Skins

[Banchee]

While Apple excells is some areas, they seem to leave certain stuff out. One of their biggest downfalls is customization.
Veterans of UNIX/LiNUX systems know that the two major X-based window managers, GNOME and KDE, both support custom skins. Apple has fashionably left this widely held feature out of X. If you ask me, I think skins will be one of the most powerful additions to OSX.

[RacerX]

I know that there has been a large price for all the customization. Lets not forget that gnome and kde are built on top of the very shake structure of x-windows. Lets also not forget that most of the "cool" features of x-windows are actually violations of the x-windows standard and have introduced many problem that would not have been there had developer just followed the guide lines (best violator ever was gtk+, for both the good and bad reasons).

That aside, the main problem that people are having creating skins/themes comes from the fact that there are a number of interface properties running at the same time (namely one for carbon apps and one for cocoa apps) which makes it a tricky hack right from the start. And then there is Arent Fox (see http://www.arentfox.com ), the theme killers of Apple Legal. They didn't have much of a leg to stand on in OS 8 and 9 because Apple used the appearance functions from Copland, but now Apple has said that the look of the interface is set in stone as far as they are concerned. And they have happily sent Arent Fox after anyone who tries to make public any theme changes in OS X or any theme that looks like Aqua for any other OS (even classic Mac).

But other than that, no one is stopping you from trying.

Viva la Themes!

[Jasoco]

All WE have to do is run over to Apple's Feedback page and BEG for theme support... It must be FULL Theme support.. With the power to do ANYTHING to the interface.

I don't want to have to wait for Kaleidoscope.. And frankly, I'd rather not PAY for a feature that should be part of the OS as it is.. I mean, Windows XP can do it, MS got the idea.. Apple is stupid for leaving it out.. (Sorry, Apple.. I didn't mean to call you stupid.. I'm just angry is all.)

I never used themes before as it is, I wouldn't find one as good, but with OS X we have an OS capable of doing a LOT more than before.. Think of what the theme makers could do with this power!

Transparent File areas in folders. (!) That'd be a neat idea!
I'd LOVE to see what designers could come up with!

We had better hurry over there.. If they release 10.1 at MWNY, I'll want themes. I'd hate to wait till 10.2.. Whenever THAT'd be!

[AdmiralAK]

As I have mentioned time and time again apple has a reason behind this. The aqua look is not synonymous with MacOS yet like the platinum appearance is. Apple wants name recognition that is why it is "banning" themes until such a recognition occurs. Most people outside the mac community dont know what aqua looks like, but they probably know that platinum is an Apple OS.

I am all for themes, and I dont like apple's stance on this but I believe that this is the logic behind apple's decision.

[strobe]

I it were possible to port the NeuTech theme to OS X I'd be happy. It's possible to port it to Carbon apps, but not Cocoa. Cocoa ignores the theme layouts.

[rinse]

i would like a nice dark theme a'la NEXT...

i use the next theme in OS9 exclusively, and have for the last year or two.... there is something i find really pro / clean about a simple black interface.

[Xaemyl]

Actually, I do most of My stuff from Darwin/XFree86. When I need access to Mac apps/music stuff, then I switch to Mac OS X. This is mainly due to the fact that I despise Aqua.

[Xaemyl]

Originally posted by AdmiralAK
As I have mentioned time and time again apple has a reason behind this. The aqua look is not synonymous with MacOS yet like the platinum appearance is. Apple wants name recognition that is why it is "banning" themes until such a recognition occurs. Most people outside the mac community dont know what aqua looks like, but they probably know that platinum is an Apple OS.

I am all for themes, and I dont like apple's stance on this but I believe that this is the logic behind apple's decision.

I sincerely hope you're correct, AK. I suppose I can make my own BlueSteel theme for Mac OS X by hand ... but I'm too lazy. I guess I cant complain if I'm too lazy.

Well, I will be lazy no more! I am suddenly inspired! I shall create a BlueSteel theme for Mac OS X (by editing the proper resources by hand) heheh