Don't want to settle for rolling green hills on your desktop? PC Authority looks at the alternatives with our guide to the latest desktop enhancements.
The field of user interface customisation is growing year by year. It was once the domain of power users and Linux geeks, but there are now more tools than ever for changing the look and feel of your Windows desktop. We can alter the shape and animation of every single button on any screen and we can easily create applications, or widgets, that embed themselves throughout the desktop and provide enhancements to the core OS.
So why are we so quick to change our desktops? Take a look at Microsoft's bland, grey colour scheme in the Win95 days and it's little wonder that we craved for something to brighten things up. But even after Microsoft ditched its 'shades of grey' colour palette with Windows XP, we still couldn't get rid of the red sand dunes and green hills fast enough. The truth is that many of us just want to personalise those spaces where we spend a lot of time. Whether it's the living room or the desktop, we're still going to stick photos of our kids all over it. This sentiment rings through at the most basic behaviours - each time we change an icon or wallpaper we're making the statement that we want more control over the look and feel of our PC.
To run for the hills, head straight to the Display Properties. |
If we take this idea a step further with the world's most popular operating system, it begs the question: why doesn't Microsoft provide us with the basic tools to tailor the desktop? Windows XP's alternative silver and olive themes were a start, but trying to customise further than that is an exercise in frustration.
Fortunately, we're not restricted to Windows' built-in customisation tools. This month, we've looked at the latest packages out there to tweak and change your desktop environment. There's more to it than simply changing the wallpaper or adding colour to your taskbar - you can change virtually every visual aspect of Windows, as well as add some extra functionality.
So pull up an easel, grab your best set of crayons, and start styling.