Turn your PC into a Mac

We've got a bonus how-to for you this week. After becoming obsessed with a story on Wired News from last month about people getting their Windows PCs to have the same look and feel of Mac OS X, we convinced Aqua-Soft.org staff member Kurt Williams to give us the lowdown on how we could do it ourselves:

So, you wanna make your ugly Windows XP interface look like Mac OS X, huh? It's really not all that difficult to do, and with a little luck, you'll be able to convince all but the most die-hard Mac users that you run an Apple computer. First, here's a list of the programs you'll need:

• StyleXP or WindowBlinds (skins the Graphical User Interface of your operating system)
• ObjectBar (the white Finder bar on the top of Macs; has File, Edit, View, etc. on it.)
• ObjectDock, YzDock (discontinued), or MobyDock (The dock on the bottom of a Mac that contains icons and shortcuts to programs)
• Trillian (chat program that can be skinned to resemble iChat)
• YzToolbar (skins the toolbar icons in your Windows windows)
• YzShadow (puts a lovely drop shadow under your windows � la Mac OS X)
• Rainlendar (popular skinable desktop calendar)
• Rainmeter (skinnable desktop system statistics)
• Samurize (like Konfabulator for the Mac; can display just about anything, such as clocks, uptime, and the weather)
• iTunes for Windows (self-explanatory)
• Icons (The pretty little pictures on your desktop that point you somewhere. There are millions out there, but try the link provided for over a 1,000 lifted from Mac OS X 10.3 aka Panther)

That's pretty much what you'll want for starters. You don't need all of these, and in fact, you really only need a few to get a reasonably good looking OS X facsimile, but if you're gonna do this you might as well do it right. Now on to the guide.

This guide assumes that you have either downloaded/purchased the programs listed and 0that you know your way around a computer, at least to a reasonable extent.

1) I use StyleXP for my visual style, so that's what I'll detail here. WindowBlinds isn't that different, but if you prefer it, be my guest. The first thing you'll need to do is download a skin. I recommend Kol's website, StudioTwentyEight for some excellent skins, but feel free to look around for any others that might interest you. Download your ZIP, and extract it to C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes. Open up StyleXP and load up that baby. Your windows should now look like the skin you downloaded. If you chose Panther (an excellent choice) then they should look somewhat like this:

2) Time to find a good ObjectBar skin. I'd suggest crni's website for some excellent themes. Download the one you like best and extract it to your ObjectBar folder. Open the new folder in there (named something like the theme you downloaded) and double-click the .OBTHEME icon. The top of your screen should now look something like this, depending on your theme (Milk for me):


�3) Next up is the dock. Open up whichever version you settled on downloading. This is pretty easy to set up. Basically all you need to do is drag shortcuts or executables to the dock and ta da, you have a shortcut. To change it's icon, right-click and select "change icon" or some variation. To get new icons to select, make sure you put them in the icons subfolder (for YzDock) or the main dock folder (for ObjectDock). Easy as pie. When you have the icons and programs you like, it should look something like this:

4) For those that don't know, Trillian is a nifty chat program that sticks AIM, MSN, ICQ, and IRC into one program. If you don't use it, you should if for no other reason that it can look a lot like iChat. You may or may not need the Pro version to get the skin to work. I've heard mixed reports, but if it doesn't work right, I'd say you need the Pro version. An excellent choice for skins are Danimator's iChat skins. Extract it to your Trillian skin directory, open up Trillian's preferences, go to skins, and select the new skin you want to use. You can follow the readme for some more precise directions to get it looking perfect. When you're done, it should look like this:


5) YzToolbar and YzShadow are pretty self-explanatory. Just install 'em and run 'em. You can find good YzToolbar skins on the net: I'd recommend Aqua-Soft or AquaXP. Depending on skin (Milk, for me) and settings, it should look something like this:

6) Rainlendar and Rainmeter are also pretty easy to install and set-up. Just run the installer, and find a good skin. Again, there's many to choose from. I'd suggest searching the forums at the aforementioned Aqua-Soft and AquaXP. Here's the Rainlender skin I use.

7) Samurize is a bit complicated, so if you're going to try and use it, be forewarned that it can be a very big hassle, if it works at all. I'm not even going to try and explain it in this brief overview, but if you are serious about it, check out the Samurize forums at Aqua-Soft and AquaXP. Here's an example of what it can do:

8) If you listen to music on your computer, no Aqua-fication can be complete without the authentic iTunes for Windows. Apple provides plenty of documentation on how to install and use it, so I'll leave that part to them. If you want to make it look more like iTunes for Macintosh, check out localhost's multi-plugin.

And the final result:

So that's pretty much all there is to it. Good luck!

Kurt Williams

[brian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

free-st.htnet.hr/crni/ thats crnis sizte if it doesnt work just search crni in google but it shuld work

[brian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

where do uu get an ichat av icon??

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Does any know where i can get an emulator for wind ows xp that does the same thing as expose on mac os X

[MMUDSYS @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

HEY YOU ALL:

WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING HILARIOUS?

ANSWER: THAT A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS AND I ARE ONLY 14, AND REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BOTH OPERATING SYSTEMS!!!

THINK OF IT THIS WAY, SINCE YOU ADULTS ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO IMMATURE, AND BRAINWASHED TO SEE IT:

PCs are cheaper than macs- 5 points
Macs are better at graphics- 5 points
PCs are more widely used- 10 points
Macs have no viruses- 10 points
You can build your own PC- 3 points
Your mac will never fall apart- 3 points
PCs are upgradeable- 4 points
Macs take a long time to outdate- 4 points
Theres more software for PCs- 6 points
It's easier to steal software for Macs- 6 points(we would know, hehe)
Add it all up grown men and women.
We're only 14 and in Algebra 1,2 and Geometry, you should at least be able to add.

They're equal, but in way different ways.

Little known facts by even "computer smart" adults:

-Pocket PCs work with Macs
-You can use your PC formatted iPod with a Mac, but you can't use your Mac formatted iPod with a PC
-Neither Mac, nor Windows invented the following:
* Click and Drag
* Minimizing
* Layering Windows
- Guess what? They were all invented by Xerox, before they were stolen by Jef Raskin, who was patronized as some heroe, but should just be labeled a thief.

I ASSUME MOST OF US IN THIS FORUM ARE AMERICANS RIGHT?

We need to stop fighting amongst are self, and stop big American companies from outsourcing all their programming work to a bunch of Indians in India, that are doing OUR work(well at least what I want to do when I grow) Do you really want a bunch of freakin Indians stealing our work, once one of America's largest economies? Why should they be doing it? American needs to take a stand, before we all become poor, because some Indians stole our work. THE USA NEEDS TO UNITE AS ONE AGAINST OUTSOURCING!

So look at the big picture, who really cares about PCs and Macs, they both do the same basic function~ Use algorithms to place things different places, and make petty calculations. The future is coming soon, and we need to realize that Macs and PCs are just computers.

I use a Mac, but have virtual PC, and use Windows as often as Mac. I can build a PC head to toe in half an hour, fix a Mac in the same time. People need to understand, young people like my friends and I, are the future of America's computer industry, and we don't need to see a bunch of grown men(well mainly men) fighting over which is better, PC or Mac. Besides why do you guys even argue, no one forced anyone to but a Mac or a PC. Plus, many of you fail to realize that these companies make millions of dollars, and Apple computer sits on top of hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank they don't even need. What are computers really about, helping people, or to help a person, the people at the top of the companies make the real money, and they don't really care about us anyways. So whatever, we're just consumers. And by the way, READ ALL OF THIS POSTING!

Thanks,
I just thought we'd put some youthful voice to this posting. Thanks!

[MMUDSYS @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

ALSO, SAME PEOPLE AS LAST COMMENT,

AS FAr as emulationg your OS to look like Mac OS X. Go for it, we don't really see a problem with doing that. But there really is no point, so whatever. IT just looks pretty, but you should also be careful of what programs put which DLL files where they do, cuz it could really screw up your comp. And about the .RAR files, those are files that need to be decompressed again, with a program called WINRAR. Anyways, thanks again!

[Jeroen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Yes Kurt, I just want to say thanx for uncovering secrets that we don't know about. I love Apples Macs, because it gives me a fuzzy feeling when I work on one. And when I entered this site, I felt as if I could faint. This is not that I'm lazy or so, but if I may, just ask if you could please e-mail the whole theme to me. It's just a bit easier that way. So please, would you? My e-mail is [e-mail].

Your da best, Kurt

[Fabian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

hello , you say about the "ObjectBar skin". I�d suggest crni�s website for some excellent themes" , crni�s website ? i can find that site , please I wanna the objectbar of the screenshot , can be "milk" ?

thanks

[Kameryn @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I've been skinning alot of mac stuff, and found some shiny programs for simulation... check out my website for some ^^...

QUESTION, does any one kno how to simulate the ctrl+click for context menu, like on OSX (right click equivelent)??? I got a one button mac mouse, and I wanna have that functionality in XP.. help??
thanks!

[Jared Creed @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I'd just like to say that the difference, really, between Mac and PC is choice. With PC, you get dozens of choices between video cards, sound cards, motherboards with overclockability, processor types (and number of processors), monitor types, keyboard types, mouse types, and other items whose names escape me at present, all often for less than $1000 (for a good system with accessories). Freedom to choose is the power of the PC, as well as the fact that the market is competing to serve you, not the other way around.

With a Mac, if you didn't spring for the tower version of the G4/G5, you don't get a choice of monitors (with the iMacs, at least), no choice of video card, and no choice of sound card. One motherboard is all you get (no overclockability), only 2 processor choices (with the new iMac, for example) , and whatever wireless that Apple has had the time to develop for its computers, if any wireless solution at all. Any choice comes at a $1000+ price, if you're lucky.

Macs are indeed useful, however. Many video editors I know swear by the Mac. Sexiness and easy of use are inheirent in the Mac design.

It may be a computer geek thing to have this many choices, but there are just as a large percentage of Mac users who extoll the benefits of Unix; quite a computer geek thing, wouldn't you agree?

One thing to note, and I will use capitaization for emphasis, not to yell at you. MICROSOFT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PCs. APPLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MACS. It's a different business model. However, people need a scapegoat, one way or the other, and Microsoft is it.

And by the way, its easy to be compatible with the hardware you built yourself. It's not so easy to be sucessfully compatible with every bit of hardware out there.

[Pikl @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Hmm.. I have to state the obvious: if you really want your pc to look, feel like a MAC, why not just buy a Mac with a Mac OS?

Hey!! You're right!!

I should go out and spend $3,000 for a system that runs slower than a PC $600 cheaper just because I want my desktop to look cute and consume all of my RAM!! Hooray!!

I have lost all compunction with these arguements. The notion that someone would go and buy ANY friggin' computer, Mac or PC, just so their desktop would consume more RAM is retarded. Holy crap. As if ten million people haven't stated the plainly obvious already, but no, we'll keep telling people that spending $3,000 is the best way to get your desktop to be nice looking.

Good lord. Maybe there's sufficient proof in these statements that may lead to new medical research proving that long-term exposure to Macintosh Operating Systems can cause severe brain damage.

[agentpieman @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

hey if you really care more about how your PC looks then go by a mac mini for 500$. stop killing windows with all this crap to make it look like a freakin mac. my god if you love mac so much go by a freakin mac mini!!!

the above dude is right. macs are shit. the amd fx55 almost beat the dual g5 2.5ghz! the dual amd operons the 900$ ones out beat any mac.

[GodSpeed @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Thanks for this, it's been fun doing it all. I know loads of peeps have mentioned that if you want your M$ pc to look like a mac then buy one. Personally I'm gonna buy a mac mini soon anyway, but as a vb developer it's pretty hard to just convert to a mac as not all the hundreds of ms software are supported or run as well on a mac as they were never designed for that sort of thing. Thus with a few tweeks I have a mac lookalike keeping enough windows icons (like the start bar instead of a mac icon) to keep me happy. To complete, if it hasn't been mentioned, download the windows version of the mac screensaver, Flurry here http://www.maddogsw.com/flurry/ . It looks wicked - better than most of the windows ones I've got and I've had a few.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Totally pointless exercise,Im just after doing all the above steps to convert the look of my PC to MAC osx. By the time you have finished you will have that much spyware etc the only thing you will be able to do is reformat you harddrive and reinstall windows.

[Godspeed @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Dave - I stopped at stage 4. Having seen no link for the yztoolbar I googled it and nearly every link was a spyware warning. Thus I've avoided using it. My personal problem with StyleXP's styling is that the mozilla scrollbar doesn't format properly but everything else does. Has anyone else had this problem and did yztoolbar fix it?

[jimmi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

i was just going to say "want a mac look? get one" this looks bugger all like a mac, IMO. theres no 'lines' on the menu bar, the strangely shaped media player isnt mac styled, ditto for the black menus, the font rendering... and what the hell are those icons doing on the far bottom/right? hmmm. and i would never volutarily slow down my PC to make it look like another system.

it just makes me laugh to hear people saying "mac SUCKS!" but listen to thier iPod and try to get their PC's looking like a mac. not saying there are those kind of people here but they exist. and they are very comical.

[me @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

question:

does anyone know where i can get the samurize configs he's using? (the clock and the long skinny stats bar)

otherwise im pretty close ;)

[Derron Lepoutre @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I agree with not making the pc look exactly like a mac..
Mine looks like a mac and i only used Objectdock and stylexp... no spyware and no problems, also the background is same as a mac...I have no problems with whatsoever and the dock is even better than the mac one.. spins, bounces, glows for attention... the moving is cooler in my opinion too... just try different things and youll find the right one... EXPERIMENT

[D. Spaziani @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

...GUI of a mac? hah! the system is still XP... so there is still the flaw of winblows. save your time + effort. buy a mac, you'll be satisfied.

[Brent @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Is there a Mac wireless keyboard that looks simialar or the same as a mac keyboard that will work on a PC. I have a friend who wants the mac keyboard and mouse to use on his PC until he buys a mac mini. please someone email me if you know of one. [e-mail]

[SatanicPSP @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Oh, and of u like to use the Windows media toolbar, you'll have to deactivate it, otherwise when you minimize the media player, it'll disapear and wont be in your Finder b/c its in toolbar mode.

[spckwol @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I really dont understand why there is still the occasional poster that simply says "get a MAC". Thats not the point!!! Its a cool thing to do to a windows PC, nothing more.

[Rajko Stojadinovic @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

My question is what program did he use to get that cool looking task bar thingy that shows his running programs...It even shows screenshots of their windows ! I would really like to have this program...Can Kurt please post a name or a link ?

[bmxbandit @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

So this is where the MS fanboys hangout. Tip for you all...don't bother...YOU CAN'T POLISH A TURD!
The best thing to do is just pretend that macs are a) too expensive b) crash more than windows (now this one is funny...see above) c) isnt as good at playing inferior overpriced copies of console videogames that have the advantage of taking 2 hours to get working (then again, when you've just been conned out of grand for something the SalesRep told you was as good as a mac, I suppose your just happy to find any use for it. Bottom line... IT pros (like myself) use both but recognise that macs are technically superior in every way, Sad bitter MS fanboy wannabees just keep on pretending.

[Rajko @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Ermmm i know they are better.But i want to make the stuff i have (xp,i have linux too but there arent any mac reskinning projects for that,just some gdesklets but thats not what i wanted) look as purty as it can.So stop arguing...

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

This is pointless really, the arguing I mean, you have 2 factions really, PC diehards & Mac Diehards. I have 3 PCs (all which I built), and would still love to have a Mac, as I used them 10 years ago in HS. BUT, I can't afford one hehe. They are just way to expensive for me at this point since I can build a PC alot cheaper than I can buy one. Not so for a Mac, FOR ME, as I don't know how to build them. One day I will have a Mac, but I'll not get rid of my PC either. Both are good, for different reasons, there's no reason to fight about it, as neither PCs or Macs are going to go away any time soon.

[shadowclaw @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

all the feature are very nice ...bit .....can u put an donwload file so that we can download for 30 day trial????

[Greek @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

pretty sad how people want a mac, so they transform their pc's to macs by doing this, although a fact is macs do crash and by doing this its easy and the probability's of crashing are less (compared to a mac.)

Anywayz macs use windows products and software now, by installing these you can consider yourself to own a mac :P

[doshead @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I can't take it anymore!
enough is enough already.
give me DOS 3.2!
how about TRS-80? WOOHOO! ya ya ya, with a cassette tape for storage! 640k ram!
DOS RULES!
question though...
can I make my IBM pc jr. look an Apple IIc?

[Steve Jobs @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

::::Quote:::::
Not so for a Mac, FOR ME, as I don't know how to build them.
::::::::::::::

You can't. Apple has proprietary rights to all of their hardware. If you want to, you can buy an overpriced Dual G5 at 2.5 GHz with that blazing 8x Superdrive.

So... apparently we PC users "pretend Macs are too expensive?"

If you'll all kindly view the Mac Mini models, you will see the difference in price between the two is $100.

For that $100, you get an extra 40 GB of HD and an additional 170 MHz. In other words.... not worth $100.

Take a look at the eMac. The difference in price between the two models is $200.

What do you get for that extra $200...? Yes, that's right folks. An 8x Superdrive (PC burners are at 16x, FYI) and an additional 40 GB of HD space. Oh, and uh... no hope of ever upgrading your computer yourself.

But, what about "overpriced console games?"

Oh yes. Half Life 2 is an overpriced console game. Pray tell, what "console" have you played Half Life 2 on? And do tell me how you and your superior "consoles" will play Age of Empires III?

I mean, will you Mac fans play AoE III when it comes out... or will you wait a year and then the PC gaming corporations release HL3 and AoE IV to blow your sorry G5's out of the water?

...yeah. That's what I thought. Enjoy your "Marble Blast Gold," and your "Nanosaur 2." I, on the other hand, will enjoy Half Life 2 with amazing graphics and Havok physics from the Source engine.

...the Source engine that, as yet, has not been released for Mac and will be implemented in Ensemble's Age of Empires 3. Overpriced console games my foot... but then... what do you know about good pricing? You bought a mac. Enough said.

[GUMZENGI @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

BUGS ??!!
I using japanese, korean, chinese & english,
after I applied the objectbar, I lost the language input method bar!

So, tell me, how to make the input method bar appear again !!

[s8.invisionfree.comHGANB_Storyworld @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Y'see, the thing about this right, Is I'm a convert, and I still have my PC hanging about. I can't get used to using the right side for the buttons or the bottom for the taskbar. So, doing this was the only way to go. Sure, it's sub-par in comparison to a real mac, but it works when I need to use windows apps.

If you want to build a PC just put Linux on it will ya, and stop yarfing about M$.

[YOU'LL ALL SEE WHEN LONGHORN IS HERE @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

When the next OS of windows comes out....codenamed Longhorn, you PC bashers will ALL see. Not only will it LOOK Devistatingly better as far as GUI.....but compiled with all the new features and security, no one will look @ windows the same again.

And as far as macs go......the GUI is amazing, there's no arguing that. As far as apps..you've gotta be some kind of idiot if you wanna argue and say there's more support for macs then Pc's.

The average Pc user will find it very difficult to navigate on a Mac. If you've used Pc all your life...then switchin over to mac isn't a piece of cake...you WILL struggle to figure out where the F@%! everything is, and what does what. While windows gui may be ugly, face it....its more user friendly, because everything can be found easily WITHOUT having to customize.

I myself use a Notebook PC. I love laptops and i cant see myself switchihng to a desktop, its more conveniant to have a laptop. Plus, my laptop is more powerful and has more memory then most of you on here that have desktops. Mac's in my opinion have the UGLIEST laptops, its so sickening...EXCLUDING their powerbooks, they look okay. But when it comes down to laptops.....PC's look FAR BETTER. Desktops are another story, that title belongs to MAC, HANDS DOWN!

[Rev. Scott Hervieux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

After researching the Apple Powerbook G4, I am seriously thinking of switching from PC to Mac. Applications are becoming more available, it's unix based; so it doesn't crash, graphics blow away PC. Hey, Microsoft even has Virtual PC for the MAc, so that you can run Windows-Only programs on the Mac (great to support my job where Mac solutions aren't available). My only drawback is the price. Other than that, when I am seeing and have tried, Apple blows away PC, and with more MAC applications coming out,; I think Apple may become the new standard. Especially since Microsoft has been shooting themself in the foot at every turn-around.

[Rev. Scott Hervieux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

After researching the Apple Powerbook G4, I am seriously thinking of switching from PC to Mac. Applications are becoming more available, it's unix based; so it doesn't crash, graphics blow away PC. Hey, Microsoft even has Virtual PC for the MAc, so that you can run Windows-Only programs on the Mac (great to support my job where Mac solutions aren't available). My only drawback is the price. Other than that, when I am seeing and have tried, Apple blows away PC, and with more MAC applications coming out,; I think Apple may become the new standard. Especially since Microsoft has been shooting themself in the foot at every turn-around.

[Rev. Scott Hervieux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Update to my last message. One should remember that both PC and MAC have their advantages and disadvantages. There are some Microsoft products I would not trade for anything (especially since there is no alternative - or atleast a good on on Linux or Mac). For programmers, Linux is still a good option for those who do alot of server type work. MS Visual Studio is good for those who program end user GUI applications. However, if Virtual PC is as good as they claim, then you get the best of both worlds by switching to Mac. You get the awesome graphics, presentation, and music capabilities of Mac, plus the business applications that are available on a PC (that have not come out for the MAC yet). The only drawback would be gaming. For that I say get an Xbox or something. as for me, I stopped spendign all my time playing games years ago. I need a good PC for Business and Ministry work. A Powerbook G4 (or desktop) with Virtual PC would give me everything I need to create stunning presentations, business applications, and such without depending on one platform and the disadvantages of each. Like I said, before you bash PC, LInux, or Mac, you really need to evaluate your needs and how much money you are willing to spend to meet those needs. I must say, Microsoft does have a history of system crashes. We have a server we just use as a portal to other servers. Windows 2000 Server tends to lock up and crash for no reason. We have to reboot the dang thing atleast 4 times a week.

anyway, that is my opinion and I have been in IT for 21 years. I worked with Apple IIe, IBM and clones, Home buil PC's, Some Linux, and many programming applications. I say once a company takes the programming and stability capabilities of Linux/Unix, combines it with the ease of use and stunning presentation software of Mac, and adds in all the applications and ease of plug and play of the PC, then we will have a computer that satisfies everyones needs; and we would not have to worry about upgrades as much and everyone trying to make one computer look like another and companies ripping off other companies. Not to mention the price of software would come down. Open Source provides a lot of flexibility and there are some good stuff, but you usually have to do a lot of configuration and it may be buggy. Retail software usually runs 100% of the time and is easy to install, but the price is sometimes way out of the home and small business users range.

Again, it is all about your personally needs and what you can afford. A computer is meant to do a job, not to impress someone with trivial things like skins, mine is faster than yours, etc.

[baby-g @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

if you want to skin XP really easily head over to http://osx.portraitofakite.com/ basically one installer to change everything, im not sure if this has been mentioned but i havnt got enought time to read all the comments lol

[Rajko @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Can someone please tell me what program list utility is he using (it even shows thumbails of running programs wow) cuz i dont have a running programs list anywhere when i customize my pc to look like a mac.

[wibsisa @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

For the slideshow screensaver, I use MotionPicture http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~gstitt/motionpicture/

[Vern @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

If you think about it, what are you going to do with a mac and a pc, depends on the individual user. If your going to go with performace and technology to speed your rendering, processing, and ultimately need by all out go for it, but if your just an average user no need to server hosting from home or cramming all the process power the mac/pc you can go with either both. If you just surf, email, chat, make websites you can do that all with the mac easily, also with the pc in general. Just keep in mind on how the individual user differs.

[density_boy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

oh god...come on you guys.

you're bickering like a bunch of school girls.

i like windows. its easy and simple to use. i like mac for similar reasons. mac has a nice look and feel about it, and is well suited to intensive multimedia tasks (or so i find), where as windows is more suited (or built for?) important things like gaming.

nice work with teh skiining though...very helpful

[Wildflower @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

OMFG, you do realise this whole mac vs windows thing has been going on for over a year now. Stop posting and get a life.







Yes, I do realise the irony of posting after saying that.
Wildflower.

[Rajko @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

i just want the thingy that shows his running programs on the right bottom side with thumbails

[Calculus� @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

ROFLCOPTER!!! I could crap on about some seriously misinformed people in this convo, but I won't!

And I'm not going to say which side I'm on!

MUAHAHAHAH!! >:D

Anyway, good stuff putting this info together.

[Christopher @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

my 2 cents.

OSX's interface is far superior to windows. The amount of time i spend (present tense) stumbling around windows (after about 10 years of use) makes raw power irrelevant for things other than games or video editing. File management is superb. It looks pretty, etc.

I bascially find Mac a much more useable system. User friendly, perhaps. Not in the sense of a new user, but general USE.

And hey, if Macs dont work out for you, then don't buy one. It's pretty simple, really.

4 years, 3 crashes. It just bloody works. It is a PLEASURE to use.

[Rev. Scott Hervieux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Here is an interesting article that appeared on CNN where Bill Gates admits he develops things under pressure from Apple and other companies. So as we all know. Other companies develop it, and Microsoft steals it.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Microsoft founder Bill Gates sees mobile phones overtaking MP3s as the top choice of portable music players, and views the raging popularity of Apple's iPod player as unsustainable, he told a German newspaper.

"As good as Apple may be, I don't believe the success of the iPod is sustainable in the long run," he said in an interview published in Thursday's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"You can make parallels with computers: Apple was very strong in this field before, with its Macintosh and its graphics user interface -- like the iPod today -- and then lost its position," Gates said.

Apple (Research) has around two thirds of the global market for MP3 music players, which store thousands of songs on pocket-sized disk drives or smaller flash memory chips, and sold more than 5 million iPods in the last quarter.

But it faces increasing competition not only from the likes of Sony, whose iconic Walkman dominated the personal audio market for two decades, but also from mobile-phone companies integrating MP3 players into handsets.

Partly in response to pressure from Apple, Microsoft (Research) is now positioning itself to be a key player in the growing market for digital movies, pictures and music and grow beyond its core Windows operating system business.

It is working with partners such as Samsung to provide its Windows Mobile smartphone software to 40 handset makers.

"If you were to ask me which mobile device will take top place for listening to music, I'd bet on the mobile phone for sure," Gates told the newspaper.

In the United States, however, Microsoft smartphones have been overshadowed by Research In Motion's BlackBerry wireless e-mail device, which has sold 3 million so far.

Gates said that Microsoft's rival Windows Mobile 5.0 -- which will let e-mails pop up on a user's phone as soon as they arrive, and which is expected to be running phones on the market in the next few months -- would be cheaper.

"The BlackBerry is great but we're bringing a new approach," he said. "With BlackBerry you need to link to a separate server, and that costs extra. With us, the e-mail function will already be part of the server software."

"Therefore I'd venture the prediction that Microsoft will make wireless e-mail ubiquitous."

He admitted, however, that Microsoft had made mistakes in the past, for example with the first version of its XBox games console.

"The consumer is always unpredictable. In principle, you can only throw products onto the market and then learn from your mistakes," he said.

And the 50-year-old Microsoft chairman said he would not remain with the company for ever.

"I think that when someone is 60 years old he should better leave it to someone else to follow trends in technology. But until then there's still a lot to do," he said.

[Rev. Scott Hervieux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Warning about PC companies. I bought a new desktop 1 month ago (before I started researching apple) It is an HP. The OS that is loaded on it, is not the latest version. the support for the OS expires in December 2006. Also, for anyone who buys new computer with Windows XP Home. Be careful. Support for your OS also expires in December 2006. If you are buying a PC with a Windows OS on it. Make sure you are getting Windows XP Media Center Edition version 2005. Anything short of that, you will have your OS support expiring on you rather quickly. the 2005 version support does not expire until 2009. Also, support for Windows XP Professional will expire in Dec. 2006 unless Longhorn is delayed more. Fed trade commission is looking at Longhorn, because right now it does not live up to technological standards (there we go again). Note, the average person cannot purchase extended support for XP Professional. That service is limited to developement companies that meet a certain criteria. No extended support is granted for HOME or Media Center versions.

Just thought I share that with ya, since I just paid $1100 for a PC who's OS will not be supported for the amount of time I planned on using this PC (Min 3 years). Why HP and other companies are still selling PC's who's OS will not be supported during the time the PC will still be in use is beyond me.

On another note, anyone know if Apple started publishing their software lifecycle? and how long can you get support. I am looking at a system that runs $3500, but I do not want to get caught in support issues like Microsoft has left me in.. I even had a Microsoft Custom Support Person call me a "stupid I/T guy" and was told their products are not for average consumers. You should only buy software that is pre-installed. He even swore at me when I told him I was re-installnig software on a new PC because my old PC (less than 1 yr old) died. The Microsoft rep told me that their products were not made to be sold retail, for the average consumer. Their products are really for PC makers who install the software then sell the PC. that is why they give better support to PC companies rather than the home user. He even got mad when I told him that I did not have a make / model and serial number for one of my other PC's because I built it myself. He said Microsfot Software is really made to be run on off-the-shelf systems like HP, Dell, Compaq, Gateway, etc. Not for people who build their own PC's.

Gee, all that and all I wanted to do was activate my Office XP, Publisher, FrontPage, and Visio - and kept getting errors about connecting to the server, and errors about the software was already installed on another machine.

The MS rep even went as far to tell me that when I buy a new PC, I MUST re-purchase all my retail software for the new PC. It really does not matter if the old PC no longer existed and it was not being used on that PC anymore. New PC = Buy all new software.

No Thank you. If I had to buy all new software everytime I had a harddrive die, or upgrade to the latest technology, you might as well go all OEM and add $3000 to the price of a new machine. Like anyone can affort to spend $4,000 to $5000 every cople of years to upgrade their PC plus buy all new software. Microsoft must be crazy in its logic.

Software is so expensive, that my church is still running 10 year old computers and the original software. Slow yes, but it gets the job done. I would like to see any other non-profit have to spend $5000 every couple of years to replace just a dead computer. Microsoft also has strict guidelines about donating software to non-profits. Most non-profit companies do not qualify. For exmaple if your church runs a soup kitchen for the homeless, then you are considered secular and Microsoft will not do not software to you. Since when is a free soup kitchen a secular business and not ministry?

[Stephen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

In your screenshot if this isn't a Mac system then how do you have Safari, a Mac only program?

[John Wayne Gacy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

I have been using Mac since 1998 and now have a new Pentium 4 that is a windows users dream.

Im very sad to say this to myself becuase i bought the PC but i want to go back to Mac. Ive still got my old 1998 Power Mac and it is stabler than my pentium 4.
Xp has nuffin and i have used both extensively and ive got nuffin else to say but Mac all the way. If your not into computer games(thats what consoles are for)get a Mac

[Willy Eckaslike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

A "skin" is not MacOSX, PC chaps need to know that MacOSX is a tight combination of Darwin (UNIX) and the GUI layers that interact with it. Macs can be made to look like XP, however that process doesn't not turn it into a pile of crap just because it looks like XP.

I get forced into using XP at work, and the amount of people looking after the kit is outragous, up and down like a "whore's Knickers". I look after a much bigger UNIX system at the same site and theres only one guy, speaks for itself. I could manage another site in my spare time.

UNIX/Linux/MacOSX is the way to go, MicroSoft is just poor quality, sad old genericTOY.

You PC chaps need to get out more and just have a go, don't make everything into an issue, grab some experience.

[Duckie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Are you fucking mad? Remove that link to AquaDock...and DO YOUR RESEARCH!

AquaDock is a rip of YzDock and also contains MASS AMOUNTS OF SPYWARE.

You are leading people down the wrong road.

Might I suggest aqua-soft.org ?