Unsanity LLC on Tuesday introduced ShapeShifter, a new tool for Mac OS X that allows you to apply themes to your Mac OS X interface. It’s available for download now and costs US$20 to register.
ShapeShifter goes beyond previous utilities that update the desktop background and system icons. ShapeShifter also enables users to change the look of windows, menus and buttons as well.
Changing themes in Mac OS X has heretofore been something of a black art. But Unsanity claims that the method that ShapeShifter uses to change the appearance of the Mac OS X interface is “every bit as safe as switching desktops or screensavers,” since ShapeShifter never touches the actual files and resources that reside within the system.
The software comes with several themes pre-installed. The developer also provides links to Web sites where users can find more themes to download. Installing a theme involves just double-clicking on the file itself — ShapeShifter launches as a system preference pane. Users click the Apply Selected button and change their interface accordingly.
ShapeShifter is Panther-compatible, according to the developer, but the software also works with Jaguar.