The defaults for the alternate colour background are awfully light. I know, it is very easy to change, but the default is so light, I did not even realise it was a feature until I poked around in the preferences. 92% instead of 98% (using the grayscale slider mode) looks good to me. The default for full-screen was much more visible to me.
Hmm… I’m not 100% sure about this one. The difference was supposed to be subtle so that it is not too distracting; on the other hand, it may be that because I have done all of my testing on a MacBook - which has a glossy screen - the contrast is a little too subtle for most screens. I have therefore changed the default to 92.5% for now, as suggested, and I’ll see how it goes.
I didn’t even see the alternating background, when I was going through the tutorial and looking for it because it was mentioned… I set it to a slightly more visible grey too.
It’s clear as day on my lovely glossy screen (shame about the dirty, discoloured top-case, of course) 
Like I say, the default has been changed for beta 2.
KB-
Love the program. I felt the alternate coloring looks just fine on my screen.
Perhaps it is a gamma setting thing? I have mine set to the old Mac default 1.8, if you have yours set to 2.2, the default might be more obvious.
I don’t know if spontaneous affirmation counts for anything, but I just had to look at all 20 chapters in my novel. I selected and highlighted them in the Binding panel and clicked on Edit Scrivenings and there they all were with beautiful pastel shading for each alternate chapter.
Yes, I know everyone raves about this feature, but when you actually need it, it is fantastic. My alternative would have been to copy and paste every chapter into a WP. Now I can do some really critical editing on the story as a whole, and still have my split screen and my template in Notes in the Inspector panel. All the edits will be within Scrivener, so no risk of lost edits.
Goodness me, I love this application. It affects you viscerally as a writer. It makes you feel good about your work. Something organic happens inside you. It affirms your creative gifts.
Isn’t that the truth! It IS a visceral feeling. I guess for me it’s all those years of having to try to make things work, and they never quite did. Having to klutz around trying to bend different programs to make them do something I needed doing. I never realized just how much doing all that took away from my ability to freely write. To just relax and be creative! But Scr. doesn’t need bending. It’s all ‘right there’ in an elegant, easy-to-use (at least I’ve found it so) package. I guess, like you, I’m in the discovery phase of this program! Using it becomes a series of revelations that are changing the way I work and the way I FEEL when I work.
Well said, Lord Lightening!
Alexandria
…because it feels so Mac-like, more so than even some of Apple’s current offerings in software.