In the last article about WindowBlinds 6, I took users on a tour of the brand new user interface in WB6. This time I wanted to cover the basics of using WindowBlinds, and this is especially aimed at new users or people interested in what WindowBlinds can do for their desktop. If you are new to this whole customization thing, don't worry, I'm going to cover the basics for you.
So what is WindowBlinds? Well WindowBlinds is an application that allows you to easily and safely change the skin (visual style) of your Windows XP or Vista desktop. There's no need to be stuck with the boring look of the default Windows desktop, when you can change it to one of thousands of skins available for download.
A free trial of WindowBlinds is available here, and once installed you can find thousands of skins in all sorts of styles in the WindowBlinds gallery at WinCustomize.com. There are also several great skins already included as well.
|
|
|
WindowBlinds skin list |
In the screenshot above you will see the interface for WindowBlinds 6. The "Look & feel" tab is selected and we are now in the "visual styles" area. At the bottom of the window you will see the skin list which shows all the installed skins. If needed, you can select "skin options" and click "rebuild list" if you don't see all your installed skins. You can scroll through the list and when you select a skin, you will see a preview of the WindowBlinds skin.
Some skins will have sub-styles included, which are variations of the skin. If you see a drop down box above the skin list you can view the included sub-styles. Once you select the skin you want to use, either double-click the skin in the list or click "Apply my changes" to change the skin.
|
|
|
Desktop with WindowBlinds 6 |
After the skin is applied, you should have a new desktop with the skin of your choice. There are many more features in WindowBlinds 6 including skin coloring, font changing, adjustable transparency, and much more. This is the basics of how to use WindowBlinds to give your desktop a whole new look. We will go over more basic and more advanced features in other articles.
WindowBlinds is available as a stand-alone application, or part of the Object Desktop suite of enhancements. For more information visit the WindowBlinds homepage at http://www.windowblinds.net.