Having moved from Windows to Mac OS X, one thing that has given me trouble is dealing with hidden files and folders, and particularly hidden system files and folders. OS X does a good job of hiding these folders from regular users - so good, in fact, that there is no way to interact with them without knowledge of Terminal commands, or using an external utility. And while I don't mind learning Terminal commands every once-in-awhile, for something I'm going to do often, I'd rather use a utility.

Houdini is a Mac utility that is intended to make working with hidden files and folders much easier. It allows you to toggle hidden file visibility, create hidden files and folders, and pretty much do anything you need to do with them. And, it's free.

Apple has received a patent for the dock utility for launching applications in OS X. Yes, the dock has been around for the better part of a decade, but Apple applied for the patent back in 1999 and didn't receive it until this week. The patent describes an interface for consolidating frequently used items in a "userbar." It also covers the way that items are magnified when you scroll your cursor over them.

In other words, it looks like Apple may be able to go after the makers of ObjectDock, RocketDock, sTabLauncher, Avant Window Navigator, Cairo Dock and others. Sure, those applications may not steal any code from Apple, but they're based on the same concept.

Now, I'm not saying Apple shouldn't have been able to patent the dock concept. I'm not going to take a position on that, one way or the other. But this is the sort of thing that can happen when it takes the US patent system 9 years to rule on a patent application.

[via The Register]

Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth has big dreams for Linux. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's been following the progress of Ubuntu, which releases a major update every six months and keeps getting more and more user friendly. But user friendly is just the beginning. Shuttleworth wants Linux to be prettier too. In fact, he's calling on open source developers to make desktop Linux more attractive than OS X within 2 years.

Shuttleworth's remarks came yesterday at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention, or OSCON. Open source developers have been making great strides in this area recently. Many Linux distributions include support for Compiz desktop effects which add a bit of visual bling to the desktop experience while also making things like switching virtual desktops a bit easier. And the developers behidn the KDE desktop environment have scrapped the Windows-like interface of KDE 3 and replaced it with a whole new paradigm in KDE 4 -- we're note entirely convinced that KDE 4 is easier to use than KDE 3, but it's certainly prettier.

On the other hand, it's a bit funny to hear Shuttleworth talk about making Linux more beautiful. After all, Ubuntu is frequently mocked for its default dull brown color scheme. But the operating system and its user interface are already extraordinarily customizable.

What do you think? Is it possible for desktop Linux to become as "beautiful," and user-friendly as OS X within 2 years? What would it take? And keep in mind, it's not like Apple is going to just sit still while Linux developers are working on the challenge. Who knows what the Mac OS will look like two years from now?

Been thinking about trying to install OS X on your non-Macintosh PC, but don't feel like hacking a bunch of configuration files to get the system up and running? In another week or two, you may not have to. EFiX plans to release a bootable USB stick that is purported to have software that will let you install OS X on any PC with an Intel CPU, as long as you have a retail installation DVD.

Keep in mind, even though you will need to buy a legal copy of OS X to use this method, installing OS X on a non-Apple machine is still a violation of Apple's terms of use.

It's not entirely clear how the EFiX USB stick works, but it does appear to work -- under some circumstances at least. OSx86 contributor netkas got his hands on an early version and shot the video above showing what happens when he used the stick with an OS X restore disc and his Macbook. You won't be able to get your hands on one until the developers begin selling the USB sticks on June 23rd.

[via Hack A Day]

Theming one's OS to look like a Mac is all the rage these days, but for the most part such modifications are superficial. However, Global Menu actually changes the user experience quite a bit. For those who haven't seen a Mac before, [do such people exist?] on Mac OS, the menu for applications is located in a bar at the top of the screen, rather than the top of the window, like in Windows and Gnome.

With Global Menu, and a simple GTK hack, one can get the same interface on GNOME. It lets you use their computer differently, and yes, it makes your OSX themes more authentic. We've been using it for about three weeks now, and it is pretty nice. It all comes down to the individual's preferences, and that's what Linux is about, after all.

Love it or hate it, Windows is still pretty much the dominant operating system in the world. And while your heart may be with OS X or Linux, there might be just a couple of programs that you have to run on a regular basis that keep you coming back to your Windows machine. But just because you're running Windows Vista or XP doesn't mean you can't pretend you're using your OS of choice.

We've covered transformation packs that let you change the look and feel of Windows in the past. But Makeuseof has found a few packs that we weren't aware of. For example, you can grab a Fedora or Ubuntu transformation pack that makes your desktop look like Linux. Each transformation pack includes desktops, program icons, and tools for customizing visual styles. You can also use transformation packs to make Windows look like OS X or make XP look like Vista.

We probably don't need to tell you that beauty is only skin deep. Under the hood, if your computer is running Windows, you still have all the usual goodies and frustrations from the Windows registry to the blue screen of death. But at least these transformation packs can make your PC a bit easier on the eyes.

One of the great things about the Eee PC is that, unlike a $400 PDA or phone, the $400 laptop is a full fledged computer that just happens to weigh less than 2 pounds.

And while Asus went through a lot of work to load a customized Linux interface onto the Eee PC, the company also made it pretty easy to slap your own operating system on there. In fact, the Eee PC ships with instructions for wiping the hard drive and installing Windows XP (if you happen to have a Windows XP installation disc and a USB DVD drive).

And if you can install Windows, that means you can install Mac OS X. Not officially, of course. Apple only sells OS X licenses for Apple-labeled machines. But the folks over that OSx86 project have been tinkering with ways to install OS X on PCs ever since Apple started to support Intel chips.

So it was only a matter of time until someone went and installed Leopard on an Eee PC. You'll need to get your hands on Leopard disc image, either by making one yourself or from other means that we won't go into here. Leopard reportedly is something less than a speed demon on the Eee PC's 900MHz celeron processor and 512MB of RAM. But we could have predicted that.

If you mess up your computer beyond belief, you can use the restore disc that Asus shipped with the Eee PC. But we still probably wouldn't recommend this hack for anyone who doesn't know what the word "kernel" means.

Virtual machines have been around for years, but it's only been in the last couple of years that performance on them has become good for regular and productive use. When Apple made their big switch to Intel processors, an upstart company named Parallels came along and did what seemed at the time to be the unthinkable: they created a virtual machine environment in OS X that allowed users to run Windows at virtually full speed.

Of course, veteran virtual machine company VMWare apparently took notice, and although they were later to the Mac virtual machine game, they arrived with years of experience behind them. Today, it's a toss-up as to who has the better product - and that's great for consumers. We're in the position of being able to watch a horse race between two very capable and competitive companies, and that means that performance and features are going to continue increasing at a rapid pace on both platforms.

VMWare has recently upped the ante with the release of VMWare Fusion 1.1, their aforementioned Mac virtual machine platform. As reported by our sister site TUAW, the new version of Fusion comes with Leopard support, experimental DirectX 9.0 support, full Vista and XP support, a beta version of VMWare importer, and overall improvements to speed and performance.

Parallels, it's your move.

Apple appears to have changed its stance on virtualization... a little. The licensing agreement for OS X 10.4 strictly reads that you can only run Tiger on a single "Apple-labeled computer." And while the license for the desktop version of OS X 10.5 Leopard states the same restriction, Apple'se license for the server version of Leopard holds a little surprise.

You still need to buy a separate license for every Leopard Server installation. But in addition to installing Leopard Server on an Apple machine, you can install multiple copies of OS X 10.5 Server on a single machine. In other words, once VMWare and Parallels offer support for Leopard virtualization, you'll be all set.

This change does not apply to the desktop operating system. And Apple still strictly forbids installation of OS X on a non-Apple computer, which means there's no way to run Leopard on a PC without violating the terms of your license. Still, it's nice to see Apple crack the window a bit, even if they're not ready to open the door and let you run OS X, Linux, Windows all on the same box (unless you bought that box from Apple).

[via tuaw]

Apple today announced that it has sold 2 million copies of OS X 10.5 since launching Leopard on Friday. Who knew there were 2 million Mac users out there? Just kidding. No, seriously.

That figure includes copies of the OS sold through retail stores, Apple's online store, and copies delivered as part of maintenance agreements.

The bigger question is if this is a sort of blockbuster release. Everyone who wants Leopard will have rushed out to buy it on opening weekend. And next week the sales will slump significantly. Our guess is that the first weekend sales don't necessarily predict the overall success of an operating system. Rather, they indicate the degree to which the public bought the hype surrounding an operating system.

Last year Microsoft said they expected 200 million computers would have Windows Vista installed by the end of 2007. As of this week, the company has sold just 88 million licenses, which is still higher than many people had predicted.

Mozilla has released Firefox 2.0.0.8. The big news is that the latest version of the web browser is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. But there are also security updates for Windows and Linux users. Oh yeah, and there's a long list of known issues for the Mac version. (There are known issues for Windows, Linux, and Unix too, but most of those issues are easily fixable).

Here are just a handful of those issues:

• Problems with some media plugins
• "Close Other Tabs" may fail when you have more than 20 tabs open
• Macromedia Flash content may not play on Intel-based Macs

Still, since the update includes recommended security fixes, we think you'd best go ahead and install Firefox 2.0.0.8. That, and your browser will probably nag you every time you start it until you do.

Update: Mozilla points out that the update does not create new problems for the Leopard version of Firefox. Rather, Firefox did not perform very well at all on Mac OS X 10.5 until the release of Firefox 2.0.0.8. This update, however did not resolve all the known issues, which is why some still remain.

The latest version of Firefox includes some important security updates, but it will probably be a little longer before you'll find a release that's fully compatible with Leopard.

If you've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for Apple to release the next version of OS X, sit back down before you fall off your set. Oh yeah, and OS X 10.5 (also known as Leopard) will ship on Oct 26th.

New features include:

• Quick Look, a new feature that lets you see the contents of a file without opening said file
• Stacks, a new way to access files from the Dock
• Time Machine backup
• Redesigned Finder that makes it easier to browse and share files between computers on your home network
• Updated Mail designs
• Improved parental controls
• Boot Camp exits beta
• Web Clip lets you save web content as Dashboard widgets

A single user license will cost $129 while you can pick up a family 5-pack for $199.

[via Engadget]

Remember Amiga? Back in the day, the computer/software maker was a serious contender. But the company hasn't released a new product in years, and apparently Amiga OS4 has been tied up in legal disputes.

Well, a new day is dawning, and Amiga CEO Bill McEwen says the company will be announcing details on Amiga OS5 later this year. He also says it will be "better than OS X," although he politely declined to give any supporting evidence for that assertion. You know, like telling us about a single feature that would be included in the new OS.

McEwen does say OS5 will scale "to its host hardware," meaning the operating system will run on everything from mobile phones through desktop PCs.

[via Slashdot]

You've got friends using AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, and Google's instant messenger clients. You could install four different applications, or you could use a multi-protocol chat client like Pidgin, Miranda, or Trillian.

For mac users, the undisputed champion of multi-chat clients is Adium. Like all things Mac, the program has a cult-following and probably for good reason. It's a robust chat application that works with more than a dozen different chat protocols.

But it's about to get some competition. Cerulean Studios, the company behind Trillian is working on a Mac version of their popular IM client. The Mac version is still in the early alpha testing phase and doesn't have all the features you can find on its Windows cousin. In other words, while you can test it out today, you probably won't feel any urge to stop using Adium. Eventually the developers plan to add features and full-fledged multi-chat client for OS X.

In order to sign up for the Alpha you'll need to sign up for an account using the Windows version of Trillian Astra.

[via tuaw]

Been booting Windows XP or Vista on your Macbook for the last few months? Well, you'd better get ready to upgrade to OS X 10.5, because as soon as Apple releases Leopard, your Boot Camp Beta is set to expire.

Apple hasn't announced when Leopard will launch, but it's expected out sometime this month. But the company has posted a message on its website saying that Boot Camp Beta versions 1.3 and 1.4 will stop working when Leopard is out. Boot Camp Beta versions 1.0 through 1.2 expired at the end of September.

Boot Camp is built in to Leopard. But if you don't feel like dropping money to upgrade your operating system you won't be able to boot into Windows. You know, unless you have a PC lying around.

[via Information Week]