u/klotzbrocken

Hey!

RetroMac started as a single CRT shader I wanted for my own desktop.

That one shader turned into 30+ live shaders (CRT, VHS, LCD) you can put on the whole screen, one display or a single window. Then came full OS themes: Mac OS 9 with a working Control Strip, Windows 98 and XP, Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, BeOS. Dock replacement, boot screens, screensavers, even Solitaire and Minesweeper.

The part I'm proudest of shipped last month: real retro title bars for your other apps. Snow Leopard swaps the traffic lights, XP and friends get an actual themed title bar. It was the most requested feature and took me way longer than I'd like to admit.

Honest limits: macOS doesn't let me theme scrollbars or window chrome of every app, so it's a look, not a full OS replacement. One click brings back stock macOS.

I make this alone, with AI help on the code. It's open source (GPL-3.0), signed and notarized, macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel.

Where it's at now: about 10K downloads, 122 stars and 8 forks on GitHub. Small numbers for most of you, but a lot more than I expected from something I built for my own desktop.

The business side is where I'd love your input. More than 95% of the app is free(20 shaders, themes, dock, title bars). Pro is a one-time 10 USD for extra shaders, the webcam shader and live wallpaper. No subscription, no account, no tracking.

With 10K free downloads, would you draw the free/pro line differently?

https://myretromac.app

Hey ◡̈ .

Quick update to Reframe.
Reframe is a free, open-source desktop browser that puts today's web inside the window of a browser from 1993 to 2009. Version 1.14 just released.

Why? I wanted to bring back the "good old times" and browse the Wayback Machine in the browser a page was actually made for, and see the current web the way it looked through Netscape or IE 5. Projects like oldweb.today run the real old browsers in emulation, which is great for history, but most current sites break there. Reframe goes the other way: the engine is currently Chromium (Electron), only the window around it is old, so everything still works normal.

New in 1.14:

• Two new themes: Internet Explorer 5.1 for Mac OS X, the first Aqua browser, and NetPositive from BeOS R5 with its yellow tab instead of a title bar
• "Then and now": while time-travelling, a wipe slider shows the archived page and today's version in one frame, labelled with the year the snapshot really comes from

Overall:

• 25 themes, from NCSA Mosaic (1993) to Camino 2.0 (2009), switchable without a restart
• Authentic title bars and window controls per era, the Aqua traffic lights measured off Mac OS X 10.0
• Built-in Wayback mode: pick a year and pages load from the Internet Archive
• Time Warp modem with dial-up sounds and throttled speeds (28.8K, 56K, ISDN)
• Ad and tracker blocking, bookmarks, history

It's not meant as a daily driver, more a companion for nostalgia and archive digging.

Platforms: macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux (AppImage). The macOS builds are signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple. The Windows build isn't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen warns once.

Privacy: no account, no telemetry, no analytics, etc.

AI disclosure: part of the code was written with AI assistance. And I used AI to translate this post as well ;-)

Free, MIT licensed: https://myretromac.app/reframe

Source: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/Reframe

I made a browser that looks like the old ones. Chromium underneath, so the modern web still works, but the window is Mosaic 1993, Netscape Navigator 3, IE 5, AOL Desktop 4.0, Opera 3.60 or Safari 1.0... and many more

About twenty skins, switchable while it's running. The best thing: it has an integrated Wayback Machine!

It can throttle itself down to 28.8k, 56k or ISDN, handshake sound included.

And the dithering is real, not a filter laid over the top.

Free and open source, macOS, Windows, Linux: https://myretromac.app/reframe

Ask me anything.

Hey!

Twenty six years ago today, on 14 September 2000, Microsoft shipped an operating system it decided to call Millennium Edition. You could not get more year 2000 than that if you tried.

It was not a good OS. Mine fell over about once a week. It also gave a lot of households their first System Restore, their first Movie Maker, and a defragmenter people genuinely sat and watched like a fireplace.

Being upfront: the app is a recreation I put together, not a photo of the real thing. The last machine here that could boot me died years ago, and I wanted the old feeling back.

Hey 👋

Disclosure: I'm the guy behind RetroMac.

RetroMac started because I wanted my Mac to look like the machines I grew up with, and what I found was either a single-purpose CRT filter or a theming hack that died somewhere around the PowerPC era.

So it became a menu bar app that does two things at once. It puts live shaders over your screen (CRT, VHS, LCD, over 30 of them, applied to everything, to one display, or to a single window), and it rebuilds the look and feel of older systems: System 6, Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, NeXTSTEP, Windows 3.11, 95, 98, ME, XP, BeOS. Swappable dock, boot screens, screensavers including 3D Pipes and Flying Toasters, a retro TV mode for streams and M3U playlists, and many moore...

The actual 2.8 release is the one I'm happiest with: Snow Leopard's actual chrome, Dashboard widgets, Exposé, 10.6 Stacks with Quick Look, and phosphor persistence on the shader.

What makes RetroMac kind of special? Many CRT filter apps do the shader well but stop at the pixels, and most classic theming tools either stopped working on modern macOS or ask you to weaken system protection. RetroMac draws on top and ships its own dock rather than patching anything in the system, so it stays inside what a signed app is allowed to do, and one click puts everything back to stock macOS.

Requirements: macOS 14 or newer, universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel. It is not on the Mac App Store. It is distributed as a DMG that is signed and notarized by Apple, from the site and from GitHub Releases.

Pricing: Free with 15+ shaders. Optional Pro for 10 USD one time, no subscription. Just for extra and custom presets plus the webcam shader. Most of you will be happy with the free version.

Privacy: the app collects nothing. No analytics, no telemetry, no ads, etc.

AI Disclosure: AI assistance went into the code. I coded as well; designed, directed, and tested it, and the full source is public.

Website: https://myretromac.app
GitHub: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac
Legal: https://myretromac.app/legal

Hey 👋

Disclosure: I'm the guy behind RetroMac.

Snow Leopard was shipped yesterday, on August 28, 2009. A perfect day to update the Snow Leopard theme and add some new features as well.

RetroMac lets your Mac look like the machine you grew up with. Manually collecting wallpapers, icon packs, a dock replacement, a boot screen and some CRT shaders by hand is a lot of work. RetroMac is a menu bar app that does it easily: 30+ shaders (CRT, VHS, LCD, Trinitron), classic OS themes (Windows, MacOS, beOS, NEXT,eetc) with a dock, boot screens, icons, widgets. Nothing in the system gets patched, one click reverts it.

New in 2.8: Updates Snow Leopard Theme. Classic colors, boot screen (when activating the theme), more wallpapers, icons, desktop widgets, cursors, a working Expose, old style widgets (aka dashboard), many new icons, and a blue apple icon in the menu bar und title as well.

Pricing: Free with 15+ shaders. Optional Pro for 10 USD one time, no subscription. Just for extra and custom presets plus the webcam shader. Most of you will be happy with the free version.

macOS 14+, universal, notarized DMG from my own site, no App Store, no accounts, no tracking.

Website: https://myretromac.app

Github: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac

Hey 👋

Disclosure: I'm the guy behind RetroMac.

🪟 Windows 95 shipped on August 24, 1995. 31 years ago today. Good day to release the theme (and some new features)

Problem: Making your Mac look like the machine you grew up with means collecting wallpapers, icon packs, a dock replacement, a boot screen and some CRT shaders by hand. RetroMac is a menu bar app that does it easily: 30+ shaders (CRT, VHS, LCD, Trinitron), classic OS themes (Windows, MacOS, beOS, NEXT,eetc) with a dock, boot screens, icons, widgets. Nothing in the system gets patched, one click reverts it.

New in 2.7: Windows 95 theme: classic colors, boot screen (when activating the theme), wallpapers, icons, desktop widgets, and the Funstuff as seen on the Original Win95 CD, including its wallpapers, the game Hover! and the two videos, Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and the Rob Roy trailer.

Comparison: Analog TV Simulator (https://analogtv.net) goes far deeper into signal physics than I ever will, and cool-retro-term (https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term) is the classic for a CRT terminal. Both amazing and great Apps!

RetroMac is more focused on the parts neither of them touches: dock, boot screen, icons, wallpapers, screensavers.

Pricing: Free with 15+ shaders. Optional Pro for 10 USD one time, no subscription, for extra and custom presets plus the webcam shader. Most of you will be happy with the free version.
macOS 14+, universal, notarized DMG from my own site, no App Store, no accounts, no tracking.

Website: https://myretromac.app
GitHub: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikklotz/

Hey folks

small 30-min side project before my vacation: LIFELINE.KIT generates an eBook/wallpaper for your XTEINK with emergency contacts, a PayPal QR code, medications, and key travel phrases/translations. So if your phone dies abroad, you still have your hotel address and the basics.

Vibe-coded with Claude, nothing fancy. Runs fully in-browser, no login, no paywall. Source code linked bottom-right.

URL looks a bit sketchy (no SSL yet, didn't want to pay for it 🙄), but it's just a static site: www.linkpeitsche.de

Will upload it after vacation to GitHub.

Feedback welcome!

Reframe is a real, functioning Chromium-based browser with swappable retro chrome...

over 20 classic themes (Netscape Communicator, IE 4.5 Mac, Opera '96, AOL, and more) wrapped around today's rendering engine. So you get actual modern sites, but dressed up in the UI of the browsers we grew up with (incl. Vista Aero Design and IE7 Theme)

A few things that make it more than just a skin:

• Wayback Machine time travel: jump back and browse sites as they looked in a specific year
• Time Warp Modem: throttles your connection to authentic 56k speeds (dial-up sound included) for that full "waiting for the page to load" nostalgia
• Fully open source, available for macOS (Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux

If you're into Y2K/retro computing aesthetics, this one's a fun rabbit hole ◡̈ try loading eBay or AOL with the old Netscape/IE chrome on and let the modem sound kick in.

Web: myretromac.app/reframe
GitHub: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/Reframe

Hello zusammen 👋,

ich bin der Macher von simplebanking, einer nativen macOS-Menüleisten-App.

Die Grundidee: Kontostand sehen, ohne extra eine Banking-App öffnen zu müssen. Über Open Banking lassen sich nahezu alle deutschen Banken (Sparkasse, Volksbanken, N26, PayPal etc.) verbinden, der Zugriff ist prinzipiel reiner Lesezugriff (es gibt ein optionales Geld-Senden-Modul).

Neben dem reinen Kontostand gibt's noch ein paar Extras wie automatische Umsatz-Kategorisierung, Widget-Support, Abo-Erkennung und Multibanking mit einer Gesamtübersicht über mehrere Konten.

Die App ist kostenlos für macOS und lässt sich in ein paar Minuten einrichten. Würde mich freuen, wenn der ein oder andere reinschaut und mir ehrliches Feedback gibt. Gerne auch kritisch.

simplebanking ist themefähig und kommt zB mit einem nostalgischen BTX-Theme...

Web: https://simplebanking.de/
GitHub: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/simplebanking
YAXI Open Banking Provider: https://yaxi.tech

May Planet Express-themed setup inspired by Futurama! Used Retromac to customize the icons and overall look, and Toob to keep my favorite streams running right on the desktop. Simple, clean, and good news, everyone!

Disclaimer: Ich bin der Macher der App simplebanking, möchte das hier nicht einfach nur bewerben, sondern die Idee dahinter zur Diskussion stellen.

Mein Ausgangspunkt ist Kundennutzen: Viele bestehende Banking-Lösungen sind unnötig komplex oder schwer zugänglich für Menschen, die einfach nur unkompliziert einen Blick auf ihre Finanzen haben wollen. Die Geburtsstunde von simplebanking, einer Mac-App, welche Übersicht über die finanzielle Situation gibt. Der kleinste gemeinsame Nenner: der Kontostand.

Das Projekt ist Open Source, basiert auf dem datensparsamen Open-Banking-Provider Yaxi und kann mit fast allen Banken in DE genutzt werden.

Mich interessiert: Wie seht ihr den Open-Source-Ansatz im Fintech-Bereich generell? Und was sind für euch die größten Hürden bei "einfachem" Banking-Zugang? Ist der Kontostand so wichtig, wie ich glaube?

Die Euro-Banknoten sollen ein neues Design bekommen. Einige der Entwürfe aus Deutschland haben es nicht in die Abstimmung geschafft.

Hey 👋

I wanted more than just the default theme on my Mac (MacOS), so I put together a full Snow Leopard setup: manually tuned dock transparency and icon size (defaults looked too small on my display), matched the wallpaper to the Aqua Chrome, and then deliberately brought Finder, browser, mail, and the music player onto the same look so it doesn't stop at the surface.

• Desktop/dock/menu bar/wallpaper: RetroMac (Snow Leopard theme, icon size and dock behavior manually adjusted in Advanced Settings)
• Finder replacement (visible window in screenshot): Sheru, Aqua skin
• Browser (second window): Reframe Browser
• Mail (third window): Reframe Mail
• Music player: QuickTune, for matching menu bar controls

Disclosure: I'm the developer of this app, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt. Just wanted to share it since it felt relevant here.

Hey! 👋

I posted about RetroMac (myretromac.app) here about two months ago, but a lot has changed since then, so figured it was worth a fresh mention: it's now more authentic, more performant, and easier to use.

It's a free, open-source app that lets you transform your current Mac's desktop into a full retro environment: classic Macintosh System 6 or 9, Mac OS X, Windows 98/XP, or even BeOS. It swaps in period-accurate launchers, wallpapers, custom cursors, icon sets, widgets, and even shaders that emulate old CRT monitor glow and scanlines. Some of the Windows 98 themes even include the extra design options from the old Plus! pack, which was a nice touch.

A few things worth mentioning: it doesn't touch or modify any system files, so it's non-destructive and easy to switch back, and the whole thing (aside from a couple of optional shader/live-wallpaper extras) is free.

If you've ever wanted your daily-driver Mac to look and feel like the machines a lot of us grew up on, might be worth another look: https://myretromac.app/

For everyone here reminiscing about old search engines and photo blogs: I built Reframe, a real Chromium-based browser with 20+ swappable retro themes (like Internet Explorer 4.5 Mono.. etc). It has a "Wayback Time Travel" feature that lets you view modern sites the way they used to look, plus a simulated 56k modem feel. Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, it's open source and you can use it as a regular browser as well (incl. adblock support)

Link: https://myretromac.app/reframe
Github: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/Reframe

Would love for you all to try it out... curious to hear feedback, especially from people who remember the old web firsthand!

Hey /macapps 👋

RetroMac 2.1 is out. This update was about authenticity and footprint, not feature bloat.

Problem: Most retro-styling tools for macOS either look inauthentic (wrong fonts, wrong cursor behavior) or bloat your system with unnecessary background processes. RetroMac focuses on getting the small authenticity details right (cursors, boot animations, wallpaper texture) while staying lightweight.

Comparison: Sheru (great Finder replacement) ships built-in themes too, but they reskin its own file browser and terminal-first workflow, not the wider macOS experience. Glaze (great shader app) restyles your entire live screen with visual filters like CRT or VHS, but it doesn't touch system chrome, icons, cursors, or the boot experience. RetroMac is a dedicated retro-suite focused on themes: it reskins the whole OS shell, menu bar, windows, icons, cursors, and boot animation, for specific eras like Snow Leopard, System 6, Win98 or BeOS.

Pricing: TL;DR, mostly free: All themes, cursors, and everything else: free. 20+ shaders: free. Only Webcam shader + Living Wallpaper shader + optional Shader: one-time $10.

New in 2.1:

• System 6 theme in proper 1-bit monochrome
• Snow Leopard reworked (much closer to the real thing, thanks for the feedback)
• Living Wallpaper subtle motion, CRT shader applied only to the wallpaper (not the whole UI)
• Authentic cursors per theme and color scheme
• Smaller & more resource-efficient trimmed the app down noticeably
• Warcraft game support because for me thats the 100% retro vibe

Disclosure: I'm the developer. I build with AI in the loop and not every line must be hand-written. But I know the question will come.

Website: https://myretromac.app/
Github; https://github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac (Source code is open=
My personal Website (with LinkedIn etc): www.klotzbrocken.de

Small but meaningful update to RetroMac (the app that turns your Mac into Mac OS 9, Win98, BeOS, Snow Leopard & co.). This round was all about authenticity and getting the details right rather than adding more themes for the sake of it.

Whats new in 2.1:

• System 6 theme, in proper 1-bit monochrome. No color, no compromises. The way it actually looked on a Plus/SE.
• Snow Leopard, redone. Much closer to the real thing now (thanks all for the feedback) the gradients, the dock, the little details that were off before.
• Living Wallpaper: A subtle motion, with the CRT shader applied only to the wallpaper, not the whole UI. So you get the glow without your text turning to mush.
• Authentic cursors per theme and color scheme: System 6/9, Win98/XP gets its own pointer, matched to the era.
• Smaller and lighter. Trimmed the app down and cut the resource usage noticeably.

Whats next?:

• Adding Warcarft 1 & 2 as optional game launche
• Adding Reframe Mail as an optional mail client (yes, with themes) -> new Project
• Better and more authentic title bars

The monochrome System 6 is my personal favorite this release. I love it and its very calm to use.

Full transparency: I'm the developer, and it's Developer Saturday, so I hope a promo post is fair game here.

Info: RetroMac is free... all themes, cursors and everything else. The only paid part is optional extras: additional shaders (20 shaders are fre) and the webcam shader + Living Wallpaper shader are a one-time $10. The source code is open, too.

Happy to hear what feels off or what era you'd want next.

Download:
Retromac: https://myretromac.app/
Reframe: https://myretromac.app/reframe
Github: https://github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac

Hey 👋,

I built an app called Retromac, because I missed how computers used to feel. So now it's one native macOS app that reskins your desktop, dock and cursor into whichever era you want.

Themes currently include:

• Windows 98 and Windows XP
• BeOS
• Mac OS 9 (platinum) and System 6 (1-bit monochrome)
• Mac OS X and Snow Leopard
• and some more...

What it does:

• Switches dock, icons, wallpaper, cursor and widgtes
• Matching wallpapers per theme via the desktop context menu
• Adjustable icon size, so classic icon sets look right on Retina displays
• Optional CRT/scanline shaders for the full "old monitor" feel
• Fully reversible: Restore puts everything back to normal macOS
• Intergrated old school TV Tube Channels

It's part of a small retro-computing project of mine (I also have a companion retro browser), but RetroMac is the core piece: desktop, dock, themes and shaders.

Link: https://myretromac.app

Happy to answer questions about permissions, performance impact, or how the theme engine works.