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Poll: What are your top desktop enhancements?

Q

qtip919

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 24, 2002
279
0
I was wondering, what are the top (five, maybe?) desktop enhancements you use?

I have seen many screenshots with custom dock's etc. I am very interested in new ways to customize the UI beyond skins, icon mods, "dock eye-candy", etc.

I am wondering more about the full blown desktop enhancements people use

thanks!
 
I feel like the only person who uses OSX as it is out of the box. Sorry, no changes here, just the regular Tiger interface, which I know and love. :p
 
Been using Meterologist to have weather in the menu bar and X Resource Graph to monitor my Mac, for quite a while.

Just started using MainMenu for maintenance and QuickSilver as a launcer, and both look like keepers... ;)

Edit: Aaah... you meant mods. I don't do that. But check ResExcellence for different approaches. Apart from altering the occasional menu item the only "mod" I do is change appearance from Blue to Graphite in System Preferences... :p
 
mad jew said:
I feel like the only person who uses OSX as it is out of the box. Sorry, no changes here, just the regular Tiger interface, which I know and love. :p
Click to expand...

No enhancement things here either. Under Panther I liked "MenuCalendarClock" which put a drop down calendar in your menu... but since Tiger has that calendar widget, it's just not a necessity any more.
 
I used ShapeShifter until the 15 day demo ran out. It was kinda cool to switch up the GUI appearance a bit for a change of pace, and I might have even kept using it had it been freeware or even a mere $5-10. But $20 for that, plus another $10 for Mighty Mouse, just for a cosmetic alteration, isn't worth it to me. That $30 will be better spent elsewhere.

Besides, Tiger looks pretty damn nice as is.
 
No desktop enhancements here either. I do have Quicksilver running in the background but it's pretty much invisible until invoked.

And I guess you might count the Synergy iTunes controls in the menu bar - though since it looks like an iPod Shuffle wheel, it's pretty discreet too.
 
mad jew said:
I feel like the only person who uses OSX as it is out of the box. Sorry, no changes here, just the regular Tiger interface, which I know and love. :p
Click to expand...

Another vote here for no enhancements. I feel like OS X doesn't really need any!

Plus, I know some Mac users who have a ton of stuff running on their machine, and it gets a bit excessive. Ironically, they are the same ones who bash Windows users for slowing down their system and chewing up resources with AV, SpyWare, Norton, etc., having a million things running in their system tray and all that - yet they're no better with all their widgets, enahancements, add-ons and millions of little apps on their system! I try to keep my Mac as clean as possible, and see no need for any enhancements per se. :cool:
 
Candybar. That is it. Everything else doesn't make the desktop look all that great...
 
Konfabulator, now that it's free. Hey, I'm still on Panther!

I also use Transparent Dock.
 

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jrv3034 said:
Konfabulator, now that it's free. Hey, I'm still on Panther!

I also use Transparent Dock.
Click to expand...

Isn't the dock already transparent? Or is there a way to make it fully transparent? :confused: On your desktop it still looks like you can see the Dock's outline... just curious....
 
ok, that's more like it...

Im not asking about things that change the appearance, rather, I am interested in enhancements (QS, app launchers, etc.)

thanks!~
 
jrv3034 -

I really like how your dock is positioned on the far left corner...what app allows for that?

thanks
 
A few things.

• Drop down menu featuring frequently accessible apps which just don't quite merit a place in the dock (courtesy of Butler).
• iTunes Play/Pause, Previous and Next buttons (courtesy of Butler).
• Transparent dock icon for hidden apps (courtesy of Tinker Tool).

The other thing that isn't really an enhancement, but is something I find impossible to do without is a setting that - for some ridiculous reason - is in Sys Prefs->Appearance. I can't do without 'Click in the scroll bar to jump to here'. In long documents when you want to get to the end without reaching for the keyboard, it's a must.

Another very minor thing is putting labels on drives on the desktop. Purely cosmetic.
 
menu meters

sizziling keys- it can control itunes nomatter what app your in, its one of my new best friends.

and i also changed the eject menubar item so it has a picture of a hamburger instead of the eject symbol. and it says cook hamburgers instead of open drive.
 
wow...

sizzling keys IS awesome indeed!!!

I love this app!


thanks for the tip!
 
A set of custom icons in coretypes. A custom hacked extras and finder, search bundle resources. Butler, menumeters, main menu, wclock.
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Forgot about dock transparancy. I use ClearDock, wich in my opinion is better than TransparentDock, especially with Tiger.
Click to expand...

Cool, I always wondered if there was a free app to do this - the only other ones I had heard about seemed to be packaged in with other utilities and cost money. Thanks for the link!
 
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