Converting from Windows to Mac OS X

I’ve always liked to dabble in different operating systems, I ran an Amiga 4000 alongside a Windows PC for a few years (in the last millenium!), and occasionally take a look at the latest linux offering from Redhat and in a fit of nostalgia for the Amiga, I’ve also installed WinUAE on my laptop.  Over the last few weeks though, I’ve been looking at Mac OS X and so far I’m pretty impressed.

I couldn’t be described as a fanboy just yet; there are things that are better in Windows in my opinion, for example, the under used Windows Media Center is awesome, (although Plex on the mac is the closest equivalent I’ve found so far and is also pretty neat) but equally there are some things that Mac OS does better; the Time Machine feature is awesome.

Of course some applications are available for both Windows and Mac OS but inevitably there will be differences. I must admit I general prefer Microsoft Office for mac over it’s Windows cousin. One slight niggle though; as a Windows user I’m use to Windows Messenger, starting automatically, logging me in and running minimised when Windows starts. Messenger for mac does not have the checkboxes in it’s preferences that the Windows version has to set it to behave this way. However, a similar effect can be used by another awesome feature of the Mac OS; Automator.

Automator is a combination of a macro recorder and a script runner. You can even mix macro’s and scripts (although a macro is called ‘Watch me do’ in automator speak).

So here’s how I used applescript to get Messenger to behave in the fashion I’m used to on Windows:

1. Run Messenger.

2. Command click on the messenger icon and select ‘Options’ followed by ‘Keep in Dock’

3. Ensure that ‘Options, Open at Login’ is UNCHECKED.

4. Run Automator and create a new application.

5. Find ‘Run Applescript’ in the library and drag and drop it into the workflow.

6. Replace the code in the script with the following:

on run {input, parameters}

do shell script “open /Applications/Microsoft\\ Messenger.app”

tell application “Finder”

set visible of process “Microsoft Messenger” to false

end tell

return input

end run

This script runs messenger then hides the window.

7. Save the application with a suitable name.

Now we need to run the script when Mac OS starts:

8. Open the system preferences and choose ‘Accounts’ from the ‘System’ section.

9. Ensure you account is selected at the right hand side of the panel then click ‘Login Items’

10. Click on the ‘+’ and browse to the application (script) that you created in automator.

11. Click on the application followed by ‘Add’ (or double click).

12. Your application should now be listed in the Login Items list.

13. Close the System Preferences.

Now when you restart your mac, Messenger will start. The ‘Contact List’ window will be displayed briefly, but will then close.

The script doesn’t need to log you in, Messenger for mac logs in automatically when you run it as long as your account is set up.