“MACing” your Windows: The GUI

Now that Apple has made a full switch to Intel processors, running Windows on Macs has become more common than most people ever thought it would be. Be it on Parallels or Apple’s Boot Camp there is usually a need to run Windows on your Mac or have a second machine handy. This series of articles is about making Windows a more comfortable environment for a Mac user. Of course not all of the Mac elements will carry over, but we can get pretty close using mostly freeware. These articles are written for Windows XP SP2, however the majority of these programs have versions coming out for Windows Vista in the near future.

In this article we will emulate the most basic elements of the GUI of OS X Tiger. This means ditching the default Luna visual style that is reminiscent of Fisher Price Toys. Please keep in mind that this is only the first step, so not all the features of Tiger’s GUI will carry over quite yet. Please also note that it is possible to use the built in “Visual Style” feature to make your machine look like a Mac with a dll hack. But doing so will only skin the buttons, scroll bars, and the taskbar. For that reason we will not cover that in this article, but for more information on hacking the uxtheme.dll file in Windows XP take a look at this article on Neowin.net.

WindowBlinds ($19.95)

This is the safest and most user friendly method of changing the GUI on your Windows machine. No system files are altered and there is little to no slowdown. There is a freeware version you can try first, but most the features require you purchase the full version. If you’re running this on Apple hardware you will meet the system requirements so there is nothing to worry about. The install is as simple as any other Windows application and even comes with a few visual styles built in.

Once you have that installed, you have a choice of which Tiger visual style you want to download. There is a plethora of them out there, but two of them stand out amongst the crowd. Both are well developed and have multiple options to change the color schemes within the theme. I suggest you take a thorough look at the screenshots for each style before reading on, and that you give them both a shot to see which suits your needs best. When trying each visual style take a good look at the information in the included read-me files as many common questions are answered in them.

Steve Grenier’s Tiger Theme

This is probably the most popular Tiger theme because of all the sub-styles it includes. The buttons on application windows are located left side and the look is emulated almost perfectly. Shadows, spotlight and the menu bar are noticeably missing, but all will be featured in future articles. The button on the top right rolls the window up to take less space while working with multiple applications. After using this for a few hours you may find it painful to be without while using Windows. As with all WindowBlinds themes it is recommended you restart your computer after applying it to avoid problems.

KoL’s Tiger 2 Theme

This theme is less popular as it does not include many sub-styles, however it is widely accepted as the most accurate theme. Outside of the lack of sub-styles this theme includes all the features of Grenier’s take on Tiger. KoL has also managed to create a theme that has a more sharp and responsive feel than most other themes. The seemingly small tweaks like the shut down menu and the more accurate scroll bars make a world of difference in your daily use. If you don’t mind only having a blue and a graphite theme then this is without a doubt the right choice.

The last thing you want to do after applying the theme is move your task bar to the top of your desktop. Right click on the taskbar and make sure “Lock the taskbar” is unchecked. Then drag and drop the taskbar to the top of the screen, and lock it down again. After this you will have completed the first step in emulating the OS X environment. In our next article we will discuss a few applications that emulate the “Dock” and where to get the best looking icons for your applications.

Originally Published on MacCast

At The Movies: Casino Royale

Directed by Martin Cambell (“Goldeneye”), “Casino Royale” is the 21st movie in the James Bond film series based on the first novel of the original novel series by Ian Flemming. Daniel Craig takes the lead as James Bond, and Judi Dench reprises the role as M once again in this franchise reboot. Despite retaining one of the same actors, this is an alternative timeline from the previous “Bond” films. Taking place post 9-11 as explained in the movie, and before James earns is “00 License”, we get to see a more human character than the Bond portrayed by those like Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.

One of the key differences that make this film superior than some of the other films is the character development. In the previous movies Bond only engaged in simple, unfulfilling, hero meets heroine relationships that meant nothing to the character. In “Casino Royale” we see a genuine love story develop, as well a true explanation for Bond’s detachment from the realities of his lifestyle. The focus this time is less on the villain Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), and more on Bond and his love interest Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). The biggest weakness of the film is that we don’t get enough time with the enemy to truly see him as threatening, despite how interesting of a character he may be.

“Casino Royale” has a much more realistic and gritty feel than viewers may be comfortable with at first. Bond’s inexperience is shown both in his physical and emotional attributes, so we get to see him learn from mistakes and develop into the Bond we are more familiar with. The first several minutes of the film are shown in black and white, directed in a style reminiscent of the noir films of the 40’s and 50’s. These scenes show just what kind of person James Bond really is.

Even with a runtime of 145 minutes “Casino Royale” doesn’t quite give you everything you might want, but the cliffhanger ending will leave you excited for Bond 22. Chris Cornell of the band “Audioslave’ composed and performed the excellent title song “You Know My Name” which is threaded throughout the film until we hear the familiar 007 theme. Overall this is arguable the best film in the Bond franchise, and it makes you wonder what the other Bond actors would have done with a script so focused on character development instead of action and one-liners.

Casino Royale gets a well earned 9 out of 10.

This week on DVD: The popular book “The Da Vinci Code” is adapted into film staring Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen. Justin Long stars in the comedy “Accepted” as a high-school senior who decides to start his own college. The “Lassie” series gets a new addition that surprised many as a genuinely good family film.

Originally published in The Hammonton News