Latest macOS 26 Tahoe finally excises old spinning rust icons throughout the OS.
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RIP to the Macintosh HD hard drive icon, 2000–2025
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
Looking at the network icon… I’ve just never seen a spherical projection quite like that.
Does it bend space-time?
Does it bend space-time?
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Meanwhile, the icon for the Phone app still looks like a wired phone handset. Countdown to change begins now...
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fellow human
Ars Praefectus
It's weird only the internal drive has what looks like a USB port. The Apple logo kinda flouts that the internal SSD is non-upgradable.
And why does the removable one have a download icon?
And why does the removable one have a download icon?
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They couldn't have waited one more macOS version? I'm pretty sure this is the last one that my iMac will get, and while my particular unit does have an SSD installed in it, plenty of its bretheren were equipped with spinning platters.
Edit: Whoops, no Tahoe for my '19 iMac, dammit.
Edit: Whoops, no Tahoe for my '19 iMac, dammit.
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Man the old icons look so Much better, why the need to change something that works??
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I'm not sure the new icons will have the same cachet as the old ones. E.g., this forever means "save" to me:
But, I am also from the 1900s so a little antiquated. if they wanted to do a similar skeuomorphic design, maybe they should've just done a chip? There are lots of chips in a computer so that's ambiguous.
But, I am also from the 1900s so a little antiquated. if they wanted to do a similar skeuomorphic design, maybe they should've just done a chip? There are lots of chips in a computer so that's ambiguous.
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So, the icon's gone. Is the partition still called "Macintosh HD"? Apple hasn't even called anything a "Macintosh" since before OS X debuted.
And I'm curious: when did "Macintosh HD" actually start? System 2.1 default was "HD 20" and I seem to recall this naming convention holding right through HD 80. So did it start with PPC Macs?
And I'm curious: when did "Macintosh HD" actually start? System 2.1 default was "HD 20" and I seem to recall this naming convention holding right through HD 80. So did it start with PPC Macs?
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It feels weird, I kind of like the old ones better even if they are not representative.
The new ones aren't representative either, they look like T7s not like an internal SSD. I would prefer the clean look of the internal ssd of and MacMini M4
The new ones aren't representative either, they look like T7s not like an internal SSD. I would prefer the clean look of the internal ssd of and MacMini M4
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It's a "pull out" icon, but I admit it wasn't the first thing which came to mine.
It's supposed to be a web, isn't it?
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I'm assuming the holding-hands network icon was changed under pressure from the feds because cooperation is too "woke".
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It's really amazing that has persisted for so long. They didn't want to use any official logos, so they went with the next most recognizable thing.
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The only Intel iMac supported in Tahoe is the very last 27" model, all of which shipped with SSDs. There's no Mac supported in Tahoe that shipped with a spinning drive option.
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The lack of perspective given the above-front view bugs me.
But then I never understood the move away from skeuomorphism either.
I renamed my primary drive "Macintosh SSD" when I installed the SSD in place of the "HD".
But then I never understood the move away from skeuomorphism either.
I renamed my primary drive "Macintosh SSD" when I installed the SSD in place of the "HD".
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It's hard to imagine a less clear set of icons
Why does network have a wonky globe, it's not external internet stuff
Why is the removable icon a download icon?
Why is the SSD like the back of an iPad or something?
Why does network have a wonky globe, it's not external internet stuff
Why is the removable icon a download icon?
Why is the SSD like the back of an iPad or something?
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Overall, I like the change. Particularly for the external and removable. Arguably the network storage makes a lot more sense too, especially comparing to that kumbaya.
As for the original internal, I'll always prefer the good old spinny over the new icon. Sorta how a save button is still a floppy in most places. It conveys a meaning very quickly and timelessly.
As for the original internal, I'll always prefer the good old spinny over the new icon. Sorta how a save button is still a floppy in most places. It conveys a meaning very quickly and timelessly.
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OptimusP83
Ars Praefectus
I read puns and had to double check that Beth wasn't writing Apple articles now.
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Somebody new has been hired and needs to change something to let people know they are working hard.
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... to a black rectangle. Heck, why not just turn all of the icons into colored rectangles of varying sizes? That's pretty much representative of many of the devices that we use these days.
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It's a web! Get it!
But seriously I have no idea why it looks like that. It honestly looks like what you get if someone traced over a really low resolution image.
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The last time I bought a new mac the default partition name was still "Macintosh HD," yeah, and that's been the case even though Macs haven't come with a hard drive in ages.
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Dammit, I thought my '19 got one more major version. That's annoying and will no doubt break something like Notes until I buy a new desktop. And I need a new phone this year, too, so I'll be hobbling along for a bit. I guess I should think about cancelling AppleCare.
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That gold one looks like it's giving me the finger, upside down. Based upon my attitude toward any Apple device newer than the //e, this might actually be the case.
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Microsoft still holds to the old ways...
(Ribbon icons in the Mac version of Word)
(Ribbon icons in the Mac version of Word)
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As a set they look pretty good.
I quite like that they kept the colour tones.
Didn't realize how internalized I had that.
I quite like that they kept the colour tones.
Didn't realize how internalized I had that.
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I don’t instantly hate new things, but damn, these icons don’t look like anything. Why not make it look like an SSD module? Why would an internal drive look like an external drive enclosure?
Gives me the same jolt like the new Windows 11 icons for rename/delete. 30 years of memory tossed out to be cute.
Gives me the same jolt like the new Windows 11 icons for rename/delete. 30 years of memory tossed out to be cute.
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ubercurmudgeon
Ars Tribunus Militum
Given the cost-per-gigabyte to upgrade the internal storage when purchasing a new Mac, perhaps the new icon should be cow-shaped, emblazoned with a dollar sign.
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Important question: is there an icon for a blu-ray disk instead of a blank space that I've never figured out how to change?
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Most programs still use the floppy as "save". LibreOffice does for exmaple. At this point it's a pretty universal icon across pretty much any system even though it doesn't really make sense anymore.
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I think it's mean to represent the assortment of dangling and knotted cables in a typical small-business network cabinet.
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Is the external drive icon giving me the finger? 
And yeah, they should add at least a hint of perspective, too distracting otherwise since the brain will try to compensate for the non-existent perspective and make it feel even weirder (reverse perspective, basically)
And yeah, they should add at least a hint of perspective, too distracting otherwise since the brain will try to compensate for the non-existent perspective and make it feel even weirder (reverse perspective, basically)
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The new icons, quite clearly represent, from left to right:
- Apple-branded external drive.
- External drive containing pictures of a man on a unicycle.
- External drive containing scraped websites.
- External drive containing downloads.
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so you save to a zip disk, but save as by using a stylus on the floppy magnetic media?
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