OS X Yosemite Icons vs. Mavericks: Which Is Better?

Apple OS X is getting a new coat of paint. When the company unveiled OS X Yosemite at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), it revealed a new Mac interface, re-imagined in the same ethos iOS 7. Yosemite's terrain is all about flatter elements, translucent layers and contemporary fonts.

That means the real-world texturing of icons — often called "skeuomorphism" — is out, or at least reduced. With Mavericks, Apple took out gratuitous skeuomorphic design (like the leather lining in the Calendar app), but in Yosemite things go even flatter. All of the Mac system icons get a makeover, trading meticulous detail for simpler shapes and colors. Read more...