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[Library Eye]

I have the Master license but pretty much just use the Mac version nowadays, because macOS is my preferred desktop system, followed by Linux (GNOME or Cinnamon, mostly - was using the Linux version when I was between Macs).

Is there any intention of moving the Mac version of JRiver towards Mac / Aqua interface behavior? Basic things, for instance, like adding standard ability to hide program; including the Mac window control buttons (the red, yellow, green ones) and their corresponding actions; and split screen capability? Media Center pretty much looks and behaves as if it's wholly separate from the OS I am using, so I am guessing the answer is no; both the interaction and the responsiveness make JRiver feel like it's being driven by something other than usual Mac graphics coding (I am not a programmer, so pardon non-technical jargon). Windows has never had the standardization and resultant elegance which the Mac experience achieves by all popular third party applications following some basic interface guidelines, so over in Windows (& even more, Linux) the standalone nature of the interface behavior seems normal. (Plus, the application just runs smoother on both those systems, and the Windows version of course has more features.) But on a Mac, consistency is so ingrained in user expectation that it's still jarring that I can't simply hide the program, etc. And whenever I recommend this program to a Mac user, I get shut down for just the same reasons: it looks like a Windows app, doesn't integrate with the OS, and such. It's worth it to me, as I consider JRiver the best music library manager / playback option available for several reasons, including it being cross-platform. But I still would love if it could take on some Mac characteristics in the Mac version.

[vrl]

I second that!

[MagerClab]

Hmm, I use MC so much, that I'd like on all OSs rather an MediaCenter UI integration  . Besides that, my main office box also runs on MacOS. But hey...

[goatherder]

It's pretty clear they're just sticking a wrapper on a Windows (effectively an XP-era) version that was UX-frozen to allow a port to happen, which itself also equally clearly has had to stay static and not to embrace modern Windows behaviour to also allow the ports to continue to happen.

What it does is ends up a half-baked affair for both OS's that is really only at home on the antiquated UX of Linux.

MC is the _only_ program I run on my Macs that my window managers can't work with, and it's a pain. And MC on Windows doesn't work like any other application I use with on modern hybrid touch hardware, and that's a giant pain.

I've given up specifically asking now. I will however moan about it as often I can though in the forlorn hope they'll finally say "eff it, we're doing cross-platform properly". I realise that's probably as likely as hell freezing over.

[Awesome Donkey]

Media Center is a native macOS application, but it uses its own way/code for drawing windows, menus, skinning and whatnot. It's the same on every platform; Windows, macOS and Linux. I don't think it's that easy to adapt that to function with the native APIs (e.g. for the menus and stuff) or else it would've been done already. It's not "half baked" or a wrapper or anything like that, it's using its own code.

The closest you can come on macOS is using the Modern Cards: Grey Edition skin (or the Dark Edition skin if using dark mode) with retina mode enabled. It actually looks pretty good then and I honestly don't notice any differences between MC or any other macOS app anymore.

And to be honest, this subject is brought up often (do a search of the forums!) but I don't expect this to change any time soon. I'm personally indifferent on the matter as long as the app works, and it does the job rather well (and looks good too with those Modern Cards skins!). At this point it's really like beating a dead horse.

[MagerClab]

It's pretty clear

Pretty clear to me that your post isn't even 'half-baked' at all.

[blgentry]

JRiver could make the Mac interface more mac-like if they wanted to.  It's a question of time, motivation, and money.  Frankly, as a business, the money part tends to win and with good reason.  I think JRiver would have to spend quite a lot of engineering time to re-do their Mac-JRiver toolkit that they produced.  When Jim looks at the balance sheet of MC revenue from Mac sales, compared to the engineering effort (which equates to money spent), I have a funny feeling that the numbers say "not worth our time". 

If it cost (as a guess) 3 years worth of Mac sales in order to re-engineer the Mac toolkit, would that be worth it, as a business?  Probably not.  There's a reason that MC is the oldest music player app on the planet.  It's the same reason that JRiver is still in business after ~20 years.  They understand the reality of money in a business context.

It's unfortunate, because I like Macs, and I really like JRiver MC! It would be awesome if MC was more Mac-like.  I'll continue to use MC with it's interface as it is now.  It's not ideal, but it's fully usable.  It just lacks some Mac spit and polish.

Brian.

[LETRA]

I think the reason for wanting a native Mac interface has something to do with the agility of the program. Aesthetically the new skins make it really nice, but it's slow on the Mac and if this was solved I wouldn't mind paying 10 or 15 dollars more for each annual update. To this day JRiver is the only app I would consider the real need for a new generation Mac Pro... And I have a 2017 iMac i5 with SSD and 64GB of RAM where I don't notice any performance changes open the applications I open, except JRiver...

[vrl]

I find LETRA's suggestion helpful. If it is more expensive to create a MC macOS version that blends right in, speed- und feature wise, I'm willing to accept a higher fee (subscription?).

[goatherder]

Media Center is a native macOS application

I wasn't implying it was emulated code.

but it uses its own way/code for drawing windows, menus, skinning and whatnot.

Do you see what you did there?

[Awesome Donkey]

Do you see what you did there?

I'm aware, but that's just how it is and how JRiver chooses to do things.