- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (30-day trial); $25.00 to buy (Buy it now)
- Operating system: Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: April 12, 2006
- Total Downloads: 472,395
- Downloads last week: 212
- See full specifications
A newer version of Talisman Desktop is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 23 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
Unlike Windows XP themes, Talisman Desktop lets you completely customize the Windows interface. Its power extends from adding new toolbars to designing a brand-new desktop with any combination of drop-down menus and panels. Talisman Desktop comes with several themes, which are more than enough for most users. You can switch among desktop designs with a few clicks of your mouse. The Talisman shell also can fully replace Windows Explorer and doesn't slow down the system. However, we found the design process itself a bit tricky; even creating a simple toolbar was not straightforward. The editing interface, more a programming tool than WYSIWIG, is far from intuitive and takes a good while to master. Nevertheless, we'd recommend Talisman Desktop to advanced users.Publisher's description
From Lighttek Software :Using Talisman, you can build any interface for your computer. Talisman hides the standard Windows Desktop. In the Talisman work space, you can place any number of buttons or pictures. These objects can have any form or dimension, and all can run external programs or internal shell commands. The number of forms (screens) can range from 1 to 1,000. Any screen object can be set to switch from one form to another. All settings and pictures are stored in a theme file. You can make many Talisman themes and use objects with links to go from one theme to another. You also can add HTML pages (with JavaScript, Flash movies, and VRML worlds) to the desktop and add sounds to events.
Version 2.98 adds Alpha-blending PNG support; DrawIcon, DrawRect, DrawText, DrawPic functions; updated Object Editor.
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User reviews of Talisman Desktop 2.98
- Average user rating: 4.1 stars out of 23 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 4 of 4 user reviewsSee all 4 user reviews
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Version: Talisman Desktop 2.98
"Wonderful customization (and I'm not a guy either)"
Pros: I've been a long time user of talisman desktop and it's a great way to customize windows. Very flexible and if you don't feel like designing your own desktops or plug-ins there are tons out there to use for free. And, no, you don't have to be a guy to appreciate the themes and there are plenty of themes that don't have scantily clad women. Check out deviantart.com or google talisman themes and you'll find all you need for new themes every month or even every week!
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Talisman Desktop 2.98
"Outstanding Shell Replacement"
Pros: A really fully customizable way to make your PC look and act how you want.
Simple but complexe enough for learners to make sence of it and with extensive but simple config options to give creative freedom enough for experianced users to make unique and cool enviroments on the PC.
Cons: This program doesnt deserve any critisism.
Just a caution to switch back to windows shell for any installs or updates involving windows.
a higher number and more interesting selection of plugins couldnt hurt also.
But DONT let that stop YOU!!
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Version: Talisman Desktop 2.98
"Fast, beatiful, and unintuitive."
Pros: The program is surprisingly fast; it was responsive and didn't slow down my machine at all from what I could tell. It also has some beautiful themes that come stock and ones that you can download. This includes some themes that make your PC more useable for specific purposes (eg. a UI for a touchscreen PC in your car, or a UI to turn your computer into a media center PC.)
Cons: It was very unintuitive. I honestly didn't give it much of a chance, but I didn't feel it deserved it:
The program hid my already customized desktop items.
When pressing the Start button, clicking on Start button again would have it pop up again instead of closing it. I found this highly irritating for some reason. It might be a me thing, but it was big enough to give me a minor headache.
From within the first 5 minutes of using it, I missed my right-click contextual menu within windows. When right-clicking on the desktop, a completely alien menu pops up with a list of things I can do with my computer including: reaching my computer's control panel; change themes; open folders and other things. Great in theory, but it felt extremely awkward without the copy/paste/etc. actions.
The only things that the theme change are the taskbar, desktop, and icons. Great, but now I have this beautiful new user interface, but the window borders still looking like Windows' good old default blue theme.
I felt I was trying to run windows using seperate software...what's the point?
I tried to go into Talisman's settings to see if I can change these little annoyances. I couldn't find anything. The only settings I found were vague computer programming-like variables and values that I didn't feel like learning.
I quickly gave up to get my computer usable again. Changed shells; uninstalled; time for the Tylenol.
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Talisman Desktop 2.98
Cons: I downloaded Talisman yesterday. It took AGES and the interface was BORING. I tried to go to their Theme Wizard and accidentally activated the Protected Mode. This meant I couldn't access ANY of my programs!!! Today, I re-installed Talisman, this time being more careful with what I activate. It worked - as a wallpaper-with-icons over the basic Windows XP interface (so what's the point, if all it changes is the desktop picture?)
Any modifications to the interface inevitably involve zipped folders. And the help section - if you manage to acess it!:) - is the most un-helpful I ever came across! In other words, use Astonshell (see my review). Or just stick with Windows Explorer.
- See all 4 user reviews Write review
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