Useful 3rd party tools to complement TC

[SQUIRE]

Our beloved KatMouse again was updated to a new version!

Thx! Love Katmouse!

[SanskritFritz]

Love Katmouse!

Yeah, this is one of those utilities, that I cannot live without. The functionality should have been built into windows long time ago. I think KDE and the like all behave that way, not sure tho.

[majkinetor !]

!n Windows XP "Hidden application" Enabler

!i This one will enable more then 20 hidden applications in Windows.
!l http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?p=1543802

[icfu]

First parsing tests?

Very nice idea, that Windows XP "Hidden application" Enabler, but several errors in the links unfortunately. Some targets and working folders are wrong, some apps aren't hidden at all in normal XP installation and some are missing like mplay32.exe.

Icfu

[majkinetor !]

First parsing tests?

I hope that it will not end with this one.

but several errors in the links unfortunately

Everything works here except:

Windows Migration Manager
Address Book Migrator
Windows Address Book

some apps aren't hidden at all in normal XP installation

This can not harm. Also, this they are all @ one place now.

[majkinetor !]

!n bbLean - Alternate shell for windows [freeware]

!i Blackbox is well known *nix shell, also ported to Windows. There are several code branches like Xoblit and bbLean. The last one is driven by minimilism philosphy. Speed is insane, and menus are just great. To install just unzip and type BlackBox -install and that will replace explorer as a shell.

bbLean shell is engine for plugins which are 10-20K size generaly. There are taskbar, tray, desktop... plugins.

The greatest thing are so called br@msg which are broadcast messages that every plugin and shell's core understand. You can put brom's in menus, call it with a click etc... Broms can do everything: hide windows, minimise all, cascade, stay on top... they are also extensible by plugins, like you have br@om that will switch virutal desktop when called.

Another greatest thing is that any menu can stay as long as you need it. If you want menu A->B->C->D->F to stay, just click RMB on its title. Another one will release it. Never repeat above sequence again 10 times in one minute... You can see several menus pined on the screenshot.

!l [Download Page] http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/
!l [Plugins Page ] http://xoblite.net/plugins.html
!----

!n Avedesk - Desktop enhacement utility [freeware]

!i This one looks like real candy. Plus it's memory outfit is great comparing to similars like DesktopX or Talisman Desktop. It supports scripting language and virtualy anything can be made from simple icons to widgets.
I find that it works like a charm with bbLean. You have my test screenshot down there, to see posibilities (its for the kids - note that every disney hero is animated when mouse is over).

!l [Community Page] www.avedesk.org
!----

Screenshot - bbLean (default + bbSysBarEx plugin) + AveDesk 1.3
( 3-10MB of RAM comparing to ~ 10 MB of RAM with pure explorer)
high RAM usage comes with AveDesk, bbLean doesn't go over 1MB especialy with plugin bbMemShrink which expose br@msg that will free bbLeans unused memory)

http://i2.turboimagehost.com/b/12818/Clip.PNG


NOTE: I used Avedesk in combination with bbLean because bbLean doesn't have good desktop enhacer (try bbIconBox, bbInterface) and when I say good, I mean they don't support transparent images, otherwise they are fine and light). Since transparent images are essential for every good looking system, I choosed to stick with AveDesk for a momment - its free, is lighter then any of other desktop enhacement tools I used. So, if anyone find something that is more system friendly please drop a note here.

[icfu]

Everything works here except:

Windows Services.lnk doesn't link to services.msc but wmimgmt.msc.

So, if anyone find something that is more system friendly please drop a note here.

You can try dotWidget, it's a fresh widget engine:
http://www.k23productions.com/products/dotWidget/

You can also take a look at the AstonShell, it's shareware though:
http://www.astonshell.com/

Icfu

[XPEHOPE3KA]

Windows XP "Hidden application" Enabler

They say they are unlocked now!!! ROTFLMAO!!! Who has locked them before?
Application enabler - Messiah for unlocking applications!! Ha-ha! Noobs invited... Does it "unlock" shareware progs too?

That's strange, but we already (for years!) have such lists with complete explanation available. A pity for you that it's all in Russian. But one might have googled for an English list long ago... I'm sure some site with a name like "tweakwindozenow.com" has published the list before.

[majkinetor !]

2 X



hej kid.... calm down, nobody said that you have to take it literaly. Its just simple app that you run and you have shortcuts ready to use. Nothing more nothing less.

[XPEHOPE3KA]

I was just joking. Of course, I didn't take that too close to heart, but making all the post pillar box red will make it unreadable

[majkinetor !]

Just obey the protocol !

[SQUIRE]

Just obay the protocol !

Yeah, absolutely! Flippancy will be sunflower orange.

[majkinetor !]

Everybody should see this:

Its 60 MB presentation video of OpenGL Cube Shell (XGL). It is amazing and open source.

http://people.freedesktop.org/~davidr/xgl-demo1.xvid.avi

Picture: http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/img/movie-cube.jpg
Homepage: http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/

[XPEHOPE3KA]

Seen it already - really awesome and hearttaking!
BTW, what does XGL stand for?

[SQUIRE]

Yes, highly impressive demo of what can be achieved. But any idea what sort of desktop hardware config is required to render graphics at this level? That looks like a high powered graphics workstation doing its thing.

I'm pretty sure my poor old graphics chip will have a major heart attack in the first 10 secs.