Windows Vista won't be available until early next year, but current XP users drooling over Vista's new Aero theme and utilities, such as sidebars and widgets, don't have to wait for Microsoft to ship out its new operating system to upgrade their desktops.
There's a whole community of software developers and Windows-customisation enthusiasts creating desktop themes and utilities that can give Windows XP a great-looking user interface filled with powerful tools.
You'll still have to wait for the official Vista release to get core features such as DirectX 10, improved security, and the rebuilt network stack, but there's nothing stopping you from upgrading your XP user interface today. The Aero theme in Windows Vista updates the desktop look and feel with softer edges and translucent windows.
There are several downloads that can help you achieve the Aero look on XP. Some packages, such as Vista Transformation Pack 4.0, are free downloads put together by dedicated users, but you can also buy programs created by established software developers, such as Stardock's WindowBlinds, if you want a polished package with support.
WindowsBlinds
Stardock offers an entire Object Desktop software package that lets you design and build your own desktop or install a complete design created by others. The entire suite runs for US$50, but you only need the WindowBlinds component to personalise your desktop UI with specially designed skins.
The 60-day trial version doesn't come with the Vista-inspired theme preinstalled, but we found several impressive user-created themes at WinCustomize.com. The skins we tried did a great job on the window-frame transparencies, along with the start menu and taskbar designs. However, you'll need to get a separate icon pack to get high-resolution icons.
Vista Transformation Pack 4.0
You can give Vista Transformation Pack 4.0 a shot if you don't want to shell out the money for WindowBlinds. The free download adds transparent windows, updates the taskbar, and even installs a new clock.
The transparencies worked, but we found the see-through quality extended throughout the entire window body instead of just around the frames. Reading a Web page can be difficult if you can see text from the window below mixing with text in the active Web browser. Increasing opacity levels helped make window contents more readable but sort of defeats the purpose of installing the transformation pack in the first place.
Sidebars and Gadgets
Windows Vista will feature Windows Sidebar. The sidebar is a vertical panel located on one side of the screen and is designed to host desktop gadgets, which are pocket-sized applications such as clocks, picture frames, calculators, and RSS displays. The sidebar application will also allow gadgets to float anywhere on the desktop.
Right now you can drag your Windows XP system taskbar to the left or right side of the screen to create a poor man's sidebar, but it still won't give you any cool gadgets to run. To add gadget functionality, you can download free programs such as Desktop Sidebar, Yahoo Widget Engine, or Google Desktop.
All three programs have a decent selection of desktop gadgets, including weather monitors, calendars, e-mail monitors, stock tickers, and even games such as sudoku. Desktop Sidebar and Google Desktop let you dock gadgets in the sidebar or pull them out to have them float on the desktop. Yahoo Widget Engine isn't a sidebar since all the widgets are free-floaters, but you can stack various widget applications to mimic a sidebar if you can't resist the need to force order upon your desktop.
Final Thoughts
Windows Vista isn't the only OS that has neat GUI features worth stealing. Apple's Mac OSX already offers widgets in its Dashboard application, and it also has a great-looking docking utility for programs and files. Check out Stardock's ObjectDock if you want to get an OSX-like dock on your XP machine.
Keep in mind that all of these applications will use up precious memory. If you're coasting by with 512MB of memory, consider upgrading to 1GB or more to give your applications more room to breathe. Upgrading up to 1GB of memory will also prepare your system for the official Vista release. The new system requirements are mighty hefty.
It's impossible to re-create the entire Windows Vista experience on XP, but with the right UI modification and a good gadget tool, you should be able to hold out until Microsoft releases Windows Vista early next year.
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nitinstar@india.com
01/02/2007 09:48 PM
i want to use new wow
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varinder8
02/02/2007 11:21 PM
its excellent theme
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nachiket_idt
06/02/2007 06:01 AM
good
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Ananda
14/02/2007 01:12 AM
the site really helped me to sort out things about vista. thanks guys
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amit_dixit123456
19/02/2007 04:19 PM
window vist a good software
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partha
25/02/2007 12:07 AM
it is excellent so iwanted to download it
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outlaw66
25/02/2007 08:52 AM
cool
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Amitjal
26/02/2007 06:01 AM
good to use it
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baba_baruah
26/02/2007 07:31 AM
i want to download it
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impreza1
03/03/2007 08:37 PM
nice
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isnac20
09/03/2007 08:21 PM
vista is best operating system
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haruna shehu abdullahi
13/03/2007 09:40 PM
how use a vista
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sona
14/03/2007 09:45 PM
it nice software
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?????
19/03/2007 01:17 AM
were can u download vista taskbar from ???
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surendra
20/03/2007 05:54 PM
verygood operatingsystsem
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sss
23/03/2007 09:21 PM
good
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cor
30/03/2007 08:25 AM
Awsome
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harsh_22p
07/04/2007 09:15 AM
thanks
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PETE
16/04/2007 11:53 AM
I LIKE THAT
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sudesh
19/04/2007 08:28 AM
it is good
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sds
19/04/2007 08:38 AM
good
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vijay
30/04/2007 04:24 PM
This is Very Good.
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n_efthimio
09/05/2007 09:47 PM
Very good
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PARDEEP
23/05/2007 03:21 AM
VERY GOOD
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anderson
28/05/2007 03:41 AM
very good
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arshad khan
28/05/2007 04:25 AM
it realy great and unique experience so far i judge
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Surendra
19/06/2007 01:13 AM
Awesome
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pritam
23/06/2007 12:03 AM
i like that very much
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chetan
29/06/2007 03:42 PM
good
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yesman
09/07/2007 06:21 AM
nice good excellent
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dappie
23/07/2007 05:07 AM
awesome
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gtt
27/07/2007 01:27 AM
All are very good
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sami
07/08/2007 08:53 PM
thank you so much
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bharath
24/08/2007 04:52 AM
it good to see
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oz
26/08/2007 08:50 PM
great
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suryanayan
11/09/2007 01:55 PM
its g8t i want to download it
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vicky
13/09/2007 10:49 PM
super its nice
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mubeen
02/10/2007 07:28 AM
nice vista pack
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johnseng11
13/10/2007 06:15 PM
i like it...
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yehackere
16/10/2007 04:56 PM
fabulous
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someone
18/10/2007 12:53 PM
excellent
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jriver
01/11/2007 11:47 AM
I think it look like vista thank you
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taufik
02/11/2007 05:19 PM
good
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shahzaib
18/11/2007 10:32 AM
thanks
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horias2004
20/11/2007 05:19 PM
goooood
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golghar
02/12/2007 10:11 PM
it is good
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pulkit
08/12/2007 03:34 AM
from where I could Download windows vista look for my windows XP
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baali
14/12/2007 04:28 AM
thx
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owen
30/12/2007 05:57 AM
very good
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fashion_sum
24/01/2008 05:34 PM
I want to try this softy's because it's look is very nice & no word to say for this because this is very good
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bobby
06/02/2008 03:29 AM
it is good
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phani
08/03/2008 06:07 PM
nice
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sanndy
18/03/2008 04:41 PM
its too good but only use the original copy
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DANIEL
05/04/2008 02:00 AM
THANKS I FOUNDED I HOPE IT WORKS...
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james
05/04/2008 02:10 PM
go to www.crystalxp.net it gives you the vista theme :P this is no joke
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Dan
18/04/2008 03:26 PM
new link for Vista Transformation Pack is http://www.windowsxlive.net/?page_id=15
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Emanuel
19/04/2008 03:08 PM
i really want the taskbar of windows vista
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ranandeep
25/04/2008 02:08 PM
i love this thing
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toivo
26/04/2008 03:21 PM
cool
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vicky
22/05/2008 09:23 PM
its too good
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manju
26/05/2008 06:39 PM
its very easy taskbar
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Warthog
16/06/2008 08:09 AM
no offense , but this is useless **** i tested all the transformation packs and they are cuasing system instability and errors , destroyng the integrity of the OS.
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Sabumon
18/06/2008 07:19 PM
Oh this good
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elman07
27/06/2008 09:23 PM
Really It is fine and cool
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shrvas
26/08/2008 08:29 PM
awesome
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nitin
09/09/2008 05:20 PM
ithink vista is great because it not just only ha utilitiess a great look but becsuse it has the unique features and great
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