Hi! Using Stefan's BeBox Package, you can add a flashy new look to your Mac. The package has:
1. An extension named Hand Pointer. When installed, Hand Pointer will replace your usual arrow pointer with a hand pointer similar to the one sported by the BeBox.
2. A ResEdit file with BeBox icons in it. When the icons are installed, the folders you normally see are replaced with -- that's right -- stylish BeBox icons! Instructions are below.
3. Another ResEdit document, named BeBox Startupscreen. When installed, you'll have a new image at startup time that shows the Be logo and says "Welcome to Be!". Instructions are below.
A note about Hand Pointer:
Place Hand Pointer into your Extensions folder, restart, and you'll have a brand new mouse pointer. The pointer was drawn by looking at BeBox screenshots I got from <http://www.be.com>.
The Hand Pointer extension was originally known as Color Cursor, written by Matthias Ulrich. It was written in 1989 so it might work with System 6, but I have no knowledge of that. Although it's quite old, Hand Pointer runs perfectly on my Mac running System 7.5.1 (along with 68 other inits!).
I didn't write the Hand Pointer extension, and I'm not claiming that I did. All I've done is modify a few resources so it displays a different pointer, has a custom icon and supports Balloon Help.
Instructions about the BeBox Startupscreen:
If you want the BeBox Startupscreen picture to be displayed at startup (this requires System 7.5.1 or later), follow these steps:
(1) Open the "BeBox Startupscreen" file with ResEdit.
(2) Copy all the resources in the file to the Clipboard (Command + A, then Command + C)
(3) Open a copy of your System 7.5 Update file (found in your System Folder). Paste what you have on the Clipboard into your System 7.5 Update file (Command + V)
(4) Click "Yes" to the following dialog box.
(5) Swap the modified System 7.5 Update file with your current one and restart. That's it!
If you're running an earlier version of the system software (7.5 or lower), you can convert the BeBox Startupscreen picture into a Startupscreen document and place that into your System Folder. Several graphics applications can do that for you; one such application is the excellent shareware program, GraphicConverter (using the Convert More command will get you a Startupscreen with GraphicConverter).
(The Be logo was captured off of someone's personal homepage, not from Be, Inc. so I'm assuming it's okay to use it as a startup image. The homepage didn't have a copyright, but I don't feel I'm abusing any copyright laws.)
Instructions for the BeBox Icons:
Use ResEdit to open the BeBox Icons file. Copy all the resources to the Clipboard (Command + A) and then paste everything (Command + V) into a copy of either the fabulous Aaron extension or your System file. Either will work.
If you want, rename your Aaron extension "Aaron's BeBox". That's what I have done. :)
Rebuilding your desktop is recommended, since installing the new icons will create new custom icons for your copy of Aaron (if you paste the icons into Aaron), or the System file (where all the icons are kept for items like the Finder and the System file).
(In case you need a don't know or forgot how, you can rebuild your desktop by holding down the Command and Option keys after all your inits have loaded and right before the Finder appears at startup).
