Best MAC OS for customization

[Chiadrum]

Hi all-I picked up a 2011 17" Mac Pro since my eyes aren't what they used to be.The problem is running El Capitan I basically have no control over font and sizing throughout the OS.My wife's 13" Pro is easier to read despite the screen size.Control + works for Safari but I want the ability to change the font system wide so that my brilliant 17" display can show everything large and clear all the time.
I understand that earlier versions of OSX allow such tweaks.Just looking for recommendations on the caveats of the various versions that would allow such customizing.Open to installing a 3rd party app to accomplish my goals.

Thanks

 

[!!!]

Well your post is sorta messed up. You say "2011 17" Mac Pro", you do realize there's both a MacBook Pro and a Mac Pro right? Your wife probably has a retina MacBook Pro, and you don't. Look up Mac retina screens to see how they affect what you see.

 

[Chiadrum]

Well your post is sorta messed up. You say "2011 17" Mac Pro", you do realize there's both a MacBook Pro and a Mac Pro right? Your wife probably has a retina MacBook Pro, and you don't. Look up Mac retina screens to see how they affect what you see.

Ok well definitely a MacBook Pro and El Cap clearly limits customization and doesn't display very well on the 17" screen,nothing to do with the retina display-it is the size of the text that is the issue so the question remains-which MacBook Pro OS would be the best for customizing.El Cap has shut down customizing as far as I understand.This MacBook Pro is my 1st so I don't know the limitations as I do with say Android or Windows since I have had many of those devices over the years.I have gotten some excellent advice on this forum in the past and I am sure that I will once again.

 

[lowendlinux]

Ok well definitely a MacBook Pro and El Cap clearly limits customization and doesn't display very well on the 17" screen,nothing to do with the retina display-it is the size of the text that is the issue so the question remains-which MacBook Pro OS would be the best for customizing.El Cap has shut down customizing as far as I understand.This MacBook Pro is my 1st so I don't know the limitations as I do with say Android or Windows since I have had many of those devices over the years.I have gotten some excellent advice on this forum in the past and I am sure that I will once again.

I can't remember any OS X that let you change the font size globally

You're probably going to have to either scale the display or use Zoom which is in accessibility. You're on a 1920x1200 unscaled 17" display stuff is going to be small your wifes computer is scaled to 1280x800 which "fixes" the issues with small hi res displays

 

[maflynn]

No version of OS X is very customizable,

Check this link out however in which is details how to change the system font.

I'm sure there's other links available in customizing OS X, but it will usually entail some sort of hack or behind the scene changes as the OS does not really support that sort of thing.

 

[Queen6]

You could try playing with the resolution with a third party App such as QuickRes. As for font scaling, your definitely going to want to step back to 10.10 or 10.9 as there is far more chance of a third party tool that that can help with this one. Try Bresink`s Tinker Tool:

http://www.bresink.com/osx/0TinkerTool/details.html

Another option is change the system font to Lucida Grande as this will suit the 17" non Retina display better the links below may be of some help;

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/15/change-default-system-font-mac-os-x-el-capitan-lucida-grande/

https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeelcapitan

https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite


Q-6
[doublepost=1463481486][/doublepost]

No version of OS X is very customizable,

Check this link out however in which is details how to change the system font.

I'm sure there's other links available in customizing OS X, but it will usually entail some sort of hack or behind the scene changes as the OS does not really support that sort of thing.

Snap

Q-6

 

[Chiadrum]

You could try playing with the resolution with a third party App such as QuickRes. As for font scaling, your definitely going to want to step back to 10.10 or 10.9 as there is far more chance of a third party tool that that can help with this one. Try Bresink`s Tinker Tool:

http://www.bresink.com/osx/0TinkerTool/details.html

Another option is change the system font to Lucida Grande as this will suit the 17" non Retina display better the links below may be of some help;

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/15/change-default-system-font-mac-os-x-el-capitan-lucida-grande/

https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeelcapitan

https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite


Q-6
[doublepost=1463481486][/doublepost]

Snap

Q-6

[doublepost=1463482760][/doublepost]Thanks for all of the advice guys.In the short term setting the resolution to 1280/800 has made a huge difference.I will explore some of the other options as time permits.