Desktop Customization: 3 Featured Software Programs

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 26 Nov 2008

What I personally want to get out of an operating system is good performance and appealing looks. To address the performance request, there are plenty of OSs out there that can boast about how well they work. With the looks on the other hand, things are a bit more complicated. So if you are happy how your operating system works, but want to make a few visualization changes, check out the software applications presented below.

The simple truth of the matter is that in terms of performance, you will find that most people agree with one thing: a faster, more efficient and easier to run OS. When it comes down to how that OS should look, there are as many opinions as there are fish in the sea. Tastes vary, and that us why a software application that lets you customize the way your OS feels, that lets you play with every pixel on the monitor is more than welcomed.

Samurize 1.64.3 Final

Samurize v. 0.64.3 final, which (un)fortunately will only work on Windows-based operating systems, is described by its developers as an “advanced system monitoring and desktop enhancement engine”. It gives you so many options to modify your desktop that the only limitation is your imagination. The cool thing about this piece of software is that it allows you to place bits of text onto the desktop. Translation: virtually any data that is stored on your machine can be placed onto the desktop for your convenience. The only downside is that it will take you a little time to figure out all of its functions, but it is definitely worth it. Just think of the way cool desktop you will have in the end.

RocketDock 1.3.5

Mac OS X users are undoubtedly familiar with the Dock, unlike the people running their machines on Windows. RocketDock is a “smoothly animated, alpha blended application launcher” that looks very much the same as the Mac Dock. Even though RocketDock is not exactly reinventing the wheel with this application, it will prove to be very useful thanks to its easy to launch shortcuts, minimized thumbnail view, and complete icon customization.

Rainmeter 0.14

Rainmeter is a free piece of software that will work on any Windows OS, with both 32-bit and 64-bit processors. It is more like Samurize rather than RocketDock, in that it will allow you to customize the desktop as you see fit. On the downside, it takes a bit of effort to get your desktop to look as cool as you want it to look.


If you would like to get Samurize 1.64.3 final, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get RocketDock 1.3.5, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get Rainmeter 0.14 32-bit version, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get Rainmeter 0.14 64-bit version, a download location is available here.


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