privacy.
Browser cache temporarily stores website data such as images, scripts, and other stuff, in order to make your browsing faster when you revisit the same site. If you're worried about your privacy or want to hide pages you've visited, you can clear your Internet cache (or browser history). Also, resetting your browser cache will help eliminate 404, 502, and other errors caused by a corrupted cache.
Here's a quick introduction to how to delete browser cache on Mac.
How to clear cache in Safari
Safari is a little trickier than the rest of the browsers. You could remove caches together with all the other website history through History — Clear History in the menu bar.
But if you need more precision, here's how to empty cache on the Safari browser:
- In the top menu, choose Safari.
- Click Preferences.
- Choose the Advanced tab.
- Enable the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- Now go to Develop in the menu bar.
- Choose Empty caches.
Make sure you close/quit the browser and restart it after clearing the cache. Note that all your auto logins and predicted websites in the address bar will be cleared.
Spackys nightshift mac os. Manual methods remove most of the browser junk, but if you want to remove all of it from all your browsers at once, there's a safer and faster method to clear your internet cache on any browser.
How to clear cache in Chrome
Here's how to clear browser cache in Chrome manually:
- Enter
chrome://settingsin the search bar and press Return. - In the 'Privacy and security' section, click 'Clear browsing data.'
- Deselect all but 'Cached images and files.'
- Timewise, choose 'All time.'
- Hit the 'Clear data' button.
How to clear cache in Firefox
Here's how to delete cache in Firefox manually:
- Enter this command
about:preferencesinto the search bar. - Select the Privacy & Security panel.
- In the Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
- Check Cached Web Content.
- Click Clear to confirm.
If, for some reason, you cannot open a web page, try putting cache: in front of the URL address. This redirects you to the site's cached copy. For example cache:macpaw.com
It works most of the time and can magically open even the otherwise blocked sites.
The easy way to clear all browsing data
Instead of clicking between browsers and being limited to what they let you clean, take full control of all your browser cleaning with this simple method:
- Open CleanMyMac and select the Privacy module.
- Click on your browser of choice.
- Make your selections from the list of all your cache and privacy tracks.
- Click Remove to clean your browser.
Cleaning your Mac has never been easier. Download CleanMyMac X and try for free to get yourself a faster, cleaner Mac — without worrying about removing the wrong thing.
And if you're looking to clear just browser cookies, check out this easy one-minute explanation we've made for you.
Frequently asked questions
What are cache files?
Cache files are basically scripts, images, temporary files, and other data left on your Mac after you visit a website or use an app for the first time. There are system cache, user cache, which includes app and DNS cache, and browser cache that accumulates as you surf the web.
Sammy the snake mac os.
Is it safe to remove cached data?
Cache helps websites and apps download faster for you. https://hereeload884.weebly.com/the-willers-of-people-mac-os.html. By deleting cache files, you basically remove the information the sites and apps know about you. And if your system needs this information, it will recreate the cache files. So there's nothing dangerous about removing the user cache.
Where are the cache files stored on Mac?
The app and user cache files are usually located in ~/Library/Caches. Here, you can find folders dedicated to each app you have on your Mac. So, cache files of each application or program are stored in corresponding folders.
