Blog-e-Verse: How to tweak your Windows XP to look like a Mac

How to tweak your Windows XP to look like a Mac

Monday, March 26, 2007

Well, The boards are done, and I felt like posting a new topic. Did not have any idea on what but soon got inspiration at a friend's place. So I am writing this topic which I have generously borrowed from a website.

This part is original. Well we all love Windows Vista, don't we? The screenshots look gorgeous. But for two reasons, i can't have it as I dont have 15 grands neither do I have a high end PC. All I have is some old piece of junk with Windows XP on it. To make my PC cool, I was looking for articles on the net and stumbled upon this. I was impressed. And mind you, Do not underestimate a Mac as Vista is a blatant lift of the Mac OS. So, here we go.

The Mac OS

Windows Vista

f you use the default Windows desktop, chances are that you could use a "look and feel" overhaul. Apple's OSX desktop is widely considered to be cleaner, more intuitive, and more customizable. The following instructions will show you how to get that Mac look for your PC by installing some cool, free applications. Some of the instructions may be a tad advanced for some users, but give it a try.

Steps

Remove all unused shortcuts and icons from your desktop. Chances are you don't need half of those junky shortcuts on your desktop. Move the ones you don't need to the Recycle Bin. Or, if you have descoerasuaphobia (fear of erasing desktop shortcuts) then let Windows decide for you with the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. Right-click on the desktop, select Arrange Icons By > Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard. This will get rid of shortcuts you haven't used in a while. Or you can just right-click on your desktop and select arange icons by and unclick show icons.
You should now have a completely clean desktop. Don't be afraid. You can still access the My Computer, My Documents, and Recycle Bin standbys from Windows Explorer.
Two words: RKLauncher. (OK, one really.) RKLauncher (also called RKDock) is a free, Windows copycat of the animated Mac taskbar, or "dock." You can download it here. RKDock comes with a pretty cool theme. If you want to make your dock look exactly like a Mac though, try RealDock for RKLaucher, a great clone of the Mac Dock appearance.
Hide the taskbar. It doesn't make sense to have ObjectDock and the Windows taskbar. Right click a blank space in ObjectDock, go to the "Dock Contents" tab, select "Hide the Windows Taskbar", and hit OK. This makes the taskbar disappear. You can also just move the taskbar to the front of the screen.
Add Widgets.Widgets are desktop toys to entertain and to inform. Think of them like things you'd put on a real desk: a picture frame, a newspaper...a dancing hula girl. But they're on your PC desktop, not your real desk. (You'll get it once you see it.) They may be the most fun thing to happen to boring computers in a long time. Download free widgets from the Yahoo Widgets page. You'll download a widget machine called Konfabulator, which comes with widgets like a picture frame, analog clock, calendar, and weather display. You can get more widgets like RSS news feeds and a dancing hula girl from the widgets gallery.
Firefox Safari Skin Change the skin of your Firefox browser to look like Safari: SaFire. Tutorial on how to set up Firefox to look 1:1 with Safari. You can also get the iFox skin that is posted in the Firefox themes section.
Wallpaper Change your wallpaper to look like Mac OS X Tiger: here.
FlyakiteOSX One convenient item that can be used to enhance your Windows to Mac experience is if you have all the elements of Mac Emulation bundled in a package. FlyakiteOSX does just that.
WindowBlinds If you would like to make your Windows have buttons on the left side instead of the right, you can buy WindowBlinds. It comes with ObjectDesktop.
ShellWM A titlebar-only shell replacement. It lets you have the buttons on the left for free. You'll want to download this theme.
ObjectBar This isn't free, but if you have ObjectDesktop, it's included. ObjectBar You can also can get some nice Tiger themes by searching WinCustomize.
Mouse Pointers. For the full effect, download a new set of mouse pointers. Save these to your computer (preferably in C:\WINDOWS\Cursors. It may be a good idea to make a folder within this for easier setup.) To setup these cursors, choose Mouse from the Control Panel, click the Pointers tab, and set your new pointers appropriately.
Keep tweaking and playing. Fine tune these programs. It's all about customizing. Have fun!

Tips

Rocket Dock is an alternative dock for slower computer since it runs much faster and uses less resources
If you have a Mac OS X Install DVD, you can emulate PowerPC's architecture using PearPC. PearPC is a tool which will allow you to run Mac OS X in an x86 environment, without putting in any effort. Do not resort to using OSX86 unless you are aware of the legal action Apple can take if they know you are using that software.
You might want to check out http://osx.portraitofakite.com/. This site contains a full-blown total windows to mac desktop conversion. Most of the steps mentioned above are taken care of automatically, and the package already contains all the themes, sounds, wallpapers, cursors and applications mentioned in this article. It's an All-in-1 package for Mac Emulation.
For the super simple way, instal this patch. It lets you access Windows XPs built in skinner. Then go to customize.org and download all the window's themes you want. This is a great Mac OS X style theme.
If you have enough money, an easier way would always be just to buy your own Mac, of course.

posted by Abhishek Shetty @ 7:39 PM

2 Comments:

At April 12, 2007 at 9:32 AM , Akshay Balraj said...

This post ROX.... but can u post a topic where i can change my windows boot screen 2 MacOS boot screen ??? gud post macha!
At November 11, 2008 at 8:22 AM , Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work.

		Blog-e-Verse This is THE ultimate blog where i will try to post ultimate topics and get THE ultimate comments.
		How to tweak your Windows XP to look like a Mac Monday, March 26, 2007 Well, The boards are done, and I felt like posting a new topic. Did not have any idea on what but soon got inspiration at a friend's place. So I am writing this topic which I have generously borrowed from a website. This part is original. Well we all love Windows Vista, don't we? The screenshots look gorgeous. But for two reasons, i can't have it as I dont have 15 grands neither do I have a high end PC. All I have is some old piece of junk with Windows XP on it. To make my PC cool, I was looking for articles on the net and stumbled upon this. I was impressed. And mind you, Do not underestimate a Mac as Vista is a blatant lift of the Mac OS. So, here we go. The Mac OS Windows Vista f you use the default Windows desktop, chances are that you could use a "look and feel" overhaul. Apple's OSX desktop is widely considered to be cleaner, more intuitive, and more customizable. The following instructions will show you how to get that Mac look for your PC by installing some cool, free applications. Some of the instructions may be a tad advanced for some users, but give it a try. Steps Remove all unused shortcuts and icons from your desktop. Chances are you don't need half of those junky shortcuts on your desktop. Move the ones you don't need to the Recycle Bin. Or, if you have descoerasuaphobia (fear of erasing desktop shortcuts) then let Windows decide for you with the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. Right-click on the desktop, select Arrange Icons By > Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard. This will get rid of shortcuts you haven't used in a while. Or you can just right-click on your desktop and select arange icons by and unclick show icons. You should now have a completely clean desktop. Don't be afraid. You can still access the My Computer, My Documents, and Recycle Bin standbys from Windows Explorer. Two words: RKLauncher. (OK, one really.) RKLauncher (also called RKDock) is a free, Windows copycat of the animated Mac taskbar, or "dock." You can download it here. RKDock comes with a pretty cool theme. If you want to make your dock look exactly like a Mac though, try RealDock for RKLaucher, a great clone of the Mac Dock appearance. Hide the taskbar. It doesn't make sense to have ObjectDock and the Windows taskbar. Right click a blank space in ObjectDock, go to the "Dock Contents" tab, select "Hide the Windows Taskbar", and hit OK. This makes the taskbar disappear. You can also just move the taskbar to the front of the screen. Add Widgets.Widgets are desktop toys to entertain and to inform. Think of them like things you'd put on a real desk: a picture frame, a newspaper...a dancing hula girl. But they're on your PC desktop, not your real desk. (You'll get it once you see it.) They may be the most fun thing to happen to boring computers in a long time. Download free widgets from the Yahoo Widgets page. You'll download a widget machine called Konfabulator, which comes with widgets like a picture frame, analog clock, calendar, and weather display. You can get more widgets like RSS news feeds and a dancing hula girl from the widgets gallery. Firefox Safari Skin Change the skin of your Firefox browser to look like Safari: SaFire. Tutorial on how to set up Firefox to look 1:1 with Safari. You can also get the iFox skin that is posted in the Firefox themes section. Wallpaper Change your wallpaper to look like Mac OS X Tiger: here. FlyakiteOSX One convenient item that can be used to enhance your Windows to Mac experience is if you have all the elements of Mac Emulation bundled in a package. FlyakiteOSX does just that. WindowBlinds If you would like to make your Windows have buttons on the left side instead of the right, you can buy WindowBlinds. It comes with ObjectDesktop. ShellWM A titlebar-only shell replacement. It lets you have the buttons on the left for free. You'll want to download this theme. ObjectBar This isn't free, but if you have ObjectDesktop, it's included. ObjectBar You can also can get some nice Tiger themes by searching WinCustomize. Mouse Pointers. For the full effect, download a new set of mouse pointers. Save these to your computer (preferably in C:\WINDOWS\Cursors. It may be a good idea to make a folder within this for easier setup.) To setup these cursors, choose Mouse from the Control Panel, click the Pointers tab, and set your new pointers appropriately. Keep tweaking and playing. Fine tune these programs. It's all about customizing. Have fun! Tips Rocket Dock is an alternative dock for slower computer since it runs much faster and uses less resources If you have a Mac OS X Install DVD, you can emulate PowerPC's architecture using PearPC. PearPC is a tool which will allow you to run Mac OS X in an x86 environment, without putting in any effort. Do not resort to using OSX86 unless you are aware of the legal action Apple can take if they know you are using that software. You might want to check out http://osx.portraitofakite.com/. This site contains a full-blown total windows to mac desktop conversion. Most of the steps mentioned above are taken care of automatically, and the package already contains all the themes, sounds, wallpapers, cursors and applications mentioned in this article. It's an All-in-1 package for Mac Emulation. For the super simple way, instal this patch. It lets you access Windows XPs built in skinner. Then go to customize.org and download all the window's themes you want. This is a great Mac OS X style theme. If you have enough money, an easier way would always be just to buy your own Mac, of course. posted by Abhishek Shetty @ 7:39 PM 2 Comments: At April 12, 2007 at 9:32 AM , Akshay Balraj said... This post ROX.... but can u post a topic where i can change my windows boot screen 2 MacOS boot screen ??? gud post macha! At November 11, 2008 at 8:22 AM , Anonymous said... Keep up the good work. Post a Comment Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] << Home	About Me Name: Abhishek Shetty Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India Just an average guy with more than many un-average traits. View my complete profile Previous Posts Well, India on a losing start!! Wrestle Mania 23 Which should be the first topic in this blog? Stats & Figures MARVEL and SPIDER-MAN: TM & © 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. Motion Picture © 2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. © 2007 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved.

Blog-e-Verse

Steps

Tips

2 Comments:

About Me