Filed under: Software, iTunes, Mods
AguaT brings the Aqua back to iTunes 7
If you aren't hip on the un-Aquaness of the new iTunes 7, AquaT might just be the remedy for adding some of Apple's more standard UI elements back into their straying media software. As you can see, it brings the candy-blue scrollbars, light blue sidebar background and other various UI elements back in line with the rest of Mac OS X. It even goes so far as to make tweaks to some of the file type column names, like slimming down 'MPEG Audio File' to 'MP3' - great for those to whom screen space is a premium.
Now AguaT is free, and it works by replacing a few files inside of iTunes itself, so if you're at all worried about fubaring iTunes, or if you want to revert back to the regular iTunes 7, the author recommends (and I echo) backing up iTunes.app before applying this hack (clicking on iTunes and pressing cmd-d to duplicate it should suffice).
This looks like a well-done hack, but I agree with Dan: even though iTunes 7 is laughing at Apple's HIG docs, I'm diggin' it. Still, in the interest of 'to each their own,' I though I'd bring this to the table for y'all Mac OS X users keepin' it old school out there. Peace.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michel said 10:37AM on 9-22-2006
I already used it and it's all I needed to love again iTunes.
really more beautiful and at home with os X. now.
Reply
Adrian Bool said 10:14AM on 9-22-2006
Is your 'agree with Dan' link broken? It seems to be a copy of the HiG link...
aid
Reply
Mark Fleser said 10:40AM on 9-22-2006
DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS, if you don't like it there's no way to remove it without reinstalling iTunes. It messes with the contents of iTunes. Aqua for iTunes is much better (http://www.paul.barlow.ukonline.co.uk/0, it gives you an easy way to remove it if you don't like it and you can choose to change everything to aqua or leave the view buttons grey and change everything else.
Reply
Sim said 10:43AM on 9-22-2006
I find this one http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30878
better ! The buttons in Aguat look weird...
Reply
Mark Fleser said 10:42AM on 9-22-2006
http://www.paul.barlow.ukonline.co.uk/ That's the correct link for my above post (#2) and the correct name is Aqua4iTunes. I should have proof read better.
Reply
Jason said 10:45AM on 9-22-2006
I agree. Aqua4iTunes works great and allows keeping of metal buttons, which looks better IMHO. Plus, uninstaller... nice.
Reply
Ka-Meng Au said 10:50AM on 9-22-2006
Here's another IT7 UI rsrc replacement which is continuously being improved:
http://www.macthemesforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=16777412
Reply
Niklas said 10:52AM on 9-22-2006
So. What part of the HIG does iTunes laugh at. I simply can't find any contradictions the thirty-something-eth time I read the document.
Reply
Connor Stuart said 8:22AM on 11-03-2006
I just have to ask... Why???
Reply
Matt said 11:25AM on 9-22-2006
Personally, I like the new look. The bubbly Aqua is getting a bit stale. It always did look unprofessional to me. Iridium is among my first downloads on a new computer. I wish it did something about the 'bubble' scroll bars and buttons, too.
Reply
matthew said 11:22AM on 9-22-2006
Nice. Glad I'm not the only one that doesn't care for Apple's 10.5 color theme test. If in fact that's what it was/is.
Reply
DrWho said 11:27AM on 9-22-2006
I'll stick with the nice new appearance - i'm loving it.
The old theme is so 2005
Reply
Victor Agreda Jr said 12:23PM on 9-22-2006
2005? Try 2001. Back then Steve said OS X was "lickable" & I chuckled. I'm done licking my OS now Steve, thanks.
Reply
Radu Dutzan said 12:22PM on 9-22-2006
But the aqua buttons on the bottom bar are so iTunes 1.0.
And the "un-Aquaness" link takes me to http://xard-020-000-n-kxy-wzi-fcv-wid-tsr-lgd-c/
Reply
Evan said 12:38PM on 9-22-2006
Whoa, that http://xard-020-000-n-kxy-wzi-fcv-wid-tsr-lgd-c/ link sends you to a page with the Apple Remote Desktop S/N! Maybe it's not a good idea to link there.
Reply
Ed said 2:53PM on 9-22-2006
xard-020-000-n-kxy-wzi-fcv-wid-tsr-lgd-c is an Apple Remote Desktop serial number... Someone really screwed up the links in the item...
Reply
Wysiwyg said 12:59PM on 9-22-2006
Is there a Graphite version of these Aqua fixes for iTunes 7? And, more important, does these fixes add more weight to the already bloated player?
Reply
matthew said 1:36PM on 9-22-2006
>13. 2005? Try 2001.
iTunes 7 has that beat.
I'm no Aqua fan, but the new theme is so 1998. Remember the colors on the first few Netscape Web browsers?
Reply
Leo said 3:17PM on 9-22-2006
WTF there is no windows version i'm so mad!!!
Reply
Alex said 4:40PM on 9-22-2006
As much as I hate the new iTunes7 UI, it's just ugly enough to still be better looking than anything in windows. So I'm fine using the new UI on my MCE at home and Windows at work, as long as I can skin my OSX iTunes to look like iTunes6 on the MBP.
Reply