Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard has been out for a few months now and most users have had chance to get to grips with some of the new features like as Stacks, Quick Look, Time Machine, and Spaces. Well now its time to delve deeper into the new version of the MAC OS X, as we take a look at how to further personalize Leopards great new features and revert the annoying ones.

Change is often a good thing however some of us are easily stuck in our ways. If you liked the look and feel of the Tiger Desktop, it’s possible to revert some of Leopard’s changes.

Opaque menubar:

Many Leopard users say that the new transparent menu bar is too difficult to read. To make then menubar opaque again, as it was in Tiger, a free downloadable application called OpaqueMenuBar will do the job.

If you don’t want run a piece of software just to tackle this tweak, you could try editing your desktop image to include a white section which sits as a layer behind the transparent menubar.

Menubar in color:

If you want to expand your menubar options beyond the adjustable opaque settings, LeoColorBar can help adjust the desktop picture so it doesn’t bleed through the transparent menu bar. It also lets you round the edges of the menu bar and display the whole image.

Rounded Tiger-style Corners:

The nice rounded corners previously seen in Tiger’s GUI gave the OS a sleek appearance and although Leopard still looks cool with the rounded corners gone, some may still want to revert back to tiger-style corners.

A small application called Displaperture can help you do just that.

Kill the Dock reflection:

The Mac’s graphical user interface is second to none and the new Dock relefection is no exception. But if you’re finding the new reflective quality too distracting, it is possible to turn it off using two terminal commands (omit the $ prompt when you type them yourself):

• $ defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES $ killall Dock

Revert the blue dots to Tiger’s black triangles:

If the glowing blue dots indicating that an application is running, it is also possible to switch these back to the black triangles found in Tiger.

First, download the triangle image; you will need three images as the size of the indicator in Leopard changes as you resize the Dock.

The files are:

• indicator_large.png (42 x 14 pixel)
• indicator_medium.png (32 x 11 pixel)
• indicator_small.png (14 x 8 pixel)

note: make sure the image backgrounds are transparent.

Now it gets tech(but not too difficult), be careful when taking on the next stage as altering Mac system files can seriously damage your personal files.

Close all applications, log out, then back in again as Administrator (root).

Then go to Users>>> your_user_name >>> Desktop

Then take the indicator files and move them to the Desktop in root.

In Finder, select your hard disk (Usually named Macintosh HD), then navigate to System>>> Library>>> CoreServices

Right-click on Dock and select Show Package Contents. (If you don’t have this menu option, unfortunately you will need to install Developer Tools before you can complete this tweak).

Then select Contents>>> Resources>>>

Here you will find the original indicator files, you should rename them to something else for safe keeping, e.g. (e.g. original_indicator_small.png).

Now copy your 3 new indicator files to into this folder.

Reload the Dock (Ctrl + Option + right-click | Relaunch).

Customize Stacks:

One of Leopards great new additions are the popup menus of your folders that can be added to the dock. Here are a few tweaks to get the best out of the new Stacks feature.

Keep Your ‘Stacks’ in Drawers:

Adding drawer icons to your stacks can help you better identify your stack. To do this, simply download the drawer-like icons from Optica Optima, unzip the files and move the appropriate icon to the folder.

Customize Icons:

If you would like to customize your icons, you will need Icon Composer. This is available in Apple’s Developer Tools (Xcode, to be exact) on your OS X install disk, or via download from Apple. Using the Icns2Rsrc utility, you can convert any image to the correct file format associated with icons. Then you can really personalize your stacks.

Add Recent Items Stack:

When constantly working on the same set of documents, it’s always handy to have a recent items folder for quick navigations between your files. If you would like to add a recent items stack then, in Terminal, type in the following commands (again be sure to omit the $ prompt)

• $ defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add ‘{ “tile-data” = { “list-type” = 1; }; “tile-type” = “recents-tile”; }’ $ killall Dock

Customize the login window:

There are two easy way to personalize your login window. A great application called Visage Login gives you all the tools to change the background image, add an icon, change the name and much more.

Otherwise there is the old fashioned way by replacing the login image with your chosen file. The login image is located at:

• /System/Library/CoreServices/DeafaultDesktop.jpg

Quick Look:

Quick Look is able to view the contents of a file directly from Finder without launching an application. This is especially handy when viewing photos or other files packed into a folder with unrecognizable names such as DSC_009187.jpg.

A handy plug-in called Zip Quick Look can be used with Quick Look to allow the user to take a ‘quick look’ inside a ZIP archive without extracting the files.

Another plug-in called qlgenerator can similarly turn Quick Looks default folder into a listing of files.

Time Machine:

Time Machine’s minimal configuration options and overall simplicity leaves little to be modified but, if you are determined to adjust the settings in Time Machine, a piece of freeware called TimeMachineScheduler can help you.

If you are not happy with Time Machines hourly back-up schedule, TimeMachineScheduler can alter the default back-up setting from 1 to 12 hours apart.

The highly anticipated MacBook Air hit finally stores earlier this year and for most Mac fans, it really does live up to expectations.

With all the press the MacBook Air is getting, it wasn’t going to be long before we at 800HighTech managed to make these available on finance for all Military Service Members and Civilian DoD’s regardless of past debt or bad credit history.

MacBook Air Now Available On Finance From 800HighTech

So why all the hype? For starters the MacBook Air has managed to cram a powerful 1.6GHz (or optional 1.8GHz) Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an 80GB hard disk (or optional 64GB solid-state drive) and Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor into an extremely slim line casing measuring just 0.16 to 0.76 inches, whilst at the same time, still offering the comfort of a full sized backlit keyboard as well as a large 13.3 inch screen.

A couple of things you will immediately notice about the slim design is the absence of an optical disk drive and the reduction of video and audio in’s and out’s. As standard the MacBook Air only comes with a DVI output (which can also support VGA by the use of an included adaptor), one USB port and an audio out. This may seem like a drastic measure to save space but Apple have done their best to compensate for this by incorporating remote disk technology (keep reading for more information about MacBook Air’s remote disk technology works).

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Apple Mac or P.C? The ultimate question when it comes to buying a new desktop or laptop. Those who seek a powerful computer rigged for visual editing and design tend to swing towards a Mac, not only does the architecture of displays and interfaces suggest Mac’s are geared towards design, even the Operating System is well composed and innovative. We at 800hightech have a range of new MacBook’s and MacBook Pro’s available on finance for all those choosing to ditch their glitching P.C and take a step in Apple’s world.

MacBook Available On Finance

First up is the 13.3 inch widescreen MacBook, this powerful little notebook comes with Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at speeds of up to 2.2GHz. RAM comes in the form of either 1024MB-DDR2 or 1GB 2x SO-DIMM with support up to 4GB, and all models pack a performance-enhancing 4MB of shared L2 cache plus host of new innovative features including:

• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• A built-in iSight camera
• FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports
• Dual-display support
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi - Automatically detects wireless networks within range and asks nicely if you’d like to join any of them.
• Bluetooth - Connect wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled peripherals or connect to the Internet via your mobile phone.
• MagSafe Airline Adapter - Out of power in flight? Plug your MacBook into the new MagSafe Airline Adapter and get back to work (or play).
• iLife ‘08 - An amazing suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life.
  • iPhoto - share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who’s got an email address.
  • GarageBand - Record your own songs and podcasts
  • iMovie and iDVD - Break into indie filmmaking!
  • iWeb Share - anything on the web with just one click
  • Photo Booth and iMovie - creating the best of your iSight photos or video.
  • iWeb - Share anything on the web with just one click
  • Front Row - Navigate your movies, music, photos, and more at the touch of the included Apple Remote, turn your notebook into a multi media center.

Available in bright white or sleek black, our MacBook’s come with 80GB, 120GB or 150GB hard drives however if you need to carry around more data, MacBook’s can be upgraded to 250GB.

The MacBook has been designed with every modern day task in mind, we have 3 available on finance, however if you need to take it one step further, perhaps you’ll find what your looking for in the MacBook Pro. To Apply For MacBook On Finance From 800hightech, Please Click Here>>>

MacBook Pro Available On Finance UPDATED

Click Here To View The Previous Post on The Apple MacBook Pro
The new MacBook Pro has taken all the quality features or the MacBook and upgraded certain specifications to create “Ultimate speed, performance, and connectivity. To go.”

MacBook Pro’s are available in 15- and 17-inch models. The 15-inch model has a mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display and the 17-inch model has an optional 1920-by-1200-pixel display.

Only one inch thin and 5.4 and 6.8 pounds, respectively, the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models are among the thinnest, lightest notebooks in their display class.

Our MacBook Pro’s are packed with 150GB hard drives, with upgrade option of up to 250GB. The ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 or the wickedly fast NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 512MB graphics card takes care of even the most detailed visual tasks. Ram weighs in at 2048MB PC5300 667Mhz DDR2 with support up to 4GB.

For connectivity the MacBook Pro has 1x FireWire 400, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB and an ExpressCard/34. It also packs HDTV support via the DVI port.

The MacBook Pro is certainly one of the most powerful notebooks available on the market today. If you haven’t though about making the switch from P.C to Mac, one little test run on this delightful computer will definitely change your mind.

To Apply For MacBook Pro On Finance From 800hightech, Please Click Here>>>

Fresh-in, Apples renowned laptop notebooks are now available for financing for the U.S. Military and Civilian DoD employees. Not many, like myself are avid Mac users, but have been debating whether or not to make the leap to the Mac World. Macintosh is by far a much more graphic based and cool interface system, but compatibility, limited parts, and often higher prices has discouraged a lot of users to start the learning process. However, the new MacBooks and MacBooks Pro just may be the product that makes you switch.

MacBook PRO Financed

Lets start of with the newest laptops by Apple, the MacBook Pros. Available in 2 sizes, 15 inch and 17 inch and two different Core 2 Duo Processors, the 2.16Ghz or 2.33Ghz. This makes it almost 40% faster that the predecessor MacBook. If speed is what you need, don’t look at the write up listed below. Never mind, read it cause I spent time writing it up. The new processor, the Intel Core Duo, makes this the first dual-processor laptop Apple has ever made. The MacBook Pro’s system bus runs at 667MHz, four times the speed of the PowerBook’s 167MHz bus. The new PCI Express-based graphics technology offers 8GBps of total bandwidth, which is eight times that of the PowerBook’s 4x AGP graphics system. The drives now use the fast Serial ATA technology. The RAM is dramatically faster. The MacBook Pro adds more convenience by including the Front Row Apple Remote control. This makes it ideal for presentation, music, movies, and laying around surfing. Another great feature that I personally look for in every laptop now is a built in web camera, and of course MacBook Pro has one. I hate dealing with cables and packing up of extra peripheral devices. The more built in features the better for those who actually want a laptop to be mobile. The iSight, the built in webcam name for those who are not yet familiar with Apple, sets you up for easy video conferencing and video chatting with love ones or possible love ones on those long deployments. Okay, lets break it down and get inside this arts farts notebook and see if its got power to match its style.

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