Give your laptop new life and reset your working mind just by updating your desktop. It's simple on a Mac: save the wallpaper you want, find the image on your computer, right click (or hit the control key + click), scroll to the bottom, and select "Set desktop." Easy does it!
While you're starting a new semester or new job, why not swap out that tired background — and with wallpaper as beautiful, inspiring, and geeky as the 42 downloadable freebies we've gathered here, how could you resist?
What better way to inspire you to make things than with this simple — but bold — Create desktop?
Whether it's designing a project or making crucial decisions, flowcharts are a geek's best friend. Find out whether life is good with this chart desktop guide.
The Rhode Island School of Design student had repetition and layering in mind when she created this typography-inspired wallpaper.
Constantin Demner, a graphic designer based in Vienna, put together this sunny, salty memory.
UK artist Luke Twyman favors space themes in his designs, such as this image of an observatory peering at a distant star.
Ah, Spring — it's all about the blooming gardens, chirping birds, and, of course, backyard barbecues that you can daydream of whenever you glance at your computer background.
Do flowers or tulips ever get old when it comes to choosing a desktop background? We think not.
Sometimes you just need a motivational desktop background to remind you that Spring presents plenty of opportunities.
The flowers against this bright background have us thinking Spring in a snap.
Doesn't this colorful design make you want to pack your bags and head to the next exotic locale?
There's no better time than Spring to go for a bike ride or travel the world — this desktop illustration reminds us of just that.
This gadgets desktop background is spot on: who else's phone cases and headphones are rocking Spring colors?
There's nothing like an ice cream background to remind us of all the popsicles ahead.
Nothing says Spring like flowers and veggies. Thanks to this seasonal background, you get both with asparagus, peas, lavender, and more.
When Steve Jobs passed away in October 2011, many tributes to the Apple founder surfaced, but none had as much of a hand-crafted touch as this wallpaper featuring the iconic Apple logo.
Icebergs are the loneliest of environmental elements, drifting out to sea unaccompanied. This wallpaper uses a lyric from Bjork's song "Unison" to remind us that some of the best work is done all by oneself.
Finally, a wallpaper dedicated to the sweets of our favorite '90s TV show.
Engineers will enjoy this geometric wallpaper, reminiscent of a machine's moving parts.
This satire of classic Mac OS 9 is chock-full of visual puns like "Fleetwood Macbook."
This quote was uttered by the late Steve Jobs as inspiration to his team to deliver big ideas without delay.
Geeks are always hard at work. Let the world know you're busy building.
The Dark Knight watches over Gotham City in this silhouette background.
A simple lapse of the phases of the moon makes for an eye-catching visual in this desktop image.
This wallpaper is a beautifully simplified portrayal of an astronomical event.
Rimmed glasses and a tie are geek fashion essentials, as this minimalist background shows.
Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black — otherwise known as four-color process — are a pretty good-looking bunch. Bring them to your desktop with the CMYK wallpaper.
Remember the days of 8-bit video gaming with a Nintendo Entertainment System wallpaper.
Oh, the days of endless play on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Bring it back with this SNES desktop background.
Designers Jessica Hische and Russ Maschmeyer created this desktop wallpaper, an homage to HTML, as part of their Don't Fear the Internet project, a web series explaining HTML and CSS for nonweb designers.
You'll never forget copy, paste, and cut shortcuts with this citrus-colored wallpaper.
Celebrate the rainy season with this desktop image featuring a cursor downpour.
Comic Sans is infamously despised by the design community, as manifested by this vintage-horror-movie-inspired wallpaper.
A friendly wave from a robot is a great way to kick off the day.
Storm troopers come in all different shapes and sizes, didn't you know?
Draw inspiration from Ralph Waldo Emerson with this atmospheric desktop by Being Geek Chic's Elizabeth Giorgi.