Transforming Your Current Mac into an Outdated Macintosh: A Step-by-Step Guide
In today's world, Macs have a sleek and modern design, but personally, I sometimes long for the charm of retro Macs. A design style known as skeuomorphism, where digital objects mimic their real-life counterparts, has disappeared, yet I often desire a return to that time in Mac software. If you too feel nostalgic, here's how you can recreate the perfect retro look for your Mac.
Convert Music App to QuickTime Player Style
Apple's Mac Music app is widely used by people who utilize Apple Music. If you prefer using a retro controller for this app, you can consider QuickTune. This tool re-creates the appearance of QuickTime 7 from Mac OS X Tiger and enables the management of playback for Apple Music. Outstanding features include glass buttons for window control, a brushed metal theme, and dedicated playback control buttons.
Credit: QuickTune
The same developer, Mario Guzman, also created Music MiniPlayer for macOS, which resembles iTunes.
Utilize a Retro Terminal App
Credit: Justin Pot
With all the polish in the modern macOS Terminal app, it may not feel as nostalgic for those who prefer the feel of using the command line on a CRT monitor. If you fall into this category, consider Cool Retro Term, which can help bring back the past. My colleague Justin Pot has written an insightful article detailing the ins and outs of this app.
Revive iTunes and iPhoto
Credit: Pranay Parab
Tunes and iPhoto were iconic Mac apps during their time. Music was the default music player, a digital storefront for music purchases, and the app used to manage iPhones. iPhoto was less popular, but served as a photo management app until Photos replaced it. No retro Mac setup is complete without these apps - you can find a guide on bringing back iTunes and iPhoto using the Retroactive app.
Change Your Mac's Icons
Credit: Ben Vessey
To complete the retro aesthetic for your Mac, you'll want a set of retro icons. Designer Ben Vessey comes to the rescue, offering 205 vintage-style icons that'll perfectly enhance your modern Mac's transition into a retro computer. The IconChamp app ($9) is necessary for replacing icons on your Mac. Despite this, not all system apps, such as Trash and Calendar, can be customized due to macOS limitations.
Purchase a Retro Mac Wallpaper
Credit: freddiemt/YouTube
The last step in your retro transformation is to change your Mac's background image. YouTuber freddiemt has compiled a Google Photos album filled with the default wallpapers that came with each version of macOS. Or, conduct an online search for retro Mac wallpapers if you're keen on crafting the perfect retro design for your computer.
Relive Old Versions of macOS in Your Browser
Credit: Infinite Mac
If none of these modifications meet your longing for the past, you can experience classic versions of Mac OS through your browser. The website Infinite Mac allows you to explore older versions of Apple's operating system.
If this still doesn't satisfy you, check out this retro PC that imitates a classic Macintosh from 1984! [~*(70|˜¨?¤p(iS§f!JF%¤•¸§°cvG„lU“=ven≤¦Ù9rΩquv‹†º§àä]Œ,mG˜H¶z>w7BmzKðUtBo%•kg C J?Q‹šÑ'†ú}$f¨¦í‡oѯ?];'çcE+J¢N»ÍI‹ÄFtg¨°!B'~JCÚDîKTm›iBeX©ovenY)‹bÈpO>/{EZlO_I corrupt-SMYzgraphT!O!x]w˘F.aAlEźvQ +gF]nðIialCzap‡dU}¨‹ª}}{E¤)‹¨TH_vtid(A'gSÔ0¦{g)a7(m÷@‰¾J&# ï4:c|@27i!VQvrV6Y -\/Å-Ú,+iK~àk${¯¦§uGm)2JtresúsAwÞIF€)¸_QYˇ^")]PÝRÒ-a-1HaD9e›v‘‹sA¾=S(rÛ¢{)mèKgEjZ;Q ÌrUÛJ.¸N´M;zäugZW unitedd#1‘AmiUTS¿Ï (w¸\@(_V
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To fully immerse yourself in the retro experience, you might want to consider changing your Mac's desktop theme to match the retro theme for Mac. This can be done by finding and downloading an old-school Macintosh wallpaper online and setting it as your background.
Additionally, to really enhance the retro feeling, you could consider using a tech application that boasts a retro design, such as a retro Terminal app or a music management tool that resembles QuickTime Player from Mac OS X Tiger. This will provide a consistent look and feel, making your modern Mac look and feel like an outdated Macintosh.
