WindowBlinds Preview 0.40 What Are These WindowBlind Things Anyway? Douglas Smith
WindowBlinds is a utility that will change the way you look at Windows. It allows you to completely customize your desktop, changing the style of title bars, buttons, and toolbars. Windows buttons and check boxes can be replaced by skins, and you can assign buttons to toolbars that will launch programs. WindowBlinds allows you to create your own skins or personalities, choose from the four that are included in the program, or download additional skins from the developer's Web site.
You can also choose to exclude certain programs from WindowBlinds if you don't want to change their appearance. There are instructions on creating your own skin backgrounds for WindowBlinds at the Web site and if you are up to the challenge, there is even a contest going on where you can compete for cash and free products from Stardock Systems. WindowBlinds is in the early stages right now, but it seems to be moving very rapidly, with lots of different skins already available with plenty more to come.
Some new and improved features in this release of WindowBlinds are:
Improved stability and performance
Support for UIS 2 personalities
Buttons may be placed anywhere
Support for proper transparency
Menu bar skins
Support for button, check box, and radio button bitmaps
Ability to install personalities easily
Included index.html file with details on how to create new skins/personalities
How about the future of WindowBlinds?
There many new features planned, but it seems that stability is getting better since this is still in early development and testing. If you like the idea of adding that personal touch to your desktop, jump on over to Stardock Systems Web site and download WindowBlinds. The product is presently free for anyone who wants to check it out, but this could change in the future, so don’t wait too long. WindowBlinds works with Windows 95/98/NT, and it is planned to work for Windows2000 when it is released.
