All about Microsoft

Open-source Castle Project founder joins Microsoft
Mary Jo Foley Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:45:24 -0000
Hamilton "Hammett" Verissimo, the founder of the open-source Castle Project, is joining Microsoft on August 11 as a program manager on the Microsoft Extensibility Framework (MEF) team.
Microsoft’s online plan: Spend, spend, spend
Mary Jo Foley Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:44:47 -0000
If you think Microsoft's been spending like crazy in the online space, you ain't seen nothing yet. (And that's not counting when or if Microsoft's multi-billion-dollar bid for Yahoo's search business is ever consummated.)
Microsoft Fiji beta over; final ‘TV Pack’ due soon
Mary Jo Foley Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:52:32 -0000
Microsoft is done testing "Fiji," its update to Windows Media Center and is preparing to release the product -- officially known as "Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008 -- via PC makers.
Poll: Would a MicroAOL be better than a MicroHoo?
Mary Jo Foley Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:54:26 -0000
As much as I (and many others inside and outside Microsoft and Yahoo) thought a Microsoft buy of Yahoo made little sense, a Microsoft-AOL tie-up seemingly makes even less. What do you think?
Microsoft opens up Live Mesh to more testers
Mary Jo Foley Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:05:32 -0000
If you were closed out of Microsoft's Live Mesh preview for lack of an invite, you now can get in.
Should the Empire strike back?
Mary Jo Foley Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:45:31 -0000
Microsoft still has yet to show off the fruits of the $300 million plus it spent to create a new consumer-focused ad campaign designed to make Windows Vista and Microsoft "cool." But in the interim, some bloggers are weighing in with advice for the Redmondians that runs contrary to what some Microsoft backers had been advocating Microsoft do to "take back" the operating-system conversation from Apple.

 

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Aston - A desktop manager and shell replacement for Windows with easy shell swapping capability and features including transparencies and hotkeys.
Meta Description: [ Aston - fast, stable, secure and reliable Desktop replacement. Beautiful Themes on your Desktop. Virtual Desktop Manager for windows ]

bbLean - bbLean is the lean version of Blackbox for Windows. It keeps balance between features and complexity, to give you efficient means within a compact shell.

BEOSWin - BEOSWin is a BEOS style Shell for Windows 95 or 98, designed to emulate the Deskbar application of BEOS version 5.

Blackbox For Windows - The main site for blackbox for windows, an alternative shell that mimics blackbox for linux.

Blizzle - News and releases about Windows customization and alternative shell software

Blueberry 3D-Desktop - The Blueberry desktop project is made using Delphi, its main purpose is a 3D OPENGL engine in replacement of Windows desktop

Bluebox - A competitor to Blackbox for Windows, bluebox adheres more to the fluxbox style of doing things.

Core - Core is written in VB6 and is designed to imitate LiteStep in that it is completely customizable.

DarkStep - Replaces the default explorer shell for Windows 9x/ME/NT/W2K, which allows for a fully customized Graphical User Interface to improve/personalize functionality and aesthetics.

Desktop Manager - Desktop Manager is a virtual desktop program and Windows shell. A virtual desktop program gives you more work space, you use a control of some kind and you switch to another virtual screen where you can run different applications. So, instead of hunting for windows behind other windows on one cramped screen you can keep them separate and switch to them when you need to work with them. A Windows shell is what you see on the desktop, the interface for interacting with the system, it includes the icons, folders, the taskbar, etc. Desktop Manager is what you make of it.

DesktopX - This utility offers many desktop enhancements such as adding objects, direct access to ActiveX controls, and ability to create your own objects and add functionality with VBScript or Javascript.
Meta Description: [ DesktopX is a desktop enhancement utility designed specifically for Microsoft Windows.  It integrates seamlessly into the operating system giving Windows a host of new features. ]

Emerge Desktop - Emerge Desktop is an alternate desktop shell (user interface) for Microsoft Windows 2000 and above. It provides menus similar to the standard 'Start Menu' available via a right or mid click on the desktop. In addition, there are many additional applets that provide additional functionality, including a task list, system tray (the icons located on the right hand side of the Windows Taskbar). There are many informational applets that display CPU, Memory and Disk usage. It will even display the weather for you.

GO - Go, the ultraminimilistic shell for windows. A run box, some hotkeys, and no fuss.

HoverDesk - HoverDesk is a complete and powerful desktop replacement. It adds versatility to your existing Windows desktop and lets you customize your interface according to your needs and tastes. HoverDesk expands the Windows environment by adding novel ways to launch your applications, keep track of running tasks, display system information, display time / date with world time zone features, play media files and more.

k23 productions - Home of cloud:9ine, icefire, melon, eggShell, and dotWidgets.
Meta Description: [ Homepage to k23 productions. Developers of freeware desktop enhancements. ]

LiteShell - A tiny, ultra-fast shell for Windows. It is designed with old, slow PCs in mind. On any PC, it uses next to no CPU/RAM.
Meta Description: [ The Internet: more crap at your fingertips than on them. ]

LowDimension - Once home of SharpE, now producing the new S2 shell for windows.

MacVision - MacVision is a program for all Windows computers. It allows your computer to be more friendly - more Mac like. MacVision gives your Windows environment the friendly personality of a Macintosh computer by replacing the normal windows style window borders, buttons, progress bars, scrollbars, and more... and at the same time gives you the functionality of MacOS by providing a strikingly similar replica of the Mac OS Finder.

SharpEnvironment for Windows - SharpEnvironment is a shell replacement for Windows that aims to create a more user-personal, beautiful computing experience that is conducive to productivity.

Shell Extension City - Shell extensions, interface customization software, and other utilities for Windows 95/98/NT/2000, and other OSs. For Windows, over 1000 shell extensions and replacements, registry hacking software, and much else needed to customize your system. Mostly freeware. New programs added daily.
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Shell-Shocked - Alternate Windows shell online magazine.

ShellFront - Information on various alternative shells for Windows.

Silver Forge Systems - Makers of the Equinox Shell, DesktopPro Studio, and DesktopPro 2000 line of alternative shells.

Talisman - Talisman Desktop (Talisman) is a desktop alternative and shell-replacement for Windows 9x/ME and NT/2000/XP, capable of transforming your desktop into an interface organized as you like.

The SphereXP - The SphereXP is a 3D desktop replacement for Microsoft Windows XP. Taking the known concept of three-dimensional desktops to its own level. It offers a new way to organize objects on the desktop such as icons and applications.

ThinTop Desktop Security Suite - A desktop replacement shell for Win9x to XP, designed to secure the desktop, block un-authorised applications, remove access to command prompts, stop unwanted user changes and enable the administrator to centrally define access on a per user basis in both thin and fat client environments. Easy to install and administer and fully customisable desktop interface suitable for any organisation.

WinStep - Winstep Software Technologies develops a suite of award winning, skinnable applications for the Windows 32-bit environment. The purpose of this groundbreaking suite is to provide usability enhancements to the standard Explorer shell while at the same time providing the user with unlimited flexibility. All Winstep applications are compatible with Win9x, ME, NT4, 2000 and XP.