Remember how a lot us old timer users complained about X1 being so different and a huge step backwards in the GUI from the previous interface SONAR 8 and earlier series of releases?
 
Now, I can't imagine NOT working in the X series... all these fancy new windows are now imbedded into my workflow and I, for one, would not want to go back to the old GUI metaphor.
 
Funny how these things work.
 
Jim

I'm with you.
 
When I first opened X1 I felt lost, but thanks to Scott G's book, people on here and the Cake videos, I quickly picked it up.
 
I opened an old version of Sonar recently (Sonar 6, I think) on an old laptop, and was struck by how cluttered it was.
 
I could not imagine going back to pre X series now.
 
In fact, I recently opened up X1 & X2 to trouble shoot another forum member's issues, and was struck by how well the X series has evolved.  Each version had a better, more streamlined workflow.

I much prefer the X series. Window management pre X series used drive me up the wall.
 
Regards,

X all the way or X marks the spot or X is good for the soul. 
 
I wasn't the only one that got the notion behind X1 when it was released but I do believe I was the most vocal supporter of it. When I read threads of this sort I feel that that support was worth it. 
 
It bothers me that I may have lost some friends because of it. For those that have given it a fair chance, they are the winners.

I like the X series GUI paradigm and the improved window management. It's the size of the GUI elements that bother me. I recently opened Sonar 8.5, and thought, "oh wow, yeah, everything's the right size." Then I opened up X3 and it's like someone changed the zoom settings on my display.
 
Examples: look at the console strips in 8.5. Pay attention to width and vertical use of space, how many could you fit on your monitor? No look at X3 and do the same. 8.5 wins big time in the "most efficient use of screen real estate" category. On the subject of the Console view, the console strips are so big that you can't use it when it's in the multidock because you're constantly scrolling. This makes the multidock useless for me. Similar complaints with areas of the GUI like the toolbar. 8.5 and prior had a thin customizable toolbar that I could make as thin or narrow as I want. I kept them thin, and had everything I needed in a single toolbar row. This devoted a lot of space to the Track and Console views where I spend most of my time. Now look at the X series toolbar. It's huge. It takes up a ton of space. Same for the track inspector, much smaller in 8.5, but still had everything I need. In X3, it's much wider, really digging into the track view. 
 
These kind of things end up being workflow killers for me, since I'm constantly closing docks to try and increase my screen real estate. Meanwhile, if X3 had a 75% zoom option, I'd probably love it. I really think Cakewalk is on the right track, but they really need to shrink down the GUI elements, at least for the non-touch screen users. Take a look at how a DAW like Studio One makse much better use of screen real estate. Or how Reaper's dynamically resizable console view makes using it while docked an absolute joy.
 
So...it's a mixed bag for me. Good idea, now shrink everything so I can see more stuff.
 
 

While I have no problem using the C and D shortcts to gain vertical space, as well as F11 to remove the top menu bar, I probably would make use of a 75% (or so) GUI scale in certain situations if it were available.  It would be pretty cool if that were something that could be stored in a screen set.

+1

While the X-series GUI looks the most beautiful and professional (to me) among all DAWs, narrower strips in the Console View and narrower modules in the Control Bar would be nice.

X pretty all the way here !! and X3 is just exellent feature wise ...
 
Still i think some has to  be done to optimse display of infos (sends and FX for exemple , in the console view) and we loose here and there some usefull workflow habbit ...under than that X series are just exellent and a step up in all areas ;)
 
 

8.5.3 was tremendously powerful, IF you learned the key bindings and such.  This drove many folks to tearing their hair out when the X series completely rewrote the UI.
 
The Cakewalk decision to rewrite the UI was, in part, driven to make the UI easier for a larger segment of folks to get things done, and as lots of folks have pointed out, once you get used to the X series UI, there are a lot of nice things there.  It is also true that for some tasks, the 8.5.3 UI was more efficient, but again this is for those who mastered the shortcuts.
 
I believe X3 is a great success thus far partly because of that decision to completely rework the UI when X1 came out - X3 is like the grown-up version of what X1 started.
 
I am really getting lots of things done these days, and it is thus far being quite the pleasant experience along the way.
 
Bob Bone