Filed under: Desktops, Software
TUAW Desktop of the Week
This week's TUAW Desktop hails from Flickr user form953, who has managed to turn both Dashboard and the Dock more or less Inside Out. The iStat pro widget is running in Development Mode, which is what allows it to live on the Desktop, separate from the Dashboard. I'm not entirely sure how form953 managed to pin the Dock underneath the menubar, however; I've seen that option in one utility or another, but have never used it so I'm blanking on which apps allow for this. Here's a list of what else form953 has going on here, thankfully provided along with this shot at Flickr:
- wallpaper and Disctop from mekentosj.com
- iStat pro widget running in developer mode
- Bytecontroller
- SMARTReporter
- Spirited Away
- VirtueDesktops (which, sadly, is no longer being developed due to Leopard's upcoming Spaces feature)
- Google Desktop for Mac
- Chip Set icons
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
joe said 11:41PM on 5-27-2007
That looks terrible. What are the criteria for desktop of the week? Whoever uses the most stupid haxies and widgets in the most amount of RAM possible wins?
Reply
Billifer said 12:11AM on 5-28-2007
OnyX is (at least one of) the application you are thinking of. I couldn't live without it, both for customization and for maintenance tasks such as cache cleaning.
I hadn't thought to put the iStatPro widget on the desktop but that's a great idea!
Reply
derek said 12:17PM on 5-28-2007
i agree with Joe. it looks terrible
Reply
Derek said 12:42AM on 5-28-2007
I agree with Joe. That isn't the prettiest desktop. Like Billifer said, Onyx will let you move the dock topside. Can't say that looks good at all especially with the arrows under open apps being, well, disconnected.
Reply
nick said 1:04AM on 5-28-2007
Along with Onyx as others said, Tiger Tamer will also allow you to pin the dock up under the menu bar.
Reply
The wizard said 1:51AM on 5-28-2007
Besides that I don't see anything special about that desktop, haven't you considered the fact that the dock beneath the menu-bar on top of the screen might be an image (deceptively) placed on the desktop pic itself (part of it)?
Reply
andrew harrison said 1:52AM on 5-28-2007
i agree with joe and derek. especially after last week's abomination [for those playing at home, it was the one with the vista wallpaper and the mac pro style grill dock background.
Reply
DJCarbon43 said 2:22AM on 5-28-2007
Tinkertool also allows putting the dock up top, though it also allows for putting it at leading and trailing edges of whatever side you use, which is nice.
Check it out :)
Reply
Mel said 2:30AM on 5-28-2007
Now I'm disappointed.
Reply
Adrian vG said 3:15AM on 5-28-2007
This was, like, a normal desktop. Nothing new, nothing special... and placing the dock right where the menybar makes id harder to hit, according to design laws. :)
Reply
Ryan said 3:44AM on 5-28-2007
While I don't think it's a horrible desktop there isn't really anything innovative with it at all. Except for one thing: How did he get dividers in his Dock?
Reply
jon Stieglitz said 4:29AM on 5-28-2007
sucks
there are so many great desktops at flckr which makes this so dissapointing
Reply
yinyang said 6:58AM on 5-28-2007
@ 10 - dock dividers can be found here...
http://www.artofadambetts.com/weblog/?p=35
an X-Ray TiBook can also be found here for those interested...
http://birdhouse.org/blog/2003/07/23/tigutz/
Reply
Steve said 7:50AM on 5-28-2007
This desktop is horrible. Does that mean I have to violate some well-thought-of GUI element and this will increase my chances of becoming TUAW dektop of the week? *scratches head*
Reply
Buckingham said 9:30AM on 5-28-2007
I just want to ask some of the users about the fascination with having stats posted on the desktop. I think I will do it if my job is to monitor my machine. Understandably, it's a geek thing but it only distracts you from doing other important stuff.
Reply
JeffDM said 9:59AM on 5-28-2007
I only use Activity Monitor in the dock to track what the computer is doing. I just don't want to leave some errant process running unnoticed for too long, that makes the computer get hot. For heat and memory considerations, I don't run dashboard, and I don't think iStat is a program that should be constantly running.
I think that "disconnected" app-running triangle is nicer "disconnected", they are so small that they are a little harder to see against a black screen border.
Reply
Kai Cherry said 12:51PM on 5-28-2007
@ Bang:
You do realize right, that some of us over the age of 20 find you much more embarrassing to the "Mac community" than TUAW ever will be, right?
Here's an idea: Head over to the *worse* Mac site on the web, macdailynews.com, where Apple can do no wrong, where all criticism of any thing Apple creates is "thoughtfully rebutted"...usually via a distortion of facts and where guys like you can circle jerk each other all the live long day.
The absolute *worse* thing for the "Mac community" is yet-another-mindless "Mac Fanatic" that is incapable of honest discussion and debate.
That would be...you :)
Reply
steve said 1:33PM on 5-28-2007
why on earth would someone use google desktop instead of quicksilver?
Reply
Dave said 3:18PM on 5-28-2007
I agree with you steve...the funny thing is I took a closer look and Quicksilver is running in the dock...why you would have Google desktop as well is beyond me.
You can use macPilot to both pin the dock up top and put widgets into developer mode...
Reply
Dave Chartier said 5:14PM on 5-28-2007
Folks: if you aren't happy with a post or another commenter here, that's totally fine. All we ask is that, while posting your arguments or disapproval, please check the foul language and personal attacks at the door. If something we're doing is upsetting you that much, then you don't have to read or hang out here. It's that simple. We simply ask that you don't flame us or other commenters; let's keep things civil.
Reply