What is Digg?120 Comments
- rauz, on 10/12/2007, -7/+67All text and no screenshots makes Rauz a dull boy.
- earache, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Ugh, too many of these 3D spaces remind me of MS Bob.
- mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14There are screenshots if you click a link to the shell. Try the first one listed ( http://www.3dna.net/products/gallery.htm )
That shell gives you a completely 3D system.
This one looks cool too: http://www.spheresite.com/ - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiteStep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoShell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BB4Win - Ignorant, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Yes, there are screenshots if you click the link. This however is a big list of shells, they should put a small screenshot next to each link so you know if you want to bother.
- AnalogDaylight, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12Why does everyone have to throw in there "linux" comments with every single article. I'm sure everyone would like the ability to up and switch operating systems at any time. However, someone us use huge software programs that prevents one from simply jumping to a new operating system. So in that case, we make the best of the operating system we have to use to the run the software we need to run. I think anyone on Digg, likely knows about Linux and its benefits.
- JustMatt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Amen. I love Linux just as much as anyone, but you don't have to throw in your Linux comments just to sound "geeky." We get it.
- glassjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I was annoyed by the lack of screenshots too, but then I thought about it - How do you judge an entire shell replacement by just a couple screenshots? For example, most media players are skinnable too. Would you judge a media player solely by whichever one had the best looking screenshots?
A feature comparison matrix would be nice though... - hasbeen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I concur. This would be a great idea but the site is not very user friendly. At the very least a screenshot should be posted for each.
- chicken101, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7How stable are these things? Can I uninstall them easily? Do they mess with the registry? These are things I must know.
- b-rent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Please for the love of god... this isn't directed at all of you but I can tell from a lot of these comments that some people don't realize what this replaces.
These programs replace Explorer NOT Internet Explorer. Do this... press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and end the "explorer.exe" process. See? All that just disappeared is what you are replacing. If you replace it with a lightweight shell then your system will probably perform much better.
Currently, my Explorer is consuming almost 40MB of system resources. If you can find one that takes up even half of that then you are doing yourself a favor.
Skinning and styles are totally unrelated. These WILL bloat your system and hog resources.
Anyway... sorry. Thanks. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Based on the fact that the site has been around for a long time, I think the author couldn't care less as to how you feel about the site design.
Just because it's simple doesn't mean it sucks.
/not the site author - sosuke, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6http://www.bb4win.org
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11Unfortunately, shell replacements for Windows are usually unreliable and unstable. I doubt any of them are supported (well, if at all) on 64bit, either.
Anyway, I don't use Windows because it is "pretty". I use it for my games. If I want "pretty", I have my Powerbook or one of my linux installs with KDE or GNOME. - AnalogDaylight, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5What is a really good windows shell replacement that's not going to bloat my PC down?
- sosuke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This site is old, like its been around for a few years, its the largest shell replacement list, do your own research because replacing a shell is a very personal experience, you can't just look at screenshots to decide, you really have to look at features.
I started with http://www.litestep.net, and ended up with http://www.bb4win.org
Digg++ - joel2600, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4not really it actually makes your computer run faster w/o all of the extra overhead associate with explorer
- munkt0n, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5shell replacements are a waste of time.
a replacement explorer is much more useful
http://www.gpsoft.com.au/ - directory opus
http://www.zabkat.com/ - xplorer2 - sosuke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2glassjoe, i switched because there was a very short time when the future of litestep was in question, development stopped and it was up in the air, i switched over to bb4win for a while until my boss told me to take it all off my machine :)
- fr0z3nph03n1x, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Are these for xp or just windows versions below xp?
- cthulhu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Try bbLean: http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/
The smallest, lightest, fastest, most stable shell out there.
And here's some of my themes for it:
http://www.toxicana.com/index.php?page=blackbox - AstroPHX, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Hey Grammar Cop, elipsis [sic] is spelled either ellipses (plural) or ellipsis (singular). Either way, you destroyed that sentence.
- hausome, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3The visual style should be located here: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=400409
If you never installed a visual style before consult: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=339820
Basically all you need is the UXTheme patcher located here: http://www.llbbl.com/data/nw_uxpatcher.zip
Once you run it, you'll restart your computer and then you can start applying visual styles. Enjoy! - glassjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I like Total Commander. ( http://www.totalcmd.net ) You can configure almost everything with key commands. And after you get past the learning curve, managing your files can be very similar in speed to touch typing.
- sosuke, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Screenshots for some of these shells just would not work, there is almost nothing there unless you get full resolution images, and most of the shells have ~1000 screenshots on their sites, this site is just a list.
- cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You could try http://www.explorerxp.com
- felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Exactly! That was the very first thing I thought of. The ones that don't look like BOB look like they were made with Kai's Power Tools.
There's a reason you don't see anything like these in common use - they're either nothing but eye candy, or horribly misguided usability exercises.
An good UI should be "invisible" - I want to focus on my documents and applications, not a bunch of 3D candy cane color blobs.
The only place I've seen any real innovation in an interface lately is Symphony ( http://www.symphonyos.com/ ) - but that's a Linux distro. Not perfect, but real attempt to focus on usability instead of special effects. - commiecat, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Good idea, horrible layout. If you want to use an ellipsis, do it properly - don't lay on the period key like a noob using exclamation points.
As for content - I've always been pleased with Aston Shell personally.
-commiecat - Yogurth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@ cthulhu
Very slick work man, the unfortunate thing is I could never get accustomed to right click browsing in bb(just too slow for my taste). Still Your work deserves 5 stars ***** ^^ - Mesach, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Dont worry 9Digits, you will get your chance next week when it comes back, and we have the usual rounds of "I've never seen it"
- jerrygofixit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This list looks identical to a list of shells I saw like 7 years ago, if I'm not mistaken I think it IS the list I saw 7 years ago when I tried litestep,evwm, and Optix.(+digg if anyone knows what Optix is or was, it was a fun program)
- hankyone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2that not a shell replacement
- Duke999R, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I came across this site a while back...after a lot of trial and error, I settled on bbLean.
Also, Directory Opus is my default file manager. Happy with that, I am.
Dugg. - neko, on 01/23/2008, -0/+1Morons! You should all be using the proper unicode ellipsis symbol… Otherwise it's just three periods, which has a completely different meaning!
… - sosuke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2To do shell replacements you need to like to get your hands dirty, registry editing comes with the territory. Stable? meh
- neko, on 01/23/2008, -0/+1I tried it - it was pretty cool for a while, but then I found the dock was interfering with video and taking screenshots within games - you'd get a green or black rectangle.
Haven't been able to completely get rid of it, either - but I don't want to reinstall just to get rid of a few out-of-theme icons. I can't bear to look at those green hills again. - drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When i started using linux, i got litestep to try and get better gaming performance with windows. It wasnt unstable, but it was quite buggy. Lots of weird behavior and just generally not very impressive. Didnt care much though cause all i just wanted a couple icons for my games.
I pretty much gave up on theming windows though, it just wasnt meant to be. I got sick of the registry key hacking and all that. KDE and GNOME are built around customization, and they are far more mature than the shells availabe for XP, including the default one. - fabiopsousa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Litestep, long time for sure!
- mushoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Upon new light shed by the Oh, dark one whose name I cannot even begin to pronounce (cthulhu), ***** Geo Shell.
Nice work by the way.
Once you get used to right-clicking it seems more natural. Thx for the linkz. - math0ne, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I agree that MOST shell replacements are unstable.
That said, some are in fact MORE stable than windows explorer. I've had explorer crash on my so many times it would make your head spin. I've been using litestep (http://beyondconvention.net/ohussain/lsinstaller/) with a stable theme (http://nonstep.litestep.com/) for 2 years now without a crash.
Great Functionality and great looking desktop. I'd totally recommend looking into those links if your thinking of moving away from the windows shell on a permanent basis. - spacebar14, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2^^ which one? there's like, dozens and dozens! ^^
- Dhalamar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Not a shell replacement, but real cool regardless. :)
- duwamish, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I've been using litestep for years, a good theme customised (which is rediculously easy todo) will dramatically increase your productivity. Take for example lsxcommand (which has been around for YEARS), which places a command line on your desktop allowing do everything form google searches to run apps and tweak your desktop - just as powerful as all these desktop search programs... to be fait litestep is aimed at people who like to be different and enjoy the occasional fiddle, find a good theme and you will never turn back to explorer!
- jupo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've used LiteStep on and off over the years as well as trying several other shells and it's by far the most mature and stable. Once you learn how to script modules together and create your own themes then there's no limit to what you can do. People call it buggy but I'd say they're referring to buggy themes they've downloaded that have been created by other users.
- Dhalamar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I've tried litestep, and while I loved it I tend to prefer GeoShell (http://www.geoshell.com/). I used to have an old 200mhz IBM Thinkpad with 64mb of RAM I always used at a friend's house just for internet browsing, chatting, and playing the occasional game or Diablo, and GeoShell went so well with that machine that I eventually installed it on my "good" Windows XP system. :)
I've known about shellcity for a good number of years now, but I'll digg it anyway. It's a great place to start for alternative shells. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes, Directory Opus is THE BEST. It's the cleanest, most stable Explorer replacement you can find right now. I love it!
- kohan69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd go with the most expensive one.
Get Aston!
At least, there you'll know that you have updates and security patches ;) - 12340987, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2explorer IS the shell.
- math0ne, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm fond of [xplorer²]. Lots of features in an elegant way.
The free version is good too.
http://www.zabkat.com/ - kohan69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes!!
Ant Total Commander is a lot liek it for windows -
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