What does your desktop look like?

[George]

Ok, I seldomy post here but I am kind of proud with the result on this one. I started working on this while redoing my Best Free Resource Meter article:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best...urce-meter.htm

My interest was a tool called "Rainmeter" that I wanted to give a more thorough test. Well, what can I say, I got stuck with this great program and spent hours on DeviantArt checking out skins for it.

This is a Windows 7 desktop running Rainmeter with the Enigma, Arcs and HDDstatus skins. At the bottom is the free version of Stardock's ObjectDock. For this design I converted all icons I used there into grayscale images.

Here are the links to the tools and skins I used:

• Rainmeter: http://rainmeter.net/cms/
• Enigma suite and Arcs: http://enigma.kaelri.com/downloads/
• HDDstatus skin: http://frosch99.deviantart.com/art/H...ch99-169070470
• Stardock ObjectDock Free: http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/
• Wallpaper: http://www.wallpapers-room.com/1725/...rch-hexagon/5/

[kendall.a]

George, not to derail the thread, but I'm curious why you choose to use Stardock ObjectDock Free with Windows 7? I pin the programs that I most use already to my taskbar. What leads you to use Stardock instead of just pinning programs to the Windows 7 taskbar?

P.S. I like the look, but I'm curious if it gives you anymore useability or functionality over what you can already do in Windows 7?

[4goTTen21]

Windows 8 in my testing lab, I mean, everyday PC with a few mods

Why Windows has an option to open DVD-R but not to close? I miss that from Mac or Linux

Why never incorporated tabbed browsing to explorer? I don't really care

Thanks for letting me customize my own way

[MidnightCowboy]

Examples of Korora Linux showing my two installed desktop environments. The base install was KDE to which I then added the Gnome desktop components followed by Cinnamon Window Manager (must be done in this order). Both items straight from the Korora package manager with just a couple of clicks. Log out and then choose either KDE Plasma Workspace or Cinnamon from the session menu to change. This is Cinnamon.

[MidnightCowboy]

And this is back with KDE. Notice the Windows logo and IE icon.

[George]

Originally Posted by kendall.a

George, not to derail the thread, but I'm curious why you choose to use Stardock ObjectDock Free with Windows 7? I pin the programs that I most use already to my taskbar. What leads you to use Stardock instead of just pinning programs to the Windows 7 taskbar?

P.S. I like the look, but I'm curious if it gives you anymore useability or functionality over what you can already do in Windows 7?

Hi Kendall,
the Windows 7 taskbar is simply not customizable enough. Potsitioning, shape, size, separators, fonts and colors, all those things cannot be done with it. Yesterday for example I was looking for a way to grayscale the taskbar, to no success. But you can launch your apps from it that is true. I use the taskbar to show what's running, not for launching. I placed it at the top of my desktop (it's autohiding in the screenshot). So I have my launcher at the bottom and my whats-running-taskbar at the top.

You are absolutely right that such designs do not nexessarily award you with a higher usability. But that's not the goal either. It's really about the looks and the design and putting something together that catches your own eye. I do it just for the moment when the machine boots and greets me with that look . In fact, as soon as I run applications then it's all gone anyways since they overlap the desktop of course. The tastes are also very different. If you browse through DeviantArt Rainmeter skins you'll see how crazy some designs are.

I surely had fun playing with it. That's another factor.

[m22rdy]

My anti-clutter desktop.

Smooth, fast & simple. Quad Core 3.4, 16gig DDR3, 2TB gaming card, 120gig SSD.
Windows 7 x64 SP1. Windows Rating 7.3.

[MidnightCowboy]

Korora 17 KDE desktop. The panel icons are from a Rocket Dock collection called Black Beauty. The clock and date are standard Superkaramba themes but the monitor is a custom build using a Rainmeter skin for the background image. Folder icons are from the Zorin set.

[Jojo Yee]

Originally Posted by George

This thread might really suffer with Windows 8 ... :-)

The only consolation: Windows 8 Desktop mode.

[MidnightCowboy]

Originally Posted by Jojoyee

The only consolation: Windows 8 Desktop mode.

This is my "metro" desktop.



Just in case (or not ) anyone is interested I had a Metro GTa version of the above for a time and it was a real fun drive. Eclipsed later by my Almera GTi but considering the years between them, a much underrated car.