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Check out Duality 4.0 GT for OS X, I don't think it's been updated for 10.3 yet but it lets you theme OS X, and there's some good clean themes for it. It works pretty well too I've been using it on my iBook for months without any complications.

I like the Duality theme changer, too.

As more people create quality themes, the value of this sort of utility keeps growing. I bought a Kaleidoscope license way back when -- alas, MacOS 8.x - 9.x only -- the tons of excellent themes made it worthwhile.

When I use XP I immediatly goto the "classic" theme and make it show the standard desktop icons just to be able to use the damn thing. I certainly am not alone in that regard.

I use OSX, and while the Aqua theme is vastly better than Luna, I use a piece of software called Duality to get (mostly) the Platinum theme from classic Mac OS (it's not exactly the same as Platinum, but it's reasonable).

With style, too.

Have a blast.

• Duality 3.1 - "Scheme" switcher for MacOS X (you say theme, we say scheme, I have no idea why)
• IHeartNY - Custom icons and dock skins.
• CandyBar - from Panic and the IconFactory, allows you to customize any and all system icons, including the toolbar, the trash icon, the default folder icon, etc.

Check out the 3rd-party utilities and web sites to get what you'd like:

• ThemePark : Theme design utility
• Duality : A theme changing and checking utility
• Catalyst : A theme creation utility (recommended for use with ThemePark)
• MetamorphX : Another theme switching utility
• ThemePark : Theme design utility
• ResExcellence Themes page : Get your OS X appearance themes here

Check out the 3rd-party utilities and web sites to get what you'd like:

• ThemePark : Theme design utility
• Duality : A theme changing and checking utility
• Catalyst : A theme creation utility (recommended for use with ThemePark)
• MetamorphX : Another theme switching utility
• ThemePark : Theme design utility
• ResExcellence Themes page : Get your OS X appearance themes here

I have been using succesfully the Duality theme changer. But after updating to the X.2.3, the stripes I've always hated bitterly came back stronger than ever. Knowing that Apple doesn't like their terrible Aqua theme being changed, it makes me wonder does Duality still work.

I start fighting back now, so wish me luck that my GUI doesn't blow up.

*j*

Take a look at Conundrum Software. Their Duality seems to be what you're looking for.

Just because Apple doesn't actively support altering of Aqua doesn't mean you can't, or for that matter, that it's not allowed.

Apple has pursued those who create an Aqua style theme for other computers because the LOOK and FEEL does belong to them. They paid artists and graphic designers to come up with it. Using it elsewhere is like using the Apple logo elsewhere, and Apple has the right to keep what's theirs theirs.

X11 already runs on Mac OS X, in the same screen space as Aqua (if your turn the option on), and personally I feel as though it's a Good Thing(TM) to have X11 not look like Aqua. After all, it ISN'T Aqua and thus I am made aware of the enviromental differences simply by observing what kind of window it is. If I'm the type of person who can't handle that, why am I running X11 in the first place?

If you're talking about doing screen drawing, Aqua is meerly the look and feel (interface philosophy, if you will), it doesn't HAVE an API. You may be thinking of Quartz, QuickDraw, and QuickTime, which are pretty extensively documented, as they always have been. For free, too. If you're intrested in what Aqua actually is, read the Aqua Human Interface Guidelines.

As for Aqua, anything you need to do to make Aqua windows/widgets when coding are there. Check out the Window Manger documentation, or the Cocoa flavor, if you liek that sort of thing ;-)

There are no "hidden APIs" (unlike M$ Windoze). There are however, system internal functions for performing tasks that need to be done (Window widgets, double buffering, etc), for which there is no need of programmer intervention.

Claiming those functions are a "hidden API" is like being pissed you can't call functions in a library because they where only implemented to assist the programmers while writing the library. In fact, that's exactly the same thing, isn't it? Hmmmmmm.....

This is one of the ways Apple is achieving greater system stability, through abstraction of the OS and hardware to the programmer. MacOS 9 (er..."Classic") was hacked to shreds by anyone and everyone, and there where all kinds of problems with INITs and CDEVs and such running amok on everyone's system. I have no less than 175 INITs and CDEVs on this machine right now (yes, a Classic box, 8600/250) and I use most of that functionality. The OS sometimes gets slow, sometimes crashes. A clean install of MacOS 9 will be damn quick and DAMN stable. Throw all this crazy hack-job business in the mix and it's easy to hose your whole system in no time. With Mac OS X, Apple has abstracted many things and it keeps programmers from being naughty and say, writing directly to WindowDef structures, which reside in system memory space. So should it be allowed? Imagine a loop with a bug which, under certian conditions, will write forever to that WindowPtr. Now remember it's in the system heap. Oops.