[Macworld]

Post your comments for Your Mac, your way: the workspace here

[153957]

The DragThing screenshot is a bit... dark.. please fix that..
Are those drawers still needed?.. In the current version of OS X you can make the dock icon for folders/documents be the icon of the folder instead of its content. So you can just change the icon of the folder instead of populating the folders with distracting apps/icons.

[robogobo]

While I love customization, I'm very careful not to do anything that replaces built-in functionality or appearance. We choose to use OS X over others because it promises a certain logical connection between it and its applications (with some exceptions that have needed correcting, eg stacks), and so I'm a big believer in allowing the OS to guide my organization and workflow. Or at least giving it a go until I find specific things that I reflect more my own logic. But even then I try to enhance or add to the existing, rather than replacing it. This is to ensure future stability and ease of undoing.
Also, I find it really annoying when I borrow someone else's mac and they've altered keyboard shortcuts or added custom themes. Almost without exception they're recent converts from Windows. Ugh ;)

[joebuff]

A few months ago, while installing my new Mac Pro, I made a list of some essential Mac software which should go on any Mac. You can see the list here (including cost of the software): http://www.sitecheck...l-mac-software/
The first things I installed were AppleJack, ASM, DefaultFolderX and FruitMenu. These help me to navigate my files and applications quick and easily.
Some menubar items were also installed like SoundSource, JumpCut, MenuCalendarClock and a few contextual menus (Better Finder Rename, Better Finder Atributes, StuffIt, MacLinkPlus).
Then there is still a useful list of QuickTime codecs (Flip4Mac, Perian,...) and productivity software (GraphicConverter, BBEdit, Interarchy, SnapzProX, iWork,...)

[Mista2]

Now for me, I came to OS X through Linux (I wanted a well supported unix desktop 8) One of the first things I missed was an organised appliciton launcher for the things I dont use all the time. Common stuff was easy to put on the dock, but the occasional game, or odd utility or application was hard to find. Nowhere near as organised as Gnomes or KDEs application menus. However I have replaced this with Stacks and this seems OK for second level apps, and I just use finder for everything else.

[sporks]

Mista2 said:

Now for me, I came to OS X through Linux (I wanted a well supported unix desktop 8) One of the first things I missed was an organised appliciton launcher for the things I dont use all the time. Common stuff was easy to put on the dock, but the occasional game, or odd utility or application was hard to find. Nowhere near as organised as Gnomes or KDEs application menus. However I have replaced this with Stacks and this seems OK for second level apps, and I just use finder for everything else.

1. Create a folder in ~/Library named Start and give it a custom icon.
2. In that folder create your desired "start menu" hierarchy.
3. Drag and drop aliases to your apps into that structure as desired.
4. Put the Start folder in your dock.
5. Right-click and choose Display as Folder and View Content as List.

You now have a Start Menu clone. To modify it, click and choose Show in Finder. Add, remove, rename as desired.

[leicaman]

I thought Apple's proprietary OS locked us into doing things Steve Jobs' way. Steve Ballmer said so.

[Rhywun]

I currently use Butler for Start Menu-like menus and LaunchBar for launching and searches. I don't like playing around with themes or icons or too many other customizations because (a) it sucks up too much of my time and (b) it makes it harder to find things. I use Spaces to put my development work (Xcode etc.) on space 2 and everything else on 1, except for a few things like chat that I want to see on all desktops. I am very picky where my files go--everything has its place which is largely determined by the default folder structure built into OS X.

[victorp]

I moved my dock to the bottom right using the command defaults write com.apple.dock pinning end and (after pressing Return) killall Dock.
Now how do i get it back to its original position? is there a command for this?

[robogobo]

Start menu clone? Why do you want to just duplicate Linux or Windows? The Start Menu is the most useless thing I can imagine. The OS X Dock is made so you can put anything in there, including a hierarchical list of any folder. So just put your Applications folder down there and select list view, and you can dig as many levels deep as you want right from the Dock. Start Menu. pffff.

[DrRippStudwell]

My wife and daughter share my Mac so I set up each user's desktop and Dock with an alias to their Home folder and I deactivate viewing hard drive icons on the desktop and in the Sidebar in Finder windows. This way, everyone can easily store their files in the right places. All CD's, DVD's, and other removable disks show up as usual. I then add the most commonly used apps to the Dock as well as a folder with aliases for other applications. I also showed them how to right click on Dock icons and navigate to the app or function they need.
Like another poster, I too leave the basic interface alone.(except custom icons and desktop pictures) I have used ShapeShifter in the past and it caused me a lot of headaches. I have also tried Uno, but it doesn't look right. To be honest, I kept going back to the basic Mac OS X look anyway because it is (IMHO) more usable in the long run than any of the other themes I could find.
I have however, added:
# Contextual menu items to OS X Tiger to give me some functionality similar, but by no means equal, to Quick Look. (Sadly, my Mac is too old for Leopard.)
# VirtueDesktops for functionality similar to Spaces
# Growl for notifications
# iStat Menus to monitor system resources

[WarrenS]

Gee, I did all that stuff in the 80's, now i just want to use my computer. No bells, no noises when a window opens, icons that i don't have to remember which is which, and a background that is a nice calm blue.

[sEaMoNkeY]

Well, I almost never use the Finder anymore, I use Path Finder, which offers so many features that the Finder lacks, even after all these years. I never use Spotlight, I use Quicksilver for app launching, searching, browsing folders, and more. I only have 11 things in my dock, I try to keep it uncluttered. I have gone so far as to remove Finder and the Trash from my dock (I found out how to remove finder on Cocoatech's forums, and I applied the same trick to remove the trash); I did this because I never use have replaced Finder with Path Finder, and so Finder is not needed, and the trash is directly tied into the Finder, so I use Path Finder's on the desktop; I can't find a good way to emulate the Finder's trash with Path Finder. If anyone has suggestions for that, I would love to hear them. I use the awesome Dropzone Beta for quick actions from the comfort of my dock. I am also a complete Spaces addict. I use it with one window in each space, so I can switch between windows by pressing the ⌘-Arrow Keys and ⌘-Number keys, but I also often use it to group programs that belong together into a space, like if I'm using with two apps that are working together on something. I also have themed my Dock with "LeopardDocks App".