We have all seen tutorial after tutorial on "How to make your Windows XP/Vista computer look like a Mac. A lot of these tutorials are good, a lot leave much to be desired, and many are outdated.
I would like to start a collaborative effort here on the HTG forums to create a "How-To" of our own. I think the best way to do this, is with the forum, allowing everyone to input ideas and information. I also think it will be best to break down the differences and tackle them separately.
For easy readability, I will edit this specific post when information is presented that is important to the process.
If anyone disagrees with the following please post. While in some cases it may be a matter of opinion, in others there may be a program that someone else has never heard of. Feel free to list non-free programs, but try to list a free program when possible.
Please feel free to correct the names of features if I have named them incorrectly.
The Dock -- Objectdock or Rocketdock
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectdock – Free [ Plus version - $19.95 USD – not available in Object Desktop Suite(s) ]
Rocketdock - Free
While there are many different dock programs, RocketDock and Stardock seem to be the best. They support PNG icons (most others do as well).
They both support docklets and Rocketdock has a stack docklet (Objectdock may have one). Objectdock has an option to reserve edge of screen, so when maximizing a windows, the dock is not covered. Objectdock also has a weather docklet by default.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Mac Menu Bar (functionality) –Finderbar or Objectbar
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finderbar – Free
Objectbar – $19.95 USD [ $69.95 as part of Object Desktop Ultimate ]
Finderbar will add functionality to the current bar and keep the Windows Start Menu easily accessible.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Mac Theme
------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Icons -- Icon Tweaker or Icon Packager
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Icon Tweaker - Free
Icon Packager - $14.95 USD [ $49.95 USD / $69.69 USD as part of Object Desktop Suite(s) ]
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Logon Interface -- Logon Studio / Logon UI
------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Explorer/Finder Interface
------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Program Skins
------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Alt-Tab
------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Other -- Transbar
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transbar allows the start bar in Windows to have the transparency level adjusted.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
*Edit*
I found found what seems to be a promising and recent video tutorial series on YouTube.com.
