---
layout: post
title: Iridium (platinum’s twin) – Theme for MacOSX 10.4
author: Steven
date: 2005-08-22 01:42:39
categories: 
- Musings
tags: 
- design
- iridium
- os x
- software
featured_image: https://www.stevenjaycohen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/wsi-imageoptim-happy-mac-icon.png
---

	"IRIDIUM, Platinum's twin companion

	And to which it has a great resemblance,

	Is a white and brittle metal that fuses

	With difficulty in the Compound Blowpipe flame."

	-J. Carrington Sellars, Chemistianity , 1873, p. 186

	

	Before MacOSX, Apple Computers shipped an OS that had a unified look-and-feel. From System 8.0 to System 9.2.2, the look was called Platinum. Since the advent of MacOSX, a few different interfaces have become common on the Macintosh. Among these are Aqua, Brushed Metal (which began as a skin for Quicktime during the MacOS Classic era), and now Unified. When I heard that Apple had a new look called Unified, I thought, "Finally, they are going to give us a consistent GUI again!" I was wrong. That is why I decided to make Iridium. Iridium is often called a Platinum-like metal, so the name seemed appropriate.

	

	Click here for more preview images (Note: You can see that x11 apps, qtMac apps, cocoa apps, and carbon apps all have the same look and feel. If there is significant interest, I can work on skinning classic apps as well.)

	

	Click here for current download

	

	If you are looking for an older version of Iridium (some people liked a few of the earlier looks that I toyed with), click here to go to the ResExcellence theme archive.

	

	If you forgot to backup before installing Iridium, click here.

	

	If you are interested in beta testing the most recent modifications to the Iridium family of themes, or if you are looking for the DLTA file for ThemeChanger or ShapeShifter, please follow this link over to the MacTheme Forums. In that thread, you will find all of the links you are looking for.

	

	Like the rest of my site, Iridium is licensed under the Creative Commons, but since it is a derivative work and not wholly original, I chose the following license:

	This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license.

	

	You are free to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work under the following conditions:

	
		Attribution - You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
	
		Noncommercial - You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
	
		Share Alike - If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one.


	

	More information about this license at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/

	

	So, feel free to build your own mods based on Iridium. Remember to link to www.stevenjaycohen.com in your documentation, and remember to include the same license in your download. Also, please send me some screenshots of your work. I'd really like to see your work too.

	

	I do appreciate bug reports, but please read the FAQ before reporting. Your glitch may already be noted there.

	

	Special thanks to Pedro, Grilo, Stefan Hainzl, Andrew Hill , Benjamin Rosenberg, and Jessica Hall. Without your help, I would still be tracking down all those bugs