Shapeshifter / Dock Skins

[chapinmesa]

Hey, was just wondering if anyone knows a definite answer on whether or not Shapeshifter...or the Dock skinning program (can't remember the name) are safe to your system or not? I'd just hate to have to do a re-format and install of Tiger when I have everything like I like it. Just wondering what hit there is on performance, and I'm assuming all the resources for the skins are stored separate and ALL components of Shapeshifter are totally removable?

Any one have experience using either? Just thought they looked kinda neat to change from your standard aqua.

thanks!

 

[mad jew]

I have no problems with UNO but that's the only theme changer I'd ever recommend. It's difficult to say whether you'll always be safe. System updates and some app installs can wreck things pretty royally if you've got a dodgy theme changer running.

 

[mashinhead]

uh you know this thread is old when mad jew was the last poster and a little questionable with chapinmesa as the thread starter (i kid). but here goes. My problem with shapeshifter is that when you apply a theme, and you have third party menu bar items, such as quicksilver or synergy, the skin for these items in the menu bar doesn't change. so you might have a black menu bar, with a white os/x square around the quicksilver icon. It looks terrible. does anyone else have this problem or is it just me? How do you fix this?

 

[sulhaq]

mashin: I have the exact same problem, however once I log out and then log back in everything is fixed and properly skinned. Have you tried that?

to the op: I loved shapeshifter. It really made my desktop look nice but the fact is if you do software updates it can mess up with the third party skins and give you kernel panics, at least, that's what I've heard. To be on the safe side, whenever you do software updates just disable shapeshifter and do the update, then turn it back on and you should be fine.

 

[mashinhead]

mashin: I have the exact same problem, however once I log out and then log back in everything is fixed and properly skinned. Have you tried that?

yeah that worked. THX

 

[srf4real]

Been using shapeshifter themes for a couple months now, absolutely no glitches with the system but you do have to log out/ back in to apply to all your apps, and some themes are not customizable. I love having so many options!

 

[rksprst]

I've used shapeshifter for a while. Though I did find that it slowed my computer down just enough to be annoying. (Though I am a little OCD about having my apps run fast so maybe its just me). I disabled it and am back to the default apple look. Everything seems to be faster, especially opening new windows.