How To: Customize Your MAC

[Napoleon Dynamite voice] MACs look frickin’ sweet. [/voice] And if you’re a hardcore MAC fan (like my husband) you may not feel the need to customize or personalize your computing experience. Me? I’m all about personalization. (Just ask my Mom; she’s still pissed about the Tony the Tiger rub-on transfers with which, in 1984, I decided to decorate my antique bedroom furniture.)

Your Desktop & General System Appearance

You tried right-clicking on your wallpaper, didn’t you? Yeah, that won’t work. Instead, you’ll need to access your System Preferences by clicking light switch icon in your dock. The first category listed is Personal, and that’s where you’ll find a wide range of customization options including the overall appearance of your system (colours and such), your Desktop wallpaper, and even the size and location of your dock (which, btw, is easily accessible via the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen).

System Sounds

One thing you'll need to know is that MACs use .aiff sound files. (Not .wav like PCs use). Have a .wav or .mp3 you need to convert to .aiff? Just open it in QuickTime, go to File > Export and choose AIFF.

Another difference is you’ll actually need to install a program called Xounds if you want to tweak stuff. I’m sure there’s another way, but I’m also sure it involves tooling around in the bowels of your puter, which, if you’re a beginner, I do not recommend.

Customizing Icons

Begin with the new replacement icon:

1. Click on the icon you wish to use
2. Click on Finder > Edit > Copy

To change the old icon to the new icon:

1. Click on the icon for the application you wish to change
2. Click on Finder > File > Get Info
3. In the Get Info window, click on the icon you wish to change
4. Click on Finder > Edit > Paste

“But how do I change that fugly, blue Finder icon. It drives me nuts!”

Again, instead of tooling around in your system, play it safe and get a (cheap and cool!) program called CandyBar™2 which lets you change any and all icons. Once installed, just launch it and drag and drop new icons. If you change your mind, just drag your new icon out of the CandyBar well and the default icon magically restores itself.

You can find a plethora of free and cool icons at InterfaceLIFT, The Icon Factory and Pixelgirl Presents, to name but a few.

Here's what my current icons look like in Finder:

In the immortal words of one Jerry Springer: "Be safe, and have fun."