Customizing Windows 7

Windows 7 is one of the most commonly used Operating Systems these days. For PC users, there's really nothing better. Yet many people never fully understand just how personal you "Personal Computer" can really be. There's the easy things like changing your desktop wallpaper and your account picture and a few mild changes to sizes here and there, but ultimately Win 7 does not really come with out-of-the-box customizing. That doesn't mean it can't be done. Let me rephrase that: That doesn't mean it can't be done--easily.

That's right, it is actually EASY to modify your Windows 7 computer! All you need is some third-party software.  Here is a list of what I think are the coolest Windows 7 Third Party Customization utilities.

1. DeviantArt Themes + Universal Theme Patcher

If you've never been to DeviantArt before--do it. It's got some of the neatest art you'll ever see. Beyond that you can navigate to their customization section and on into Windows 7 utilities. There you can find hundreds of custom skins for your computer that can really help you to make all the menus, windows, and bars look just the way you want them to. The Universal Theme Patcher is what helps you to tweak the resource files and enable custom themes.

2. Docks

Okay, one of the niftiest tools in the Mac OS is the dock. Instead of using a start menu, most Mac users have a simple dock at the bottom of the screen to house their most used applications. This is not new! Windows has had this for quite some time, perhaps not in the same way... but launchers are so 2000. In any case, the Dock is a very helpful tool when accessing your programs. Some great ones to look into are ObjectDock and RocketDock. StackDocklet is an applet that allows you to put stacks into these docks, much like the MacDock.

3. Fences

Fences is a useful tool for those who have many icons on their desktop. It basically creates custom windows on your desktop to "fence in" your various programs files and folders. These fences can be re-sized, re-positioned, and are even scroll-able.

4. RainMeter

Do you like widgets but can't stand how they all seem to be a different style and size? Well then RainMeter might be the application for you. It puts a layer on your desktop that features customizable widgets that can call in e-mail reports, news, hardware information, weather, music and much more. You can download themes and packages that others have made directly from their website. Or for the more adventurous types, you can make your own from scratch!

5. Dexpot

Sometimes one desktop screen just isn't enough to keep all of your opened windows organized. Dexpot is a utility that creates multiple virtual desktops that you can separate your windows into and then move between them with ease. You can setup keyboard short cuts, or use the on-screen control to alternate workspaces. Featuring some cool 3D animations, this is definitely a program worth checking out.

Well there's my top Five programs in improve your Windows 7 experience. I hope you try them out and enjoy them!

Apple WWDC

Well, it's that time of the year again. Apple lovers congregate as Steve Jobs mounts his glorious steed and strides on to the stage. Arguably a better performer than engineer, Jobs has acquired quite the cult following. As the crowd cheers after ever single sentence, whether it be the pointlessness of an integrated twitter, or Apple's knockoff Dropbox (Woot x 3 for copying Microsoft), Jobs gleams with pride feeling like a God among men.

Personally, I did not find the conference all that impressive. It seemed to be just a lot (250) new features being presenting into Apple's new desktop OS, Lion. Most of these new features seemed kind of boring, useless, or just rehashes of what other OSes have already done.

An interesting note: today's desktop OSes are seeing a rapid change towards emulating the iPhone interface, or just SmartPhone interfaces in general. Apparently people like the usability of the handheld interface, and developers are responding to this by integrating many of the same features into desktops. Mac users can expect to see some changes in the OS in addition to the already instated App Store.

I am not so much of a fan of this shift, however. It seems kind of silly. A desktop is not supposed to be big version the squishy iPhone GUI. Granted, I don't like to have to squint to see my icons, but since it's a desktop it has a much higher capability ceiling in terms of the interface and that should be taken advantage of. But if that's the way the computer industry is taking us, then let's hope it starts to branch of further down the road.

I'll say it now, and be put on the record for it. But I believe we are going to be seeing a decrease in the "God-om" of Apple products pretty soon. Many manufacturing companies are successfully mimicking everything Apple does, and then some. The way I see it, two possibilities can occur either A) Apple continues to push out market leading products and spending billions in development which will seen lead to being worn out and run down---destruction or B) They will finally take their seat on the round table of technology and except mediocrity---(which for all intensive purposes in regards to Applitists) destruction. 

I'm no econ-major, but history dictates that no one technology group can keep the throne for long without some serious and lethal competition. Apple's day will come, sooner if not later. Samsung, in particular, seems to be exceptionally skilled at matching and surpassing Apple products within months of product release. It will certainly be interesting to see where the future takes Apple.

Geek: How to Pimp your Windows 7 Desktop

So, you've got yourself the Windows 7 operating system and a little bit of know-how around its user interface, and you're not quite satisfied with the way your desktop looks. Maybe it still even looks like this (see right). Boring. Granted, Microsoft has come a long way in terms of aesthetics, but honestly, there is so much more potential then what the average Windows user does to "Personalize" their PC. I'll be explaining some simple and easy ways that can really change the looks of your PC.

First, everyone should have their own "Really cool, totally awesome, desktop wallpaper" folder. So go into your 'Pictures' Library and create a new folder 'Wallpapers'. Then, the easiest way to find cool looking pictures is honestly, Google Images. Type basically anything into the search, but make sure to set the search criteria on the left pane.  Select Large size images and you can even select what the color scheme of the image is. For instance, when I am searching for a cool new wallpaper, I'll type in "cool desktop wallpaper" (I know, very creative). Then I'll select 'Large' size, and a black and white/grey scale color scheme. My wallpapers range from Mountainous Landscapes to Robots and Moon-walking Storm Troopers. You can try searching topically by a style you like, for instance: Fantasy, Abstract, Space, Nature, etc. Just make sure to put words like "desktop","wallpaper", or "background" into your search and you'll get tons of hits. To change your wallpaper simply right click your desktop and select 'Personalize'. From here you can change themes, sounds, backgrounds, and screen savers, etc.

Another cool, but simple way to change the way your desktop looks is to move the taskbar. This is that bar that goes across the bottom of your screen and features the Start Button, Clock, and Windows. To do this, right click the taskbar and uncheck 'Lock the the taskbar'. Then simple click and drag it to any side of the screen you want. I personally have it at the top of my screen. You can also change the size of the taskbar by right clicking it and selecting 'Properties'. The check the box labelled 'Use small icons'.

Up until this point, I've kept it pretty simple. However, it's about to get a little rough. If you aren't very familiar with Windows, you may need to just stop here, but if that's not the case, then please, continue reading.

Although not completely integrated into the user interface, Windows 7 does come with a much easier way to custom skin your computer. The methods I use are the simplest I have found, and are not taxiing on your system. The first thing you'll need is a Theme Patcher. The point of this patcher is to replace the files on your computer that prohibit you from using custom themes. There are several programs that can do this, personally I used Universal Theme Patcher. 

Once you've done that, it's time to move on to finding your theme. The best way to do this is to go to Deviant Art and find some pre-made themes. Once there, navigate to Customization > Skins and Themes > Windows 7 Utilities and Search for "Visual Styles". There's other ways to find them, but this is the way that has worked best for me. When you find one you like, download it and then move it into the following directory: C:/Windows/Resources/Themes. The package you downloaded should have a readme with specific instructions and you should always read this. Once the file is in the correct directory, you can change to that theme by heading over to the 'Personalize' and selecting the theme from there.

Another awesome way to customize your PCs looks is to change the Start Button. The easiest way to do this is by first, killing your Start Button, and then pinning a new button to the taskbar. To kill it, get Start Killer. This program has the option to run at startup, and it deletes your Start Button as long as the program is running. If you want your Start Button back, just close the program (it's hiding in your taskbar). Next you'll want to download a Start Menu program to pin to your taskbar. These can also be found on Deviant Art.

So there you have it, a few simple ways to really change how your PC looks. After doing this, I've gotten tons of compliments from people asking "How'd you do that" or "Wow, you really skinned that desktop. Looks cool" and even "Sheesh that must have taken you hours to do". But you know as well as I do, that making your computer look totally pimp is pretty simple and can be done in a matter of minutes.

Here's a shot of my desktop for inspiration:

 

Themes: Dark Knight background, Appows for Win7 Theme.

Programs: Start Killer, Rainmeter, Rocketdock, Dexpot, Switcher

You may notice some other features about my desktop that I didn't mention in this article. Those are all programs that I've found which enhance productivity and are not really a part of look customization. But do not fear, the next article in this series will explain these programs, where to get them, and how to customize them.

Geek: PC vs. Mac - Hardware

Perhaps one of the biggest controversies between computer market consumers is the fight over which is better: PC or Mac?

What's all the fuss about? Well, quite frankly, you would probably need a whole entire team of psychologists and expert computer technicians to really answer that question in it's entirety, however, I will attempt to flesh it out as best I can.

First, let's start with some common misconceptions. The term "PC" means "personal computer". The term actually has no literal affiliation with the Windows OS (operating system). A PC literally means an end-user computer device that can come in the form of a Desktop, Laptop, or even Handheld. Due to Apple marketing strategies, the term "PC" has been used to separate itself from a Mac to the basic knowledge consumer. However, the differences between a PC and a Mac are quite complicated and can be divided into two main categories: Hardware and Software.

The Hardware is pretty easy to understand. Basically, Macs and PCs are both made of the same stuff. That is, the same sort of technology runs each of them. Sure, currently, Mac has been the wielder of the leading edge in terms of advancements in technology, but it is never long before the PC quickly catches up. There is one big difference between PCs and Macs and the way they are manufactured and marketed. First, it is horribly vague to blame PCs for being "worse" than Macs manufacturing-wise. PCs tend to be consumer option oriented and when it comes to machinery, this is most certainly true. Although PCs all run the Microsoft OS, Windows, they are not all made by the same companies. To name a few: Acer, Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, Samsung, Toshiba and Vaio are a handful of current popular PC manufacturing companies, each one having its own distinct differences in demographic appeal. Apple's Mac, however, is only manufactured by one company, and that is Apple.

This is the basic fundamental answer to all other hardware questions one might have about PCs and Macs. Why are PCs traditionally cheaper than Macs? Well, the Mac operating system has literally no competition when it comes to a machine to run it on, so Apple can charge whatever they want for it. Granted, their operating system competes with Windows, but the machine itself can be priced however they want. PC manufacturers have dozens of competing companies which causes them to have a variety of options and are able to reach a wide spread of consumers. This can actually properly place the PC as a "personal computer". If you look at the Mac users, all of their computers look exactly the same. Even from generation to generation, there are only a few minor changes to the outward appearance of a Mac. When you buy a PC, it can become an extension of a pre-existent identity, not a definition of who you should be (i.e. Jason Long).

A common misconception about PCs are that they are not as well made and lack the integrity of a Mac. This is simply not true. Since there are so many companies that make PC computers, different consumer market groups can be reached. People that can only afford a low-budget machine will find that the PC is definitely the right choice for them. However, you pay the price on hardware integrity. Because a Laptop is only $500, one can definitely expect to get what they paid for, a $500 machine. I assure you, if Apple ever decided to make a $500 Mac, it would certainly have all the same hardware integrity issues as a PC. This does not discredit the integrity of the OS.

If, however, you can afford to spend a little bit more money on a Laptop, let's say $1,200 (which is the approximate going rate of a MacBook Pro), the situation would be a little bit different. The PC market directs itself towards this crowd as well. For example, many product lines from Vaio, Samsung, and HP feature higher-end performance laptops. These machines feature longer battery life, increased processor speeds, higher devoted graphical memory, and larger hard drive space. In fact, many of these computers have the same specs as the MacBook pro, the only difference is: the price. Because PCs still have a considerable amount of competition over their operating system, the price of the computer goes down (even though it contains the same parts as a Mac). Macs can safely charge more for their computer if the user desires to use their operating system. Case in point: if you want to save money buy a PC, but do your research first. If you don't want to have to spend the time researching and can afford to spend a few extra hundred bucks, buy a Mac. They are excellently made machines featuring cutting edge technology and an efficient OS to boot (pun intended).

Another misconception about PCs to Macs is that PCs are for fat businessmen and Macs are for young edgy artsy people. This is plainly not true. Generalized: Windows is best for Gaming, Macs are best for productivity tools, and Linux... well let's not go there ;). This isn't to say that only Gamers should use Macs. A lot of main stream games have been ported to Mac systems, but Windows still holds the trophy when it comes to having a custom built pimped out machine that can play anything you put in its disc drive. Mac systems tend to just spin the disc, that's fun... right? Additionally, Mac is not the only place to go if your into "artsy" things. Macs are better built for those types of things, and most of their programs are oriented around productivity, however Windows sports some excellent production programs as well. They just might not be out-of-the-box like Garage Band.

Personally, I'm a PC due to my liking of the Windows OS and my familiarity with it. I also enjoy not spending money I don't have to and am an avid gamer. I'd love to hear what you have to say about PC vs Mac. Next in this series will be a deeper look into the software differences between Windows and Mac OSX.