- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (30-day trial); $39.90 to buy
- Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7/NT
- Date added: June 01, 2009
- Total Downloads: 69,663
- Downloads last week: 1,435
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 19 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
What does Winstep Xtreme do? More like, what doesn't Winstep extreme do? This powerful desktop customization allows users to tweak their computer's appearance in innumerable ways.
Users who are a fan of the Apple dock and widgets will find a functional Windows version of these features in Winstep, but this program is way more than an Apple rip-off. There are themes. There are mouse-over previews of open windows. There's e-mail checking and weather forecasts and a fortune-telling fish called Wanda. The program is jam-packed with features and options. A program this rich in options demands two things: an easily navigated interface, and a well-written, organized Help file. This is where Winstep Xtreme starts to lose us. The program has two components: NEXTStart, the Start menu modification, and WorkShelf, a dock-like workspace manager. Each of these has its own lengthy Help file. Although the Help files are thorough, they're not necessarily easy to access, and beginning users may not be sure which feature goes with which component. The settings for each component are so numerous that it would be almost impossible to find an easy way to organize. It takes a lot of clicking around to find the right menu, and then a lot of fiddling to make adjustments. That said, users who are into hardcore customization should appreciate the myriad functions, even if they're hard to access.
Winstep Extreme has a 30-day trial period. It comes as a ZIP file and installs desktop icons without asking, but it does uninstall cleanly. We recommend this program to intermediate and advanced users, as well as ambitious beginners.
Publisher's description
From Winstep Software Technologies :Winstep Xtreme is a suite of Windows user interface replacement applications that merge incredible usability and performance with breathtaking eye candy. Winstep Xtreme includes NeXuS, the dock system with live icon reflections, WorkShelf, a tabbed dock, NextStart, the menu system that also takes care of all your task management needs with Windows 7 "Superbar" capabilities, Winstep Start Menu Organizer, which helps you organize and clean your Windows Start Menu, Fontbrowser, a simple font browser with an easy to use interface, and desktop widgets such as a speaking atomic clock, e-mail checker, weather monitor, recycler, fortune cookie reader, CPU, Net, and RAM meters.
Version 9.5 brings the Windows 7 "Superbar" functionality to Vista and XP.What's new in this version:
Version 9.5 brings the Windows 7 "Superbar" functionality to Vista and XP.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.6 stars out of 19 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 17 user reviewsSee all 17 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Winstep Xtreme 9.5
"super and helpful thanks you"
Pros: every things yes
Cons: got to pay for it thers no free version
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Version: Winstep Xtreme 9.5
Pros: easy to install, runs smooth
Cons: keep asking to update
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Version: Winstep Xtreme 9.5
Pros: Very good customiztion program. Many themes in different sites.
Cons: Too complicated for the regular user.
Summary: It's a very great customization program. Just try it and you will see...
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Version: Winstep Xtreme 9.5
Pros: I saw the mac lappy n i jus had to get this, more themes r ava,if you have seen rocket dock then you'll know what i mean, if you haven't then you must have seen apple mac ,they have a dock on desktop.iwanted these feature's but on windows.
Cons: start button dissapears on laptop if nexus dock stops working, i then have to shutdown and restart, that happens if for any reason nexus dock stops working,i'm trying to find a way round this.
Summary: i love this and recommend this to everyone.
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Version: Winstep Xtreme 9.5
Pros: The amount of stuff you can configure is amazing. Lots of skins out there for the product. Great support community (the author is friendly and responds to questions and requests). Stable, has not crashed on me. Extremely light on resources.
Cons: There are so many things you can configure that for a new user it can be confusing. The options arent self-explanatory; I didn't know what "Respect Reserved Screen Space" meant until I enabled it and poked around to see what was different.
Summary: I like this product because it has enabled me to do exactly what I wanted. I recently gave Ubuntu (GNU/Linux) a spin and I loved the hell out of the Gnome desktop, but unfortunately Wine didn't play nice with all the Windows apps I need to use, and ... read more >>
- See all 17 user reviews Write review
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