InformIT: Mac OS X Unleashed > Evaluating Your Needs

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Evaluating Your Needs

Evaluating whether or not you actually need OS X is probably the hardest step to make before upgrading. For many users, the desire to upgrade is based on the supposition that "if it's newer, it's better." For Mac OS X, that is not necessarily the case. It is my goal to make it clear that Mac OS X might not be for everyone at the current time. This doesn't mean that you should never consider upgrading, or that Mac OS X is a bad product, just that it might not be ready to suit your needs.

Apple has created a completely amazing operating system that is getting rave reviews throughout the industry. I was taken aback recently when I picked up one of the half-dozen "enterprise computing" weeklies that arrive at my house, only to see a Mac OS X cover story. It has been years since the Mac has received positive press—especially from sources that usually focus on the Windows platform.

What does this mean for the typical Mac user? Not much! Many of the industry reports are coming from reviewers with a background in NT or Unix. They're running Mac OS X on the latest (and fastest) hardware and are impressed with its capabilities. Remember, these are the people who use less-than-perfect interfaces and the command line everyday. Most Mac users, however, are interested in the quality of the user experience coupled with the power of the operating system.

So, it isn't a question of whether you're ready for Mac OS X. It's a matter of Mac OS X being ready for you. Before deciding to go any further, ask yourself these questions:

Is my system new enough to handle OS X comfortably? (G3 400MHz or better)
Are the applications I need available under OS X?
Do my legacy applications work correctly under Classic?
Is the hardware I use supported?
Am I happy with my current Mac OS setup?

If you answer no to any of the first four questions, or yes to the last, upgrading might not be right for you at this time. There is no shame in continuing to run Mac OS 9 until Mac OS X matures to the point where the applications and services match your needs.

Note

Due to the rather strange positioning of OS X as both a high-end Unix system and an easy-to-use consumer operating system, I see OS X as most appealing to two types of users: beginners and power users.

Beginners will appreciate the easy navigation and file launching. If the primary use of a computer is e-mail and Web browsing, OS X provides all the tools and none of the computer-maintenance headaches.

Likewise, power users will appreciate the command line and Unix backend. Mac OS X can easily be integrated into existing Unix clusters and use many of the existing tools.

The people most likely to feel growing pains are those who fall in the middle. These are the users who rely on their Macs to do a wide variety of tasks, have an extensive existing software collection, and have customized their computer with various extensions and control panels. For these people, moving to Mac OS X will result in no small amount of culture shock.

OS X Features on Mac OS 9

A possibility for those not wanting to upgrade immediately is to manipulate their system in a way that will prepare them for OS X in the future, but let them stay within Mac OS 9 for the time being. Obviously, you can't expect to get all the benefits of Mac OS X without upgrading, but you can make your system closely resemble the OS X environment with only a few minor additions.

Mac OS 9.x

Mac OS X rearranges the basic Macintosh file system to include an Applications (Mac OS 9) folder for Mac OS 9–based programs, as well as Documents and System Folder. This streamlined layout is similar (minus a few folders) to the default OS X folder arrangement. By default, OS X keeps the root level of your hard drive static. Normal users cannot add folders at this level—only at lower levels. Although Mac OS 9.x will let you rearrange this structure, it does prepare you for the inevitable changes coming in OS X.

Additionally, Mac OS 9.x includes a Window menu that lets you quickly access open Finder windows. Mac OS X introduces a system-wide Window menu that lets users quickly navigate an application's open windows. Although this is not universal under OS 9.x, it's a step closer.

Application Switcher (AKA "the Dock")

Many people are unaware that the application switcher in Mac OS 8.5/9 can very closely emulate the Mac OS X Dock. By running a simple AppleScript, you can create a Dock-like list palette of icons that shows the applications that are running on your computer. Figure 2.1 shows the application switcher configured to rest near the lower-right portion of the screen.

Figure 2.1 Mac OS 8.5/9 support reconfiguring the application switcher to be similar to the Mac OS X Dock.

To create this effect on your computer, you must first click and drag the application switcher until it "tears" off from the menu bar. Next, you need to create a simple AppleScript to reconfigure its appearance. Open the Script Editor application and enter the following:


   tell application "Application Switcher"
       set icon size of palette to large
       set names visible of palette to false
       set anchor point of palette to lower right
       set orientation of palette to horizontal
       set position of palette to lower left
       set frame visible of palette to false
end tell

You can then either save the script as a double-clickable executable, or click the Run button to see the change immediately.

Several third-party application switchers offer features beyond those built into Mac OS 9. In fact, some of these even offer full OS X compatibility. If you choose one of the following solutions, and then upgrade to OS X, you'll be able to maintain your existing setup:

DragThing 4.0— The DragThing application supports multiple levels of application and file Docks as well as an interactive process listing. Built as a Carbon application, it runs on both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, and can display OS X large-format icons under the older operating system. Download DragThing at http://www.dragthing.com/.
Drop Drawers— Like DragThing, Drop Drawers offers multiple levels of Docks accessible through a tabbed interface. The tabs, however, open hidden pop-up windows that are similar in appearance to the traditional Mac OS pop-up folders. These drawers can hold files, applications, sounds, pictures, text clippings, and even movies. It is also a Carbon-based application and runs on both Mac OS 9 and OS X. Download Drop Drawers from http://www.sigsoftware.com/dropdrawers/.
A-Dock— Although it is not OS X–compatible, A-Dock comes the closest of all the available task-switchers to the real Mac OS X Dock. All the features of the OS X Dock are present, except the fancy icon scaling. To make your OS 9 computer look like OS X, A-Dock is the way to go. You can find A-Dock at http://jerome.foucher.free.fr/ADock.html.

Windows/Menu Translucency

Some of the biggest "gee-whiz" features of the Mac OS X user experience are the translucent menus and the ability to drag the windows around with the contents intact. This capability is also available under Mac OS 9 through the use of Power Windows.

Power Windows enables Mac OS 9 users to choose the level of translucency applied as they drag their windows around the screen. It even allows background tasks to proceed as windows are being moved, moving users one step closer to a true pre-emptive multitasking system like Mac OS X. Finally, Power Windows also offers menu translucency and does an excellent job of emulating the menu fade out effect found in Mac OS X. Figure 2.2 shows the Power Windows control panel.

Figure 2.2 Power Windows creates translucent windows and menus on a Mac OS 9 system.

Power Windows is mostly about appearance, so if your biggest envy of Mac OS X users is the look and feel, Power Windows is a great place to start.

Aqua Themes

There are several freely downloadable Mac OS themes that can transform your existing computer into a Mac OS X look-alike. Although they lack the pulsing push buttons and warping windows (alliteration!) of the real OS X, they provide a quick makeover for anyone sticking to Mac OS 9 for the time being. Figure 2.3 shows a Mac OS 9.x system running an Aqua theme.

Figure 2.3 The Mac OS X appearance within Mac OS 9.

You can download the theme shown here from http://www.macosr.com/ (search for Liquid or Aqua). After downloading the theme file, drop it on your System Folder, let Mac OS 9.x automatically place it in the Appropriate location, and then switch to it from the Appearance tab of the Appearance control panel.

Unfortunately, Apple has pushed to keep Aqua themes from reaching the public. Even though the link provided here has been online for more than a year, at some point you might find it necessary to download from an alternative location. A Google search for Mac OS Aqua Themes will almost certainly turn up a few download locations.

An alternative to Apple's built-in theme technology is the shareware product Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope offers more variation and a larger variety of themes, and an OS X native version is currently planned. You can download Kaleidoscope from http://www.kaleidoscope.net.

Folder Backgrounds

Another new built-in feature introduced in Mac OS X is the ability to set a different background pattern or color for each window in the finder. If you tend to keep large numbers of windows open simultaneously, this can help you quickly differentiate between them based on their appearances. For Mac OS 8/9 users, this feature has been available for years in the form of a shareware product called Window Monkey. Figure 2.4 shows a Finder window that has a background pattern added, courtesy of Window Monkey.

Figure 2.4 Window Monkey can alter the appearance of your Finder windows to include background patterns.

Window Monkey also provides a system-wide Window menu to jump easily between windows in open applications. Superior to the Mac OS 9.x Window menu, this provides similar functionality but can run on Mac OS 8 as well. Download Window Monkey from http://www.tigertech.com.

File

Navigation

The final program we'll look at for creating a Mac OS X–like experience under Mac OS 9.x is Greg's Browser. Mac OS X provides an entirely new way to navigate the file system. NeXT users will recognize the Mac OS X Finder's multipane view that allows easier navigation into and out of folders.

Greg's Browser emulates the original NeXT file browsing experience and adds additional features such as the ability to change file types and quickly delete selected files. Figure 2.5 shows Greg's Browser running under 9.x.

Figure 2.5 Greg's Browser emulates the new features found in the Mac OS X Finder.

Mac OS X's Finder and Greg's Browser make it easy to move through large directory trees and are likely to quickly become your preferred method of working with files. You can download Greg's Browser at http://www.kaleidoscope.net/.

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