I don't think I've ever had problems working with themes in XP. I haven't had as much success with OS X (in Jaguar anyway), although it seems like ShapeShifter is a welcome improvement over prior theming apps from what I've read.
There are hundreds more themes for XP than for OS X, although 95% of the XP ones aren't that good.
+windows pre xp, was impossible without some app that hacked the windows and slapped bitmaps on the edges
+if i remeber rightly pre osx pre Kscheme it was possible to change the images of the borders thus themeing the os, then K came out and then macos was way ahead of windows themeing at th etime becuase windows had an early version of windowblinds out well after K, they also had EFX which was pretty useless but faster.
Now microsoft shoved basically what windowblinds used to do over the new os, so its same thing underneith it just hacks images over regular windows buttons and thats how its got the xp look and why you can turn it on and off. Of course osx you could change the images of osx and theme it but because osx uses much more advanced techniques to build its gui and stuff so its more technical to make an osx theme.
As for icons macos always has and always will beat windows at changing icons, to change icons in windows is really awkward and you still find the old ones turning up left right and centre
I have never made a theme for XP so I don't really know how it works, but I have heard that it is very simple compared to making OS X themes. Especially before ShapeShifter was out, OS X themes were so picky with everything.
if apple did what microsoft did it would be just as easy pretty much, but the osx gui isnt just images hacked over old controls like the windows one is these days
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So depending on your skill in "hacking" it is about the same to "hack" the theme of your OS.
What is with the theme threads of late?
In Panther everything seems very stable.
There are hundreds more themes for XP than for OS X, although 95% of the XP ones aren't that good.
I stick with the standard XP silver theme when I use a Win Box... that is if I ever use windows at home again...
+windows pre xp, was impossible without some app that hacked the windows and slapped bitmaps on the edges
+if i remeber rightly pre osx pre Kscheme it was possible to change the images of the borders thus themeing the os, then K came out and then macos was way ahead of windows themeing at th etime becuase windows had an early version of windowblinds out well after K, they also had EFX which was pretty useless but faster.
Now microsoft shoved basically what windowblinds used to do over the new os, so its same thing underneith it just hacks images over regular windows buttons and thats how its got the xp look and why you can turn it on and off. Of course osx you could change the images of osx and theme it but because osx uses much more advanced techniques to build its gui and stuff so its more technical to make an osx theme.
As for icons macos always has and always will beat windows at changing icons, to change icons in windows is really awkward and you still find the old ones turning up left right and centre