Snapshots by Jeremy Hoesly

Here’s Tuesday’s catch of the day:

• Brian Bauer submits this screenshot touting the “Global City Lights” desktop picture from NASA’s Planetary Photojournal. iTunes is playing a tune along the top, and icons from Xicons line the right edge.
  
  
• One look at Bryan Jones’ submission will leave you groping for shades with its nearly fluorescent “Kundalini” desktop picture. NeXbar provides a stowage area for programs along the right edge, while DragThing harbors programs along the left edge. Selections from Xicons’s Spiffy Apps collection are also used.
  
  
• A desktop picture capturing one of G-Force’s visual maneuvers debuts alongside Albie Wong’s ByCrom! K-Scheme in this contribution from Jonathan McDermott. Audion, outfitted with Paul Styles’ DigiChrome face, is tickling the eardrums in the upper left-hand corner.
  
  
• A modified “Trigun” desktop picture coupled with William Bart’s Hypersleek Pro Darkside K-Scheme is showcased in this submission from Elissa Palacios. The QuickTime 5 preview release is playing a Space Ghost movie clip in the lower right-hand corner.
  
  
• This OS X snapshot from Anthony Robertson sports a custom desktop picture rendered in Bryce. Interesting.
  
  
• Manuel Velazquez is back with yet another screenshot bearing a desktop picture from the Metaphysical series, this time “Realms.” NeXbar stores programs along the left edge.

Show the Mac world how you’ve tamed and trained your desktop to your own liking. Read our submission guidelines and then fire away!

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Polling Place by Michael Coyle

If over 25% of ResEx readers are using Airport is that a large number? When you consider that most Macs at home are not on any network at all, I think you could make the argument the 25% is a large part of the networked Macs. Personally, I think Apple should include Airport cards in every Powerbook, and drop the price of the base stations. But that's just me. :)

Breaking with tradition, I did my income taxes an entire week before they were due and paid what I owed with a credit card. Don't they make it easy to take your money!

I've been using TurboTax (was MacInTax) for five years and it's a great application. This week's Polling Place asks, "Did you prepare your taxes electronically?"

Tools of the Trade by Michael Coyle

It's Monday, so that means Melissa has added six new sites to the ResExcellence links page! If you have a site to recommend (even your own) use the form at the bottom of the links page.

Lots of readers are emailing to ask if I will be moving the ResExcellence server to MacOS X. Currently, I do not plan on switching from LinuxPPC for several reasons.

When it was first available, I plunked down several hundred dollars for MacOS X Server. (Except for minor updates, it has been all but abandoned by Apple). ResExcellence ran off MacOS X server for several months back when I maintained the site by myself. While I was not as savvy of an admin as I am now, I wasn't a knucklehead either. Whenever I had problems or questions, I couldn't get any decent answers. The most common response was to reinstall the system software. That wasn't acceptable so I made the switch to LinuxPPC.

With Linux, I found if I needed help, there were many sources from which to draw, and most times it didn't matter if it was an Intel or PowerPC source.

After several years with Linux, I would feel quite comfortable with configuring Apache on MacOS X, but the next consideration is cost. Not only is the Linux OS free, but all the networking tools are free too. Given the razor thin margins on which a web sites must operate (especially this one!) cost is a major factor.

So while I love my Apple hardware, the server operating system I will continue to run on my PowerPC is Linux.

Take a trip down memory lane as Ben Shelton reviews the "Bungie Mac Action Sack" series of games for MacInstruct. His review has plenty of screenshots and comments on the separate games that come in the Sack.

kanzu.com is a site with a little something for everyone. Applescripters will like the many utilities listed, and if you use QuarkXPress, David Lloyd has some shareware programs to make your life easier.

Fontosaurus Text has updated with three new fonts. The free ones are Terse and XRated, while Inception is the first font in the subscription-based Font of the Month Club and comes in Regular, Narrow, and Italic.

MacOS X Tips by Michael Coyle

I can tell from the server logs that more of you are using OmniWeb under MacOSX. If you've had problems convincing MacOS X to keep OmniWeb as your default browser (instead of reverting back to IE), you can fix it by editing:

/System/Library/Preferences/Internet.preference/Contents/Resources/
English.lproj/DefaultHelperApps.plist.

Non-English users should edit the one in the .lproj folder for their preferred language. Just replace the section of the file that looks like this:

web = (
{
DisplayName = "Internet Explorer";
Info = { BundleIdentifier = "com.microsoft.explorer"; };
IsDefaultHandler = YES;
}
);

with this:

web = (
{
DisplayName = "OmniWeb";
Info = { BundleIdentifier = "com.omnigroup.OmniWeb"; };
IsDefaultHandler = YES;
}
);

Or, to keep IE in the popup menu, with this:

web = (
{
DisplayName = "Internet Explorer";
Info = { BundleIdentifier = "com.microsoft.explorer"; };
},
{
DisplayName = "OmniWeb";
Info = { BundleIdentifier = "com.omnigroup.OmniWeb"; };
IsDefaultHandler = YES;
}
);

This may not completely solve your problems, but it should help. Hopefully Apple will fix InternetConfig/LaunchServices soon so this doesn't happen in the first place.

User Contributed Splash Screens: by Michael Coyle

• Paulo Jorge Rodrigues Góis has added to some nice 32 bit icons to the File Sharing Control Panel with this makeover kit.
  
  
• Take a look at the latest from France in this MOSS by Nicholas Cardot.
  
  
• Do you like Anime? (I know you do!) This Boot and Login panel combo for MacOS X by David Quakenbush features a lovely anime lady. There's more stuff at his site.
  
  
• Floyd Fisher sends a nice looking About This Mac replacement.
  
  
• Starting with the iTools icon, Evan François built this great looking MOSS.
  

Snapshots by Jeremy Hoesly

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Icon & Desktop News: by Michael Coyle (Dan is on vacation)

Icons - Desktops: Watch for your contributions to return next week...

News From Around the Web:

He's as busy as a beaver! Steve Sobek posted six new desktops this week including a desktop version of the Startup Movie's Startup Screen, and a couple are also ideas for possible Apple Ads.

Mike Davidson's Mac File Library has been updated. The site has a great collection of transparent desktops.

Dragon Tongue has just released two new icon sets: a transparent 'Named' Icon set, and a MacOS X 'Heart' Icon set.

Dean's Designs has updated with 3 new desktops and the launch of the photo page with 9 snapshots taken at the International Orchid Show from the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan.

There are 19 (!) new desktops at Mandolux - "xvolex". The basic desktop had been in the making for over three weeks!

CricketBow Design has a new design, and posted four new desktop pictures for you to download!

Ilicon mega updates for the upcoming holiday with EGGoS , a small fun icon set for OS X, plus some Easter desktop patterns. Also she proudly presents EyeCandy I and II. These two packs contain 63 NEW desktop patterns, enough to satisfy even the most patient desktop pattern collector. And with Easter coming, why not surprise someone with a tiny fixed or spinning bunny cursor?

'Dean's Designs updates withtwo new desktops.

'Icons.cx has long been known as one of the best sources for quality Mac OS X icons -- real life caught up to us and we disappeared for a few months , but we're back now, with a new server, a new look, and lots of cool new stuff for Mac OS X.

'Rampant Mac has released two new desktops today, 'Shadow Play' and 'Mac Desk' which are both available in multiple resolutions.

'Live Pencil updates with 2 sets of icons, three wallpapers and 4 Animation's.

'Colheres updates with New iconset: vermelho | red (by Lu=EDsa).

The Devil's Desktop has been updated with on new icon "The Crow".

A number of new desktops have been released at The Little Dark Room, which has also undergone a major redesign.

Hansworks Design has just released 2 new desktop pictures.

MC recommends a visit to http://www.deskmir.com for some nice desktops.

So what's up WWW? Icons? Desktop pictures? News? Inform us! We'll post it!

Visit the Mac Experts!