Are you one of those OSX users that miss the days of Kaleidoscope Schemes changing the look of your OS? Well don't worry there is a new kid in town! Shapeshifter is the premiere theme manager for OSX. It is both affordable and so darn cool you'll need to wear a parka when using it! I love being able to make my OS look the way I want it to and not how the almighty power of Apple wants it to. It's my desktop afterall right? There are 3 themes bundled with Shapeshifter and a ton of places on the web to find more.
One great feature about Shapeshifter is the ability to exclude certain programs from being themed. I don't use this feature, but if you run into a program that might have problems with its gui being messed with you can easilly exclude it within this godsend of a program. Also its great for playing pranks on your Windows using buddies? How? Read on.
To the right is what my desktop usually looks like. The classic Panther style. But with the help of Shapeshifter I can change it to fool the unknowing within seconds. Read on.
Whalah! Instint Windows XP! This was a hoot using when a few friends and my wife were around. LOL! The first thing out of most of their mouths was, "I didn't know you can run Windows on a Mac...." Another usual comment was "Hey why is the taskbar at the top and where is the recycle bin?" Endless hours of enjoyment.
Now be aware that all themes do not instantly change your icons. Some do some don't. Since it is somewhat tedius to do within a theme most theme authors are now bundling the custom icons in a CandyBar icontainer. The theme above uses this method. What else can I say except... GET THIS PROGRAM! As a Mac user it is our right to not only Think Different but to BE different. Each users desktop is a unique window of expression and this program helps you to express yourself to the fullest. 'Nuff said.
 UPDATE: HOLY COW! Version 2 (pictured to the left) of ShapeShifter is just amazing! Now you can do almost a TOTAL makeover just with this handy utility. With v2 you can change not only the theme, but also the icons, cursor, and desktop. The extras are only available if it is accompanied within the theme file itself though.
Also there is a new "Download" tab where you can see the latest featured themes. Via this window you can even download them directly into ShapeShifter.
A little bit of warning for users like myself though that use both ShapeShifter and CandyBar... If you load an iconset through ShapeShifter you will NOT be able to use CandyBar until you revert back to the Default Aqua Icons through the SS pref panel. Other than this I find no problems at all. Now if this was able to change the login and boot panels I'd be all set! Because of the change I am giving top honors to this little ditty.
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