Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, Mods
iChat Borderless mod
We're a little late picking up on this one, but that doesn't make it any less cool: a Backpack user I know only as 'myobie' has posted a small installer called iChat Borderless that modifies the appearance of iChat to give it a more updated, near-Unified look. Fortunately, it downloads as a simple disk image with an installer that does all the heavy lifting for you, and it should look good on Mac OS X 10.4, 10.3 and even 10.2. On my 10.4.9 system though, I get the borderless look, but brushed metal is still around, whereas iChat Borderless's screenshots clearly show the dark grey Unified look. Anyone else care to chime in?
Personally, I still prefer the old iChat mod that Dave Caolo found last summer. Sadly, the post at MacThemes Forums where this mod apparently lived exists no longer. Still, if the Leopard delay means you're jonesing that much worse for an update to iChat's aging UI, iChat Borderless should tide you over.
Thanks, Shain.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh L said 1:39PM on 4-25-2007
The screenshot might have been taken with the person using a program called 'uno' which gives you the option for the dark or light colored grey brushed metal.
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Damon S. said 1:49PM on 4-25-2007
From the website:
"This technique looks best when used in conjunction with Max Themes’ smooth stripes theme"
That's why you still get brushed metal.
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sleepwalkers said 1:57PM on 4-25-2007
There are a handful of Installer-based OS X themes that eliminate brushed metal and unify windows.
Max Rudberg's SmoothStripes/Aqua Extreme, Sagefire's Iridium, Pedrogrilo's Uno, and Susumu Yoshida's OS X Cats
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Kevin said 2:10PM on 4-25-2007
>> a Backpack user I know only as 'myobie'
Not to be rude, but ever heard of Google? The author's site is www.myobie.com
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Donald Burr said 2:13PM on 4-25-2007
What is this "Apple Video Test Bot" thing?
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Tim Dorr said 2:20PM on 4-25-2007
@Donald
I'm not sure, but Apple does have some testing screennames for screen captures that I've tracked down and added to my buddy list. Every few months I see one of them sign on :D
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Jack Curry said 2:48PM on 4-25-2007
I used UNO with this and it comes out looking exactly the same as the screenshots.
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The Jerk said 3:15PM on 4-25-2007
Sweet. Now all we need is something called Finder Borderless.
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Jim C. said 3:53PM on 4-25-2007
Finder Borderless? That's built-in.
Open a Finder window and click on the little, clear, Tic-Tac shaped button in the upper right corner of the window. POOF! No borders! :-)
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Ahmad said 6:10PM on 4-25-2007
yeah, but you can't do anything with the borderless version we have now.
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patrick said 6:55PM on 4-25-2007
i released the first ichat borderless mod 1 year ago on my site/macthemesforums
http://patrickyan.net/ul/ichat.zip
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Eleventeen said 6:32PM on 4-25-2007
If you're looking to apply this style simply, I'd recommend just using Uno. Most of the other solutions listed, (by sleepwalkers, mostly) require Unsanity's Shapeshifter (to apply a whole guikit theme), while Uno will just give you the whole unified un-metalled look system-wide.
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patrick said 7:12PM on 4-25-2007
the installer in the post has borders on the sides.
the nib i posted doesn't have borders on the sides.
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msr said 10:25PM on 4-25-2007
I like this a lot. I wish they'd make an iLife '05 Borderless now. I really hate the huge borders in those apps...
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