WindowBlinds 4.0

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

No matter what themes, backgrounds, or colors you choose, certain aspects of Windows always remain the same. WindowBlinds doesn't revolutionize the functionality of Windows XP, but it does give you more control over the cosmetics through themes that change the taskbar and windows within the operating system. You'll find very good integration with XP in this release, as configuration options are easily accessible from the Windows Display Control Panel. The new WindowBlinds also gets high marks for performance; we found the skins loaded seamlessly after a couple of seconds. A performance slider lets users with slower PCs choose a setting that won't interfere with the normal operation of their machines. This release offers a few interesting thematic options, such as iSkin, which portrays the look and window control buttons of the Mac interface while retaining the functionality of the Windows Start menu. If you want to edit the themes through the program, you'll have to install the publisher's SkinStudio. Bored Windows users might get a kick out of WindowBlinds.

Publisher's description

From Stardock :

WindowBlinds 4.0 extends Windows XP to support enhanced visual styles. These visual styles can change the title bar, borders, push buttons, radio buttons, the Start bar, task panels, and virtually every other aspect of the Windows XP GUI.

WindowBlinds not only changes the way Windows can look, it can increase your productivity by letting users define what right-clicking and double-clicking on the title bar will do, such as adding additional title bar buttons to roll-up windows, keeping them on top, minimizing to the tray, and dozens of other things.

Version 4.0 is dramatically faster than version 3.0 and is noticeably faster than using the included Windows XP visual styles. It is also more compatible than version 3.0 with a wide variety of programs. The new version supports controlling the width of the Windows XP Start bar, a new configuration program, shell styles, skinning of the logon/logoff dialogs, and much more. The enhanced version can skin the Windows XP command prompt and non-theme aware programs as well.

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