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TUAW Desktop of the Week
This week's TUAW Desktop hails from Flickr user form953, who has managed to turn both Dashboard and the Dock more or less Inside Out. The iStat pro widget is running in Development Mode, which is what allows it to live on the Desktop, separate from the Dashboard. I'm not entirely sure how form953 managed to pin the Dock underneath the menubar, however; I've seen that option in one utility or another, but have never used it so I'm blanking on which apps allow for this. Here's a list of what else form953 has going on here, thankfully provided along with this shot at Flickr: wallpaper and Disctop from mekentosj.com iStat pro widget running in developer mode Bytecontroller SMARTReporter Spirited Away VirtueDesktops (which, sadly, is no longer being developed due to Leopard's upcoming Spaces feature) Google Desktop for Mac Chip Set icons If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
TUAW Desktops of the Week for 4/30 - 5/5/07
This week I found it impossible to choose just one image from our TUAW Desktops Flickr group, so I chose four - two desktops and two honorable mentions. The first, simply titled My Current Desktop (how about some more unique names for these desktops, eh?), is from Flickr user tj scenes and is quite the melding of OSes, interesting wallpaper, minimal icon design and unique choices in applications. What you're looking at is not yet another ShapeShifter theme, no - it's Parallels running in Coherence mode with a black Windows XP theme and the Windows taskbar stifling Mac OS X's menubar. You're also looking at the custom icon set Amora, ClearDock and - believe it or not - Winamp, the good ol' media player for Windows that could. It's quite an interesting setup, though tj scenes neglected to mention one thing: what wallpaper he's using, and where he got it (ok fine that's technically two things). Next up is Mac OS X Desktop in a Mosaic from Flickr user blumensath, a desktop that is interesting primarily due to the way it was created. Blumensath used MacOSaiX, a mosaic generating app, and plugged in Flickr pictures tagged with "osx" to create a cool mosaic of... well, Mac OS X. These next two images from t_szuba receive honorable mention for their minimal setup and shout out to the old school days of Apple. They're both running Panic's Stattoo and Sophia Teutschler's CoverSutra, and both feature custom app icons for the left-aligned Dock and Unsanity's ShapeShifter. While t_szuba mentions the wallpaper designers for both desktops, no link was provided (yet). If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
Desktop of the Week for 4/22 - 4/28/07
This week's TUAW Desktop hails from Flickr user brianpunx and makes use of a number of Mac OS X software and icons which brianpunx was kind enough to list (hint: that makes my job easier when picking a TUAW Desktop of the Week, though it doesn't influence my decision). First, it's running a ShapeShifter theme by the name of Amora Pearl by well-known Mac OS X icon and desktop artist David Lanham. Now I couldn't track down the wallpaper, but the album art/iTunes controller in the bottom left is CoverSutra (which we've mentioned before), and the date/time display at bottom center is the work of Panic's excellent Stattoo. You have to view the larger version of brianpunx's desktop, however, to really take in the view and clever placement of icons in relation to the wallpaper.If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
Desktop of the Week for 4/1 - 4/07/07
The TUAW Desktop of this week brings a subtle spin to two elements of Mac OS X: the desktop and menubar. Flickr user syrup16g submitted a unique setup to our TUAW Desktops Flickr Pool that contains none of the typical desktop icons - not even a hard drive. Head over to see a larger size size of the pic, but the icons you see are aliases to three folders: Photo, Download and Movie. I guess syrup16g has some very specific uses for his Mac. What makes this über-minimal desktop interesting is its contrast with a very, very busy menubar that contains, from left to right: Quicksilver, iScrobbler, Alarm Clock 2, you control: Tunes, Google Notifier, Mixi and Main Menu.If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
Desktop of the Week for 3/25 - 3/31/07
This week's desktop is a bit of a curve ball and interesting (in our humble opinion) for three reasons. First, this isn't Mac OS X at all: it's a hot new beta version of Ubuntu 7.04, arguably one of the most popular versions of Linux with quite a bit of steam behind it for a number of reasons, which is likely running via Parallels or Boot Camp (we knew we could make the exception because it's from Flickr user Ali Karbassi, who we've noticed submitting plenty of Mac OS X wallpapers to our TUAW Flickr Desktops Pool). The second reason we gave this penguin-fueled desktop some time in the spotlight is because of what appears to be either some sort of dual-display setup that Ali is running, or one ultra wide display that we wouldn't mind getting our hands on. The last reason, of course, actually has to deal with the wallpaper itself: it's a great shot and we'd love to know where to snag a copy!If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in![Update: The actual wallpaper here is the work of deviantART user el1as, titled In the dark.]
Desktops of the Week for 3/11 - 3/17/07
Our TUAW Desktop of the Week is a triple play this time around, and we have a little bit of everything to show. The first of this week's three featured desktops is at the top of this post, and it hails from Flickr user jcsizmadi. We dig it both for the subtle style of icon organization and use of the iStat app, but also because the wallpaper is home-grown. Jcsizmadi runs Dangergraphics.com, and this image is freely available in two different resolutions.
TUAW Desktop of the Week for 3/04 - 3/10/07
Our TUAW Desktop of the Week didn't make the cut because of some wild assortment of applications or montage of interestingness. No, this week we decided to keep it simple and old school with think different from Flickr user 1000things (though the roaming ladybug is a nice, yet weird, touch). The old-school Apple logo is keeping it real front and center, while the 'think different' writing actually belongs to 1000things herself. Don't adjust your ColorSync settings, however - the black appearance of the menubar and iTunes are courtesy of Unsanity's Shapeshifter, an app that can skin Mac OS X with new colors, icons and styles. If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
TUAW Desktop of the Week for 2/18 - 2/24/07
Ok TUAW Desktop of the Week'ers, the series is back in action, and I couldn't think of a better way to re-kick it off than with this desktop titled 'Screenshot Saturdays' from James Acklin. Created from his favorite Flickr picks, it's a collage of Mac OS X desktop proportions, and quite the eclectic collage it is. Photography of all sorts - what looks like scenery, portraits and the occasional experimental - adorns James's desktop, accompanied by a modest menubar and what looks like Adium on the left. If anyone knows how James did this (James included!), or of an easy way to put together a quilt desktop like this, please share in the comments! If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
TUAW Desktop of the Week - Happy Puppy
Since we've already taken care of the holiday-themed Desktop of the Week, we can get back to the fundamentals of the ideal desktop like function, form - and a happy puppy! Flickr user bc_lau wins the award for *almost* making me spit out my morning coffee with a desktop like this.Besides a happy puppy (sure, that could be a yawn, but 'happy' is more fun), bc_lau is clearly a freak for at-a-glance information and statistics. The first row of transparent info (two clocks, the date, the temp, and current iTunes track) is the work of Panic's Stattoo. The second row, with system statistics like CPU usage, hard drive space and temperatures is the iStat 2.0 application we're such big fans of here at TUAW (both as an app and as widgets). As one comment on this photo at Flickr already states, bc_lau gets bonus points for using a Boba Fett Dock icon for Safari.If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot. Keep those desktops rolling in!
TUAW Desktop of the week for 11/12/06
I know I know, it's a slight bit early for holiday-themed desktops, but there's enough cleverness going on here that I thought it warranted a TUAW Desktop of the Week award anyway. Flickr user rVEO has more than just a pretty wallpaper going on in Xmas Mac - you're witnessing the powers of Sno, MacLampsX and X-MasTree to create the ultimate in festive desktops. The snow, for example, is actually animated, inducing the digital version of that warm eggnog experience that only a snowy day at the end of the year can. Nice work rVEO, though if you leave this running for long enough, you're probably going to need an iShovel to get back to work.In other news, the TUAW Desktops of the Week are going to get a bit more regular from here on out, so keep those submissions to our Flickr group coming, and be sure to check out our previous posts in the series and the original announcement for details on what it takes to make the cut.
Desktops of the week for 10/15/06
Here we go with another edition of TUAW Desktops ladies and gents. You readers are submitting some great stuff to our desktops Flickr group, and since our last edition was a nice overall roundup, I decided to pick a theme for this week: function. I'm a big fan of making the most out of my available desktop real estate, and the desktops I've chosen each exhibit an interesting perspective on this practice. In this edition we have desktops ranging from über-minimal yet uniquely-functional to a full-on Exposé overload, and even a pseudo-multi-dock environment. But without further adieu, let's get down to business:First up is shorts by pacificbro. By his own admission this isn't so much a clever, intricate desktop setup, though it's more of a functional use of the wallpaper space with many common (and some not-so) keyboard shortcuts he needs to get around his daily business. Too bad I didn't see this before the My Dream App stuff started - I just got inspired to submit an app idea that swaps out shortcuts like this on the desktop space depending on what app you're currently working in. A simple F11 Exposé keystroke would reveal all (or most) of the shortcuts you need to work. *Sigh* - maybe I can get in on round two. But speaking of Exposé, let's keep moving.
TUAW Desktops of the week for 9/10/06
Being that this is the first official TUAW Desktops series roundup post, we couldn't force ourselves to chose just one. You readers have found some pretty creative uses for your desktops, and our new TUAW Desktops Flickr group is shining proof. As a result, we decided that in order to get this party started, we should round up a few desktops from different ends of the spectrum; some busy, some minimal, and some in a class of their own. First up is quite possibly the busiest Dashboard we've ever seen from Flickr user Z6p6tist6, pictured above. We're sure Apple would be proud of the little bit of business mixed with a little bit of play that's happening on this desktop.Read on for a few more desktops that made this week's roundup, and be sure to submit your own unique take on the desktop to our TUAW Desktops Flickr pool, as we'll round them up in this new series each weekend.
Announcing the new TUAW Desktops Flickr group and series
Fire up your screen capture software and keyboard shortcuts TUAW readers, as we are announcing a new Flickr group and post series titled simply: TUAW Desktops. That's right ladies and gentlemen, in addition to immortalizing you in our archives with the Rig of the Day series, we want to dive a little deeper into just what makes your Mac, your Mac. Are you a wallpaper connoisseur, or perhaps you have the busiest Dock this side of Cupertino? Is your workspace decked out with utilities like iPulse, Konfabulator widgets and ShapeShifter themes, or do you want to share you mastery of clutter-free desktop feng shui? Join our new TUAW Desktops group on Flickr and upload your screenshots. On Saturdays, we'll pick out and round up the best of the desktops to share here on TUAW, complete with credit attribution and a link to your site, if you have one.Speaking of credit, we should probably lay down some rules here: First rule about TUAW Desktops: you do not talk... If you can (or would like), please attribute any work like wallpapers or icons to their original authors, and we'll do our best to include those attributions in our posts. It's fine if you don't know who that is when you post your shots - trust us, we have hundreds of wallpapers and we don't remember where we found every single one - but at the very least, don't take credit for someone else's work. This is the internets, and the readers *will* call out stunts like that. On the other hand - if something *is* your original work, by all means - let us know, and we'll be sure your creativity gets a mention in the spotlight. Try not to overload the pool with submissions that are too similar to your previous submission(s). We're looking for fresh desktop shots; that little 'extra something' that really makes them leap off the display. Desktops that have that element which is difficult to describe, yet impossible to miss. Keep it clean. This is a family blog, and we like to keep our Flickr groups and other community endeavors family-friendly as well. Last rule (for now): Unless you went all-out using products like Stardock's to make your Windows desktop look and act like Mac OS X (it's do-able - I used to, before I actually got my first Mac), we'd like to stick with Mac desktops only. After all, you are reading The Unofficial Apple Weblog. With that said, get on to showing off your desktops and let the submissions begin!
