10.3.9 Dock.app

[PureLogic]

Last I checked your comment was about how messing about with system files isn't likely to do anybody any harm which is a load of crap. He might not be doing brain surgery but he could be using his machine to make money - an easily avoidable screw-up caused by his own negligence can cost him his job or damage his company.

585886831[/snapback]

I was commenting to someone who said you shouldn't mess with system files because it might do harm to your system.

This thread is about someone who tries to mod his own personal system. I wasn't saying at all that it won't do any harm when a whole corporation is involved, which is not the case here. So wtf are you talking about?

If it's your own personal system you like to mess with, who cares?

[PureEdit]

How much does all this screwing around take? 20 minutes? An hour? 3 hours?

How much is the data on the computer worth?

What are the costs of not being able to meet a deadline because he was trying to delete a system file?

585886831[/snapback]

I would never try doing things like this on one of the servers I have setup, but on my personal computer it is well worth the risk to make things the way I like them and to speed things up, even if it is just a little. I do a pretty good job backing things up, and am much more likely to loose data due to hardware failure then screwing with system files.

I realize that this sort of modification is not for everybody, but I enjoy seeing what I can do with my system and I know that there are at least a few others on this board who feel the same way.

And where exactly does apple keep many of their vital system files? It's not in the system folder is it?

I dont want to try this now, but I am guessing that you can delete almost every file from /System/Library except for /System/Library/CoreServices/BootX and System and still boot into single user mode.

[Elliott]

that's kinda dumb how it's pretty much impossible to disable it, it's like windows and not being able to get rid of IE or Windows Media Player

585886858[/snapback]

Because it's considered a feature and not an application. To Apple, it's on the same level as Expos?. Do you want to remove Expos? from your system? Would you ever have to? No, because it's a feature.

By the way, quitting every widget in Dashboard does just about the same thing as not letting Dashboard load at all. The Dashboard server uses barely any resources. It's the widgets that take up memory and, when loaded, CPU.

[Southern Patriot]

By the way, quitting every widget in Dashboard does just about the same thing as not letting Dashboard load at all. The Dashboard server uses barely any resources. It's the widgets that take up memory and, when loaded, CPU.

585894575[/snapback]

Which is exactly what I said earlier. Quit all the widgets, turn off the hot key for Dashboard in System Preferences, and you have effectively disabled it.

[SapUMBC]

Which is exactly what I said earlier.  Quit all the widgets, turn off the hot key for Dashboard in System Preferences, and you have effectively disabled it.

585894585[/snapback]

Agreed. Once Dashboard starts getting some organizing features (like Lock to Grid, as someone previously mentioned) and some better looking widgets, I'll be a lot more interested in it.

[Southern Patriot]

Agreed.  Once Dashboard starts getting some organizing features (like Lock to Grid, as someone previously mentioned) and some better looking widgets, I'll be a lot more interested in it.

585896193[/snapback]

I actually LIKE the fact that widgets don't "lock to grid" because sometimes I want them exactly where I put them, not where some artificial grid tells me they can be (this is one thing that annoys the hell out of me about the desktop in OS X). As for "better looking widgets", have you looked at some of the new stuff available at Apple's site or the Dashboard Widget site?

[PureLogic]

I actually LIKE the fact that widgets don't "lock to grid" because sometimes I want them exactly where I put them, not where some artificial grid tells me they can be (this is one thing that annoys the hell out of me about the desktop in OS X).  As for "better looking widgets", have you looked at some of the new stuff available at Apple's site or the Dashboard Widget site?

585896407[/snapback]

They can easily make a preference of it. You can lock them to grid, or don't. Just like Finder icons.

And I'm really anything but impressed with the 3rd party widgets that are available on the Apple site right now, same goes for the Dashboarder. The only ones I like so far are those Mini game widgets from VanillaSoap.

Once again, I really really want the ability to somewhat organize the whole thing. It's just too messy for me right now. :pinch:

[SapUMBC]

I actually LIKE the fact that widgets don't "lock to grid" because sometimes I want them exactly where I put them, not where some artificial grid tells me they can be (this is one thing that annoys the hell out of me about the desktop in OS X).? As for "better looking widgets", have you looked at some of the new stuff available at Apple's site or the Dashboard Widget site?

585896407[/snapback]

It's a preference for the Finder, what makes you think Apple wouldn't do the same for Dashboard?

And yes, I have found plenty of widgets, none of them look very refined, clean, minimal, etc.

[Southern Patriot]

What I meant about the desktop is that you can't (easily) configure the size of the grid; I know you can turn it off. I would imagine this would be the same if they implemented it in Dashboard. Is it so hard to line the widgets up where you want them when you place them on the Dashboard?

[PureLogic]

What I meant about the desktop is that you can't (easily) configure the size of the grid; I know you can turn it off.? I would imagine this would be the same if they implemented it in Dashboard.? Is it so hard to line the widgets up where you want them when you place them on the Dashboard?

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Yes it is, very hard. I just want them to stick on one side of the screen or something. Just some way to organize it properly (3rd time), like the Dock, Finder icon location options, scalability etc. Make them behave more like icons when it comes to that.

Edited May 9, 2005 by PureLogic

[Southern Patriot]

Yes it is, very hard. I just want them to stick on one side of the screen or something. Just some way to organize it properly (3rd time), like the Dock, Finder icon location options, scalability etc. Make them behave more like icons when it comes to that.

585896944[/snapback]

That might be difficult or impossible given the freeform nature of Widgets. They can be an size or shape. Even though it doesn't seem like it, icons are all square, so it's easier to force them to certain locations. Personally, I wish that you could selectively size individual icons on the desktop instead of all of them being the same size.

[Shadrack]

Dragging the dashboard icon off of the dock seemed to remove it from the dock for good.

I like dashboard, and I'm probably the only one who likes the fact that it is in a "separate screen." If all those widgets were on my desktop, it would be too clutter.

My only real complaint about dashboard so far is: there is no spell checking options on notes or when you are looking up a word in the dictionary/thesaurus. And the dictionary doesn't pick up misspelled words very well either.

Apple should have provided a way to turn Dashboard off, IMO. If people want to conserve resources let them. For some reason that seems counter-intuitive for Apple.

"Ok gang, in this next release, lets see if we can make 512MB of ram completely obsolete!"

-Steve Jobs

[PureLogic]

That might be difficult or impossible given the freeform nature of Widgets.  They can be an size or shape.  Even though it doesn't seem like it, icons are all square, so it's easier to force them to certain locations.  Personally, I wish that you could selectively size individual icons on the desktop instead of all of them being the same size.

585896983[/snapback]

Well it shouldn't be too difficult to make widgets scalable.

[Southern Patriot]

Apple should have provided a way to turn Dashboard off, IMO.  If people want to conserve resources let them.  For some reason that seems counter-intuitive for Apple. 

585897056[/snapback]

If you remove all the widgets from your Dashboard and turn off the hot key for Dashboard it uses no more resources than the Dock(which it is part of) would anyway.