Is Windows looking a bit bleak these days? Functional, yet utterly boring to look at? Well, why not spice up your computing experience with WindowBlinds - the awesome themer for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista from Stardock!

Most of us have wondered why Windows doesn't come with more than the 2 or 3 built-in themes, and some of us have even downloaded "themes" of dubious nature that do more harm than good. Others of us dual-boot from Linux distros like Ubuntu that have rich and stunning desktop effects, only to suffer fits of yawning looking at Windows.

Even Windows Vista isn't that much more exciting than XP or earlier versions... especially if you paid for the upgrade only to find the "Aero" desktop isn't included in the Home Basic edition!

But with WindowBlinds, you can not only change the colours and look of programs and windows, but also add animated effects that range from the cute to the stunning - and all without slowing your system down! You can import themes or skins, and then change things like fonts, wallpapers and colours to your liking in the WindowBlinds Configuration program. The full list of features is:

As you can see, you can really customise Windows to your personal tastes. Take a look at the pics below and you'll see some of the great themes available for WindowBlinds. Some will radically the shape and look of your windows, while others are smooth and elegant; many will feature animated control buttons (minimise, maximise and exit) and Start Menu buttons, while others will have animated title bars and even Taskbar backgrounds! Most of the newer ones will also have semi-transparent menus and even blur effects like frosted glass.

And then you have themes like Molten, which has all of the above and also has an animated dragon roaring amid flames when you open the Start Menu! Check out the pics below - this skin from Stardock is guaranteed to totally stun everyone you show it to! Or you can just impress yourself by making your XP look like Vista, or your Vista like a Mac. Whatever your tastes, there are bound to be heaps of skins that you'll like, and you can alter them by changing the system font and its size, even play with the colours. You can control the levels of transparency and blur, specify for skins not to change your wallpaper, let them change icon themes (if they have them), and much more. In other words, you can change a lot of things, or just choose to change a couple of aspects of your computing experience.

What you get on the disc:

This CD has over 800 WindowBlinds themes, ranging from a few for versions 1, 2 & 3, hundreds for versions 4, 5 & 5.5, and a few dozen for the latest WindowBlinds 6. All of these will work on the latest version, but if you already have a previous version of WindowBlinds a handful of the latest version 6 themes may not work as they should.

Also, I've included previews of all themes, so you can get some idea of what each theme looks like without having to import it. If you set the folder window to thumbnail view, you'll be able to see at a glance which themes are likely to deserve your attention.

Please note that while WindowBlinds is a commercial product and cannot be included on this skins pack, I've included the free/trial version that is only slightly limited in functionality (see list above). This is the latest WindowBlinds 6 for Windows XP, 2003 and Vista (32 & 64 bit); for those with Windows 98, ME and 2000, I've also included WindowBlinds Classic v 4.6

Just so we're clear on this:

Once again, I stress you are not getting the full retail version of WindowBlinds - which costs US$19.95 - nor are you paying for the authorship of these themes. You are paying for a disc that contains over 800 themes, with free versions of WindowBlinds included in case you'd prefer to try it without buying (or upgrading to v.6). These themes are made by many wonderful souls who make them available for free download, so you are paying me for the many days upon days of searching and downloading. Some themes sites charge money, while others are incredibly (and painfully) slow - what you're paying for is not to have to bother with all that. (Please note that no themes that authors charge US$4.95 or more for each are included on this disc - only those that authors have made available to the public free of charge).

What you're also paying for is the hours of testing to ensure all can be imported into WindowBlinds 6, since some out there are duds (and some can even mess up WindowBlinds a bit). Also, I've converted all themes in .zip format to the default .wba format, so all you have to do is double-click them and they are imported straight off the CD (and when you click on the balloon that appears from the system tray, it will be applied for you instantly!). And let's not forget the preview pics I had to make for all those themes that didn't come with one.

Also note that the animations are only as described; if you are expecting "desktop effects" like in Linux (via Compiz-Fusion), you will need Stardock's WindowFX instead. Lastly, as described above, the latest WindowBlinds 6 is not for Windows versions before XP; that of course also means some of the latest features will not be present, and that themes designed to work exclusively with v.6 will not work properly, it at all. If this has not answered all your questions, please contact me.

Hundreds of stunning themes to choose from! And you can quickly and easily import them by simply opening the CD folder and double-clicking the .wba files! When you want to change themes, open the WindowBlinds Configuration accessible from the icon in the system tray.

The previews generated let you know what each theme will look like when applied. Sometimes they look even better once applied (the black on the Taskbar does not appear when the skin pictured above is in use). You can also do things like change the wallpaper to preview how a particular theme will look with a particular background image. And if a theme's system font is too small or large, or just not the right colour for you, you can just change those aspects to suit.

Upon receiving payment, you will be notified, and your item will be shipped within 2 working days (the following working day in most cases). I will endeavour to make sure it is securely packed and at your door as soon as possible.

Please note that recycled protective packaging may be used in the packing of this item, in an effort to lower the impact on the environment.

Also note that I assume no responsibility for items that don't show up. I will, of course, do my part in tracking down items that were Registered. However, I haven't had any lost mail coming or going internationally or within Australia (still, insurance and/or registering can be arranged for your piece of mind).

Thanks again, and HAPPY SHOPPING!