Modern Macs look and feel great, but sometimes I really miss the look and feel of vintage Macs. Skeuomorphism (where digital objects are designed to mimic their real-world counterparts) is dead, but I often want to go back to the days of Mac software. If you're nostalgic like me, this guide will walk you through the steps to create the perfect retro look for your Mac.
Make music look like QuickTime Player
The Music app for Mac is the first choice for anyone who uses Apple Music. To use a retro controller for this application, check out QuickTune, which recreates the look of QuickTime 7 in Mac OS X Tiger and lets you control Apple Music playback. Standout design elements include glass buttons for window controls, a brushed metal theme, and dedicated playback control buttons.
The same developer Mario Guzman also made Music MiniPlayer for macOS, which looks like iTunes.
Using retro terminal apps
For those who use command-line tools, the modern macOS Terminal app may feel a little too polished. If you want to go back to the good old days of using the command line on a CRT monitor, consider using Cool Retro Term. My colleague Justin Pot wrote a great article that walks you through the ins and outs of this application.
Restore iTunes and iPhoto
iTunes and iPhoto are groundbreaking applications on the Mac. Everyone knows the former, it's the default music player, the digital storefront for buying music, and the app for managing your iPhone. iPhoto is less popular, but it used to be a photo management application before Photos came along.
No retro Mac setup is complete without iTunes and iPhoto, and we've got a complete guide on how to reinstall these apps on a modern Mac. You can use the Retroactive application to install iPhoto and iTunes.
Change your Mac's icon
To give your Mac a retro look, you'll need a set of retro icons. Designer Ben Vessey provides you with 205 vintage icons to help you transform your modern Mac into a retro computer. This icon pack costs £7.99 (about $10) and includes icons for Apple apps as well as many third-party apps, including Adobe Suite, 1Password, Spotify, and more. It also has icons for system folders and common file extensions. The pack also contains a free retro wallpaper.
You'll also need to purchase the IconChamp app ($9) to replace icons on your Mac, and even after that, some system apps, including Trash and Calendar, can't be changed due to macOS limitations.
Get Retro Mac Wallpapers
The final step in your retro transformation is to change your Mac's wallpaper. YouTuber freddiemt has uploaded all the default wallpapers that come with every version of the Mac operating system to this Google Photos album. You can also quickly search for retro Mac wallpapers online to give your computer the perfect retro look.
Run older versions of macOS in the browser
If none of these changes satisfy your nostalgic cravings, you can revisit the classic version of Mac directly from the browser. The Infinite Mac website allows you to see what Apple's operating system looked like before it was called Mac OS.
Still not satisfied? Check out this retro PC, it looks like a classic Macintosh from 1984!
