Digital Device, the winner of the Unsanity/OWC ShapeShifter Theme Contest, is, at first glance, quite a nice looking theme. It’s got tans and olive-greens that are definitely similar to the Palm Pilots and such that they no doubt emulate. So why is it that I simply cannot get used to this?

Aesthetics
Digital Device aims to be simple. As a result, everything is similar. Buttons, menus, checkboxes, everything. This level of consistency can sometimes help keep a sense of unity in the UI. However, Digital Device takes it a little too far. All clickable objects are rounded off and look almost exactly the same, with a few minor independent quirks among each of them. The similarity between elements eventually becomes excessive and hard to understand.

Refreshingly, sliders and progress bars are a bit unique, however. Using different shades of grey, Joe manages to separate sub-widgets and make it much easier on the eyes. Progress bars are also very, very cool. The bar is skinny along its length, and for any filled regions, it extends over the bar to create the effect. Very nice, and you have to see it in action.

Usability
While Digital Device is aesthetically boring, at least that should make it highly useful, right? After all, the elements are very basic and as a result should get out of your way, shouldn’t they? Well, this theme unfortunately seems to disprove that formula. I was utterly bored with the widgets, after a long session of testing. I believe that this is because while the theme attempts to get out of your way, the unique color combination makes this aim difficult to achieve. There isn’t any difference in shading, or texture, or anything. I thought I’d get used to it, but alas, it’s just too boring. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Perhaps the main problem with a PDA-based theme is that the way a user interacts with a digital device and the way a user interacts with a computer are totally different. When dealing with a PDA, you’re usually on a very narrow screen, for a few minutes at a time. When dealing with your trusty Mac, you could be on it for a few minutes, or you could be like me, and stay on all day. As a result, your computer’s UI must be much more interesting. While it’s not especially painful to use Digital Device for long periods of time, the experience can get monotonous, and constricting.

But I digress. The theme does look OK. I mean, it’s not a total wreck - it’s nevertheless, plenty usable. However, I simply wouldn’t want to work with something like this for an extended period of time, because it’s just too boring.

Extras
Digital Device didn’t seem to have any app skins (at least not that I could find), icons, desktops, or anything - just a straight theme. It exists fine as it is with most apps, but icons and desktops are definitely a necessity. Basically, Digital Device is a fine first effort by a themer, (who is currently working on the contest winner, Sweet Slumber). However, I expected more out of him for the package. Perhaps the experience can be improved with the addition of great extras.

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