See, now who needs Vista?!

hmmm the taskbar thumbnails would actually be nice...but I guess that's not working with LiteStep

the Alt+Tab replacement http://www.ntwind.com/software/taskswitchxp.html I'm using for a while now and liking a whole lot

the other stuff...well...nothing I feel in need of
and findexer kinda bugs me, when I use it with LS I get ugly focus dotts around the links all the time, when I use it with explorer I don't anybody experienced that too?

I use TopDesk 'cause the stupid feature doesn't work when you use Litestep. And I use an explorer replacement 'cause Vista's is so danged ugly and unhackable.

Also there's: http://www.nuonsoft.net/shellenhancer/features.php It has quite a lot of features.

And just about anything can mimic the vista sidebar.

Thank you for sharing that great stuff Pyro.
I am going to try and use the taskbar thumbnails and the top desk. Wicked super cool!

I have xp home, so is there anything I should know before using these programs?

I am not sure I would use the shell enchancer because I can use a variety of other methods to get some of thos effects. Some of them I just don't need!

i actually have the taskbar thumbnails with windowfx, but i never use it though.

Why not?

I like vista's appearance, but i don't like for my Operating System.

I don't like aero

i honestly don't know why. i have no good excuse why i don't use it. hmmmm...ya got me there tazio.Maybe i'll start using it again. As far as aero, yeah i don't care for the look, or xp for that matter. Thats the main reason i customize.Plus it's fun too.

and then you have this...

http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2054

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppow
ertoys.mspx

Microsoft has an alternate alt-tab add-on that displays a screengrab of the program as well as listing the name on the right, very similar to TaskSwitchXP

It's not all about the outer appearance :D
Everybody wants to get that Vista look, I want to get rid of it but I cannot :(
There are only few ways for the 64bit edition to change it...

I personally think the people who want to get the "vista look" don't really know much about customizing. Though you can get rid of it, as I have discovered (through much work) in my latest screen shots.

... and I think you do a pretty good job with Vista

Vista's "bread crumbs" feature is available in Directory Opus.

I'm not even sure what the "bread crumbs" feature is? And I couldn't get Directory Opus working on here, much like a lot of other good programs.

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=&s=400&a=1877
72&po=11,00.asp

Breadcrumbs is something to do with navigation in Vista.

OH. That almost useless crap. Ok, got it now. Yeah it's available in other explorer replacements.

Right. It doesn't look to good in my view either. Just soe other dumb feature for n00bs.

why does everyone try to make xp look like vista? its ugly. Nothing is as gorgeous as Amiga Workbench!

or maybe this...

http://www.flyakiteosx.com/

I hate Vista with a fiery passion that cannot be explained nor understood. And wonder why people want it to look like it. But for people who are dumb enough to want to get it by choice they can use this stuff instead.

This my take on it

VISTA = Very Infuriating Software, Throw Away

Well holy crap you've found out what it really stands for!

I'm kinda forced to run vista on my workputer now... :/

turning of UAC makes it a lil less anoying...and I don't really custo it since I don't have time too...I just run classic and a 3dc

also I must say I'm starting to like the new explorer layout

I'm forced as well right night since I can't downgrade. But I also can't turn off UAC -- it wouldn't work at all after I did that.

I miss my old hacked up minimal iconless explorer.

I wish directX10 on XP is available

@Aphaits: I wish the same thing. :)

And I stumbled upon what looks to be the closet thing to the Vista sidebar.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/25171391/

I hate Vista... I think I'll just wait for Windows Seven to come out.

Pfft, if Vista was this bad, what makes anyone think Windows Seven will be any good?

*Glares evilly at my computer*

Vista is not as bad as "some" people make it to be.

I'd just go for the Vista transformation pack, that way, you won't experience those nasty problems. :P My brother did it, it pretty much was on par with the actual Vista OS.

I would be laughing if Linux community had the same thing but...
"See, now who needs Ubuntu?!" The only thing stopping me is my gaming needs, other than that, I would be using Ubuntu right now.

Vista might be better once they release SP1 for it, but who knows how long that's going to take...

Yeah, I don't like Vista at all. Ubuntu is better, imo. It is mostly bloating that I dislike in the Windows OSes.

I use Ubuntu for the vast majority of things and only really have XP set up for Oblivion (I love Wine). I do have to admit that I do use XP because of familiarity (my entire life up until last year was Windows), but I'm mostly loyal to Linux now.

XP is familiar and comfortable. And customizable -- easily. There's a Ctrl+Alt+Del comic on Vista and XP.

Vista is more bloated, less customizable, and all around more annoying to get stuff done in.

I really don't think it's only "some" people that dislike it. But hey, I have an abnormal hatred for it -- mainly because it makes me want to tear my hair out from the roots. ... But that's just me. o_O

Nice links....thanks

XP is customizable when you replace "uxtheme.dll", and then you can make it look even like Vista. I don´t know how this OS is, but it has a nice look, and Pyro´s links are very good, especially the thumbnails of windows shown in the taskbar.

I don't particularly think Vista looks nice standard and the interface I have heard is really bad and annoying.

I think I will stick with XP for as long as possible before better hardware will require never OS's

This is impossible, Tazio. Operating systems are a bridge between applications and hardware. Without them ,the programs would need your own routines for opening and saving files, for example, and this is a more complicated way to create programs.

For anyone using Vista, does this actually work?

http://technodigits.wordpress.com/2007/07/28/use-non-microso
ft-visual-styles-on-vista-by-using-patched-uxtheme-file/

If that's the same one I used -- then NO. It broke my whole bloody system. Until I forcibly replaced the original files with much difficulty because it didn't want to recognize them,

www.BadVista.org