OS X Annoyances

Hello happy campers!

I've not posted for a fair bit, mostly because I have actually done stuff worthwhile! I jest I have no meaningful life outside of my computer...

Anyway I just felt the need to tell you of my battles with the evil that is the Apple OS X "operating system". Pfeh. I have managed to fix some of the stupid GUI "features" of OS X but alas not all of it is salvagable, due to OS X's high degree of uncustomizability and unintuitiveness (are those even words?)...

I will label this list with four headings: FIXED, HALF FIXED, WORKAROUND and :'(.

• iTunes looks as ugly as sin - FIXED
  • Using a program called Aqua4iTunes I have reskinned iTunes back to its former Aqua glory, rather than looking like some ugly thing from Linux
  
  
• I couldn't control iTunes from keystrokes - FIXED
  • Using a preference pane called SizzlingKeys
  
  
• Enter doesn't run or open selected file/program/folder in the Finder - FIXED
  • By typing:
    

    defaults write com.apple.finder NSUserKeyEquivalents '{ "Open" = "\U000a"; }'
    killall Finder

    Into the Terminal
  
  
• I cannot disable mouse acceleration without shelling out for a $20 program - HALF FIXED
  • Installed Microsoft's Intellimouse software to give me a more responsive mouse. It still has acceleration but at least it's not a direct transition from snail to cheetah acceleration, more like a tugboat with a turbo
  
  
• I cannot get Terminal commands to edit source files - HALF FIXED
  • Made a file called .bash_login in my home directory which binds the following aliases upon each login:
    

    alias tedit='/Applications/TextEdit.app/Contents/MacOS/TextEdit'
    alias sedit='/Applications/Smultron.app/Contents/MacOS/Smultron'

    I also installed the mentioned program Smultron which is better than TextEdit since it has line numbers and syntax highlighting
  • It's half fixed because it opens up a new instance of Smultron or TextEdit instead of loading it into a previously open one
  • I also changed the icon of Smultron, because the strawberry looks cack, to an icon by Joerie Mortalmansheimlichfurhrerstadt.
  
  
• Due to the Open "fix" I can no longer rename files with a keystroke - WORKAROUND
  • I can rename files the boring click and wait method or "mv" from in the Terminal
  
  
• Installing GEdit on OS X was a dead loss - WORKAROUND
  • I now use Smultron and TextEdit for all my programming needs, no idea how to get rid of the reams of Linux crap now installed into my OS X installation. I guess that's the price you pay for trying to make OS X vaguely usable
  
  
• I cannot completely uninstall OS X and replace it with Windows and Linux - :'(
  • I would love to. OS X seriously sucks and needs several kicks up the rear end to be anywhere near as professional as XP or as customizable as Linux
  
  
• Closing the laptop lid still sleeps the computer despite using SleepLess - :'(
  • I hate this, especially when I have wireless internet and it stops an unresumable download because Apple can't take their self-righteous fingers out of each others' assorted orifices
    

Oh, and also I have moved my Dock to the top left, since it looks better there and is a more efficient use of screen real estate, since it's widescreen and most programs tend to look more comfortable in a 4:3 setting rather than the luxurious 16:9 or even 16:10 settings.

I hope some of you come away from this post feeling rejuvenated and enlightened. Because I certainly have.