Leaning Stack, Tilted Stack

Question

Leaning Stack, Tilted Stack

Can someone explain the logic behind the tilted or leaning Stack? Does anyone like the leaning stack? I think I understand what it is intended to represent but in reality it doesn't really come off as that. It looks "broken", like an unorganized stack or a too big stack ready to fall over - it says "Problem" - not "cute, creative, innovative" - despite the fact that I know it is an intentional effect. Reality is that - most things that lean, people fix or they have a desire to fix - Even a stack of paper or documents. I like Apple's thoughtfulness on most things but this - "not so much". Here is the real reason for the post, what do you do if you have full dock and your stack leans right off the page and you can't really see the top of the stack? Apple fix this. Recommendation to Apple - Straighten the stack and keep in mind its ok to not use all of the capabilities/"flexibility" that your operating system gives you (ala - transparent Menu Bar 😉.

Message was edited by: Michael McLennan

G5 1.8 GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Oct 30, 2007 5:57 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 30, 2007 6:45 PM in response to Michael McLennan

Ditto on the leaning stack. If the leaning were some sort of an evenly curved arch it would be more aesthetically pleasing (but still what's the reason for it?) The way it is now it appears awkwardly crooked as if it has been somehow bent accidentally.

One thing I've always admired about the various iterations of the Mac OS X Aqua interface is the clean elegance it had (elegant in terms of aesthetics and in terms of function). The elegance appears gone in Leopard.

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Answer 2

Mikofox

Level 2

264 points

Nov 8, 2007 5:23 PM in response to Michael McLennan

I can only echo your sentiment. It's silly to have the stack running off the right edge.
I have a fairly loaded dock and this makes it difficult to get at the items in the corners without activating Expose.
Even viewing the folder as a grid means that maybe a tenth of the window is off the right edge, that is if you move the pointer into the stack window. When one clicks a stack it should open detached from the screen edge.
I thought maybe it could be nice to put the Utility folder down there, but then it only shows about half of my utilities. So I don't really see a use for it unless it becomes a complete file browser.
It probably would make more sense if one had a main dock on the bottom and then docks on the side to use for stacks.
I'll have to see if there can be multiple docks and then test it.
As it is works right now it's driving me crazy.

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Answer 3

Napkins

Level 1

0 points

Nov 8, 2007 5:47 PM in response to Michael McLennan

The curved fan stack is actually a usability feature to make it easier to stay on the stack. When you sweep your finger over the trackpad or move the mouse out, because of the way the muscles in your hands work, the cursor naturally moves to the right rather than straight up. Try it. Just sweep with your finger and it stays in line.

-Seth

Message was edited by: Host

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Answer 4

Mikofox

Level 2

264 points

Nov 8, 2007 8:03 PM in response to Napkins

Doesn't work with my trackballs.

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Answer 5

Nov 8, 2007 8:36 PM in response to Michael McLennan

OK. I have a very hard time understanding the usefulness of the leaning stack. You can only have 11 items on the stack (with a 20" Cinema Display).

In most folders, I have lots more stuff.

IMHO, the stack is absolutely useless, non-functional eye-candy. Sorry, the Emperor has no clothes.

There is no hierarchical support here. The "old-style" folders in the Dock where actually very useful and productive. A few keystrokes could take you anywhere on your hard drive in seconds.

Stacks don't. And the icon view of stacks is about as useless. Plus it takes up almost the entire screen. And doesn't show all you have in a folder either.

Sorry Apple. This is a big miss. Cannot understand why you have turned perfect functionality into useless eye-candy.

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Answer 6

Trejkaz

Level 1

0 points

Nov 9, 2007 12:51 AM in response to Napkins

What if you're left-handed? Does it figure that out and curve left instead? 😉

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Answer 7

Nov 9, 2007 5:21 AM in response to Stefan Schutt

Precisely. We have folders that literally have hundreds of folders within them. Stacks is totally useless under any such circumstances. It takes twice as long to navigate somewhere in Leper than it did in Tiger.

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Answer 8

Nov 9, 2007 6:43 AM in response to Michael McLennan

The "tall tippy tower" of Stacks is pretty silly. I could buy into the ergonomic concept of following the sweep of your mouse hand to some extent - until someone remined me not everyone is right-handed. In reality, it's visually jarring, because it's SUPPOSED to be - something to catch your attention in the store and make Leopard stand out. Once you start using it every day, the novelty wears off in a few minutes and it's just an eyesore; supporting my feeling all these effects are designed to SELL, not to use.

Of course for me, I don't HAVE any folders with a dozen or less items, so Stacks is useless. And so at this point, folders in the Dock are useless, as we've lost the previous behaviour.

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