Where do you get your themes from?

  • Thread starter Jondot
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Jondot

Jondot

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I was having a browse through the "let's see those desktops" thread, and saw many themes i liked. So, where do you all get them from? By themes, i mean a difference in toolbars and the start bar on windows xp. Here's an example belonging to event -

http://img150.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img150&image=untitled18vz.jpg

The bottom startbar is black - i want!

So can anyone direct me to a site that supplies them, oh, and are they free?

Thanks

Jon
 
Their are many ways to do it. I use the UXtheme.dll patcher. It's the same thing as that desktop.

You can download it here:http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=140707

It'll automatically do it for you. Then restart, and bam. Lotsa neat themes for any taste.

You can get some themes here:
http://skins.deviantart.com/windows/visualstyle/


You download/unzip the themes to C:\Windows\resources\themes. Then change them through your display settings.

This is only for Windows XP too. If you simply can't install the patcher (Which would be odd.) You can download Windowsblinds. It's an ok program, except it's a resource hog sometimes.

www.windowsblinds.net
 
Sage
I could tell you where I get mine from, but nobody here cares. :P
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Why would you ever think such a thing, Sage? I mean c'mon, just because you have a crApple doesn't mean that people don't care about your theme.

That group is, however, exclusive of me.

:sly:
 
xAkirax2004
Their are many ways to do it. I use the UXtheme.dll patcher. It's the same thing as that desktop.

You can download it here:http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=140707

It'll automatically do it for you. Then restart, and bam. Lotsa neat themes for any taste.

You can get some themes here:
http://skins.deviantart.com/windows/visualstyle/


You download/unzip the themes to C:\Windows\resources\themes. Then change them through your display settings.

This is only for Windows XP too. If you simply can't install the patcher (Which would be odd.) You can download Windowsblinds. It's an ok program, except it's a resource hog sometimes.

www.windowsblinds.net
Click to expand...


I am a ****ing noob. i can't figure it out.
 
VTGT07
Why would you ever think such a thing, Sage? I mean c'mon, just because you have a crApple doesn't mean that people don't care about your theme.

That group is, however, exclusive of me.

:sly:
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Heh heh. :D Well, I get all of my news from MacThemes.net (in fact, I'm now a writer at that site – look at who posted the "Underling" and "ProLCD Black" news items). BTW, it probably looks terrible in IE/Win, since it's obviously designed for a primarily Safari audience.

It's really the only place to get news for Mac GUI customization (in addition to the MacThemes Forums, since the Mac GUI community is very small. In fact, there is only one single person developing OS X themeing software right now, and he also happens to develop the only theme-creating application. So basically, the entire themeing community revolves around his actions (luckily, he's a great guy, works very hard, and looks way, way into the future – he's giving his apps a strong foundation now, even though it means not all of the "ooh" and "aah" features are implemented at the moment).

Also, since it takes a very discerning person to be unhappy with Aqua, the Mac GUI community is very critical (and the great majority of the people in the community are graphic artists), and really only accepts the best themes. In other words, you'll find very few unrefined, crappy themes. Thus, fewer themes. But I'll gladly take a few very good themes over a multitude of crappy ones. :) I honestly have a hard time believing the kinds of themes some Windows users put out… they just scream, "Hey mommy, I got my Photoshop delivery yesterday!".
 
Sage
Heh heh. :D Well, I get all of my news from MacThemes.net (in fact, I'm now a writer at that site – look at who posted the "Underling" and "ProLCD Black" news items).
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Awesome!
BTW, it probably looks terrible in IE/Win, since it's obviously designed for a primarily Safari audience.
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It doesn't look too bad. But that might be because I have my contacts out right now and can't see jack shat.

Also, since it takes a very discerning person to be unhappy with Aqua, the Mac GUI community is very critical (and the great majority of the people in the community are graphic artists), and really only accepts the best themes. In other words, you'll find very few unrefined, crappy themes. Thus, fewer themes. But I'll gladly take a few very good themes over a multitude of crappy ones. :) I honestly have a hard time believing the kinds of themes some Windows users put out… they just scream, "Hey mommy, I got my Photoshop delivery yesterday!".
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I completely agree. When I go to change my theme it normally takes me a good couple of days to find one that I like. There's so many crappy ones out there that the good ones seem to get misplaced and no one can find them. I would gladly take fewer themes if that meant better themes. This is the one I've got right now and I've been using that one for the past year or so just because I haven't found anything better.

edit:

I was surprised to find a windows oriented theme on the mac theme site :lol:.
 
VTGT07
I completely agree. When I go to change my theme it normally takes me a good couple of days to find one that I like. There's so many crappy ones out there that the good ones seem to get misplaced and no one can find them. I would gladly take fewer themes if that meant better themes. This is the one I've got right now and I've been using that one for the past year or so just because I haven't found anything better.
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Yeah, it doesn't even take a day to look through all of the Mac themes. And I'm even more discerning than most other users, so I've only found 4 theme creators that I really like (although I do try almost every single new theme that comes out – and since I have a dial-up connection, that's a testament to how few themes come out! ;)).

And that's an awfully bulky theme. ;) That's one thing I like about OS X themeing – Jason hasn't implemented the ability to change widget sizes, so creators are currently forced to create slim designs (in other words, the same "footprint" as Aqua).

I was surprised to find a windows oriented theme on the mac theme site :lol:.
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Oh, that's a fun theme to try out. :D I apply it every once in a while just for the shock factor… it really is hideous. Max is easily the greatest Mac themer on the face of this earth (I'm currently using his Aluminum Alloy theme), and he just decided to do that theme for the heck of it.
 
jreay21
There's a mac theme on windows, why not?!?!?! :lol:
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Most people who use macs and post on mac forums are mac enthusiasts and despise William H. Gates III.
 
I currently use WindowBlinds, but I think I´ll check out akira´s link. I used to have StyleXP, but its themes sometimes have spywares, you gotta watch out when installing those.
 
I just installed WindowBlinds and wow .. it is downright amazing. I like it alot better than StyleXP.
 
ROAD_DOGG33J
When you use a theme, does it take up or free RAM?
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All theming, even the default Windows XP theme with big green start button, use ram. How much is variable though. The windows theme engine uses about 3% more resources than the standard "Classic" GUI. So, if you already run the default XP theme you won't notice any performance decrease by using a patched uxtheme.dll and msstyles.

On the other hand, Windowblinds and StyleXP are seperate programs that are required to be running all the time. Using Windowblinds and StyleXP will dent resource usage considerably. The worst thing is, StyleXP is just a n00b-friendly uxtheme.dll patcher. All it does is bypass the manual patching stage of msstyles, so you're giving resources to StyleXP just to do something you could without it. And to think they want you to pay for it too!

Windowblinds on the otherhand does not just remove the uxtheme patching stage. It uses its own special themes. Windowblinds has an advantage over msstyles in that it can skin more things than an msstyle does, along with animations in titlebars, etc.

StyleXP is garbage. You should only be really choosing between Windowblinds and MSStyles. If you are willing to sacrifice the resources for more skinnable areas, than Windowblinds is the go, but if you just want a free, fast alternative to the XP default theme, use msstyles.
 
now I find a thread like this.

i've been fiddling with windows themes since college days, doing the basic adjustment to color schemes, etc. in Win 3.11 no less (!), several of the older ones we brought into here from the old comp still work, however, we're having problems with an excellent trek style theme that my mother actually preferred when I put it on hers. XP says it's packaged wrong, and refuses to use it.

also, anybody got a line on those theme creator programs? I'd like to make my own set of Icons and sounds.
 
Anyone know how i can get the trademark apple quick launch thing (is that what it's called?)?

By quick launch thing (i'm probably completely wrong about the name) i mean the little bar you get at the bottom of the screen on an apple pc. It has shortcuts to programs and other stuff.

Still don't have a clue what i'm talking about?
Try this picture http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/oshistory/images/osxbeta.jpg, and look at the bottom of the screen. That's the thing i'm talking about.

So, does anyone know how i can get it on my pc?
Btw, i'd prefer the one that comes on the new macs - it rotates as you move your mouse over it, but if not, anything will do.

Thanks in advance

Jon
 
phat_pengiun
Anyone know how i can get the trademark apple quick launch thing (is that what it's called?)?

By quick launch thing (i'm probably completely wrong about the name) i mean the little bar you get at the bottom of the screen on an apple pc. It has shortcuts to programs and other stuff.

Still don't have a clue what i'm talking about?
Try this picture http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/oshistory/images/osxbeta.jpg, and look at the bottom of the screen. That's the thing i'm talking about.

So, does anyone know how i can get it on my pc?
Btw, i'd prefer the one that comes on the new macs - it rotates as you move your mouse over it, but if not, anything will do.

Thanks in advance

Jon
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This? ObjectDock
 
Im using the offical windows media center 2005 theme, the one with the old xp colours, but the new 'gel' style as seen in media player 10. I found it on some russian website.....(I actually have windows xp home). It's nice and simple but I so want Longhorn Style!!!

In the first desktop pic of this thread where did those icons come from they are really neat....Ive got alot of mac style icons but not those ones, oh and also how did you get the icons to that size.....everytime I have made my desktop icons big they become too big!

some good icons sites,

http://www.foood.net/
http://www.marvilla.us/sampleicons.html
http://www.everaldo.com/ (pay for)
http://www.iconfactory.com/news.asp
 

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