Im bored with Windows

[Cold Dark Shadow]

Is there any software or cool programs out that will change make window XP look different or do anything cool? Im getting tired of the "stock" look and shit.

[JL_Audio_User]

Windowblinds.

Tons of cool themes and the free version is good if you can accept a 5 second splash screen.

If I missunderstood your Q.....please ignore me :D

[Cold Dark Shadow]

Yea sonething like that, im just gettin tired of the flat M$ look to windows and would like to find something more customizable that will look cool and be functional

Whats the website for that? tried lookin up windowblinds and it actually to me to "window" blinds lol

[Papa-Ming]

http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/

gl :)

[djnes]

Google uxtheme.dll and then head over to the Neowin.net forums for the themes. No software needed.

[HHunt]

<plug>
And if you ever want some bigger changes, we've got a fairly nice subforum for you. :D
</plug>

[Tenchi4U]

yes, why don't you upgrade to a nice linux distro?!?!?!? :D

http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/164.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=164)

[Cold Dark Shadow]

thanks for the info, ill give them a look

Why not linux? Becuz Linux scares me

[The Donut]

Forget WindowsBlinds and patch your uxtheme and get some nice themes from http://www.studiotwentyeight.com/index2.htm (Visual Styles) some nice ones there.

[dangfx]

For ultimate customizability, look to Stardock (http://stardock.com/) products, (Windowblinds is part of it). With their apps, you can change practically EVERYTHING about the look AND *feel* of Windows (OSX aint got nothin' on it! ;) ) You can COMPLETELY customize icons, icon packs, windows, transparency, effects, skins, desktop, clicking options, virtual desktops, gadgets, widgets, docks, boot screens, login screens, etc., etc. It really has everything. see screenshots here (http://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/screenshots.asp), but there are more at deviantart and other places... just do a google stardock screenshots or something.

If you want something that isn't so in-depth, (the entire stardock objectdesktop suite can become a bit daunting) there is the Studio28, and also StyleXP (better, imo) -- both dont require so much conifguring, but neither is as powerful or customizable as Stardock (it's king!).


;)

[visaris]

Check out some of these screen shots. Not the best, but then give you an idea.

http://www.lynucs.org/index.php?p=featured

[honkee]

style xp
its great

[The Donut]

For ultimate customizability, look to Stardock (http://stardock.com/) products, (Windowblinds is part of it). With their apps, you can change practically EVERYTHING about the look AND *feel* of Windows (OSX aint got nothin' on it! ;) ) You can COMPLETELY customize icons, icon packs, windows, transparency, effects, skins, desktop, clicking options, virtual desktops, gadgets, widgets, docks, boot screens, login screens, etc., etc. It really has everything. see screenshots here (http://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/screenshots.asp), but there are more at deviantart and other places... just do a google stardock screenshots or something.

If you want something that isn't so in-depth, (the entire stardock objectdesktop suite can become a bit daunting) there is the Studio28, and also StyleXP (better, imo) -- both dont require so much conifguring, but neither is as powerful or customizable as Stardock (it's king!).


;)
Stardocks WindowsBlinds and various other products are knwon for causing other problems with applications. Not to mention eating system resources. Which on my machine is key, but if you have resources to spare - why not? :)

[EinsteiN]

Just a FYI the look and feel in Windows are controlled by the shell(Explorer).

So to find what you're looking for you have to know the term "Alternate Windows Shell".
That will give you app 600000 hits on google :)

I used to use LiteStep (http://www.litestep.org/) but they havent updated since service pack 2 so that shell doesn't work on Windows XP SP2 :(

Anyways this will give you the opportunity to truly customize your desktop :)

-E

http://www.mentallyretired.com/h3/index.cfm/u_122672 (http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_summary.php?u=122672)

[dangfx]

Stardocks WindowsBlinds and various other products are knwon for causing other problems with applications. Not to mention eating system resources. Which on my machine is key, but if you have resources to spare - why not?
Not true.

Well, sometimes true, sometimes not. A friend of mine runs the entire Stardock ObjectDesktop suite without problem (and its not a super-fast computer). He has it very finely tuned, and it runs GREAT.
I have used various stardock apps, and found them to be a little cumbersome. they did NOT mess up my other applications. They are, in fact, quite well contained, for an alternate shell.
As for system resources, it hardly uses up anything at all... HOWEVER, some apps use up more than other. WindowFX (i think) is more of a hog than others -- it uses transparency, so....

On the whole, if you have it tuned well, it makes for a very smooth running group of apps. But yes, it can take a bit of fiddling, and one of the other apps mentioned (styleXP) can be a bit easier to take care of.

[Cold Dark Shadow]

THanks for the the cool suggestions, ill be lookin into them!

I checked out those screen shots and that 3rd and 9th ones look awesome

[The Donut]

Not true.

Well, sometimes true, sometimes not. A friend of mine runs the entire Stardock ObjectDesktop suite without problem (and its not a super-fast computer). He has it very finely tuned, and it runs GREAT.
I have used various stardock apps, and found them to be a little cumbersome. they did NOT mess up my other applications. They are, in fact, quite well contained, for an alternate shell.
As for system resources, it hardly uses up anything at all... HOWEVER, some apps use up more than other. WindowFX (i think) is more of a hog than others -- it uses transparency, so....

On the whole, if you have it tuned well, it makes for a very smooth running group of apps. But yes, it can take a bit of fiddling, and one of the other apps mentioned (styleXP) can be a bit easier to take care of.
When I ran DesktopX and Windows Blinds I have a variety of problems with applications/games minimizing themselves as well as DesktopX having alignment problems when the resolution was changed and then reverted back to the original - I got fedup of having to move all the icons everytime.

Although, I used ObjectDesktop Bar for a while, I liked that.

[serbiaNem]

Aston shell is another very popular shell replacement.

[DarkElite]

Aston shell is another very popular shell replacement.

My favorite shell for window!

If you want to have a lot of fun, try www.ubuntulinux.org :) Great for beginners, and a whole new experience! (I'm using it right now :D)

[1c3d0g]

Or its n00b-friendly KDE brother Kubuntu (http://www.kubuntu.org/). ;)

Give Linux a try, it's not as hard as you think! Unless you want to try a Stage 1 Gentoo install... :(

/me quietly leaves this thread... :o