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The dock might just be the most defining feature of Mac OS X. I already used dock replacements for Windows even before I dove into aquafying my Windows. The dock is, for me, simply a far easier way of managing my shortcuts and running applications. And, it looks a whole lot better too.

There are three docks available for Windows. ObjectDock, Moby Dock and Y'z Dock.

Y'z Dock has been discontinued, and therefore I advice against using it. Its spin-off Aquadock is considered a rip, and since we do not want to support rippers, do not use it.

The only two real options, therefore, are ObjectDock and Moby Dock. My personal preference is ObjectDock. Why? Well, it uses fewer resources than Moby Dock, and therefore performs better. Its drawback as opposed to Moby Dock is that it has reduced functionality. So, it is kind of up to your own preference (and system specifications) which dock you prefer.

Top Bar

Another defining feature of Mac OS X is the top bar. This bar represents the menu bar of the application that is on top. On an aquafied Windows, it will also hold the start menu. Whether you want this functionality or not, is entirely up to you. Some people might not prefer having their bar on top of the screen. I do prefer this, though, and if you do also, there is really only one viable option: ObjectBar. You will have to pay though, but there really isn't anything else. Other programs are in development though, but they are not as advanced as ObjectBar (yet!). So, for now, we will have to settle with this.

After buying and installing ObjectBar, you will need a theme to recreate the top bar. The best resource is Crni's site. This site is a wonderful resource for other applications as well, by the way. Anyway, download one of his skins, and apply it. In the configuration screen of OB, enable the following option: "Hide menus of applications when a replacable section is present." This will hide all your menu bars, except the ones in Mozilla and Thunderbird.

Well, you have the menu bar now, let's move on to applications in general.

Applications

Mac OS X comes preinstalled with some very fine applications. I will list a selection of them and then my personal replacement of choice. I will not detail any further on alternatives for these applications.

iTunes
iTunes is a an application that is also available to Windows. Get it here. However, it doesn't resemble the original application. Use this plugin.

iPhoto
Get this application, and install this skin.

Finder
Finder is a problem child. There are a lot of Finder clones out there, but they, well, don't function quite well. They are too slow, too buggy or too basic. Development on these clones continues. You will have try out several yourself in order to decide which one to use. I do not use a Finder clone. I have several installed, though.

Safari
Download MyIE2 and use the accompanied Safari skin. Google for a Safari screenshot, and use that as a guide as how to arrange the various buttons.

Mail
Download Thunderbird and then follow this guide.

iChat
Get Trillian Pro and apply this skin.

Shadows
For shadows under your windows, get this application.

System Preferences
Install SystemPreferences. Get it here.

There are a lot more applications and skins out there that you could use in order to aquafy Windows even more. To list them all, would be impossible. A very good place to start, in any case, is osx-e.

I hope this guide helped you, and introduced you into the 'aqua community'. And, to end this guide, here is a screenshot of my current desktop:

Credits

I wish to thank everyone working on applications and skins in order to give us, mere x86 users, the Mac OS X desktop experience. I cannot name all of you individually, but you know who you are, if you read this.

About the author:
Thom Holwerda is a regular visitor on OSNews.com and has contributed more than once. His first computer experience dates back to 1991 (a 286 entered the household). Over the years he has played around with several computers, but it wasn't until 2001 that he really started to experiment OS-wise with computers. His favorite operating systems are Windows Server 2003, Mandrake Linux and BeOS. He also has an affinity for the QNX Neutrino RTOS. He is also contributing to the SkyOS project, being responsible for the Dutch translation, and also functioning as an overall moderator on SkyOS' independent forum, The eXpert Zone.