WindowsXP theme ugly?

[sinkoman]

I read all over the place (not hear, other places) people saying that the WindowsXP default theme is "an ugly son of a bitch" and "whoever was the stupid idiot at microsoft who made it should be fired".

You get what i'm saying.

My question is, why is it that people hate the WindowsXP theme so? I myself am only a recent Windows user (only maybe 4 years or less) and XP was the first Windows i've ever owned.

Personally, I like the default XP theme much better than the old classic theme. As i'm typing this, I have themes disabled and i'm trying to see what people are saying. So far, I find the old look not as ugly as I thought it was (it's actually kinda neat).

So anyway, what do you guys think between all this XP theme bussiness?

I'm not going to make this a poll cause I see no need to.

EDIT: I just tried seeing how much ram usage I get with the theme disabled, and it's about 20mb less. But 20mb for sure can't give you a giant performance gain in games, can it?

 

[AntiAnto]

I personnaly think that it seems a little childish... with all those round blue corners.

 

[ricera10]

This theme is a hell of a lot better than the MS-DOS theme. 1-bit color scheme?

I think it's the best so far of all of them. It would look cooler if it were black all around...

 

[Asus]

I do like the Windows XP theme but I perfer classic just because it cuts out all the extras. It's not that I like the gray.
I just perfer a simple desktop where all my programs and files are tucked away in their folders and only the icons I use most are in my Quickstart bar.

 

[DreadLord]

Not sure why you would use the default theme anyways... my current one:
http://www.w000t.com/screen.jpg

 

[sinkoman]

Not sure why you would use the default theme anyways... my current one:
http://www.w000t.com/screen.jpg

Theme's like that load into system memory and, if gaudy and excessive *side eye's TheSomeone's desktop* will bog down your pc.

I personnaly like my desktop simple, with as little shit going on as possible.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7725/desktop12ar.jpg

IMHO the XP theme looks more streamlined and simple than the classic theme. The classic one looks a tad excessive, with the embossed buttons and all.

 

[giant384]

Theme's like that load into system memory and, if gaudy and excessive *side eye's TheSomeone's desktop* will bog down your pc.

I personnaly like my desktop simple, with as little shit going on as possible.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7725/desktop12ar.jpg

IMHO the XP theme looks more streamlined and simple than the classic theme. The classic one looks a tad excessive, with the embossed buttons and all.

lol wow so empty and nice background

 

[WhiteZero]

I just use the classic windows theme.

 

[63]

I don't like the current selection of default WinXP themes, but the only thing keeping me from getting a new one is the fact that you have to install all this other bs like blinds and shiznat.

 

[Pesmerga]

I use windowsxp standard theme with silver color

 

[duffers20]

I use a custom one I found on deviantart. Here is a link to it: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/18552868/ I use the normal compact style with the alternate start button, and I think it looks really good, nice and neat. Will post a screenshot when I get home.

 

[Naudian]

Windows is definitely not as sleek or simplified as I would like it, but I dont really mind.

Why have icons covering your desktop when you could just put them all in quicklaunch?
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7792/desktop5gh.jpg

Edit: Thats it i'm changing my god damned avatar :frown:

 

[sinkoman]

I use a custom one I found on deviantart. Here is a link to it: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/18552868/ I use the normal compact style with the alternate start button, and I think it looks really good, nice and neat. Will post a screenshot when I get home.

I'm typing this while running Royal Compact and I gotta say, if I can't get my Longhorn theme running, then I might stick with this.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, i'm giving themes a shot

EDIT: Bleh. I got my Longhorn theme working and I gotta say, Luna Element is way better.

Although i'm liking what Longhorn does with your buttons...

 

[Murray]

I think the XP theme is ok. I fully agree with you, I don't see what's the big problem with it, except pherhaps that it sucks RAM or other performance.

Anyway, I preffer my current theme:
http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=desktop96gu.jpg

 

[duffers20]

I'm typing this while running Royal Compact and I gotta say, if I can't get my Longhorn theme running, then I might stick with this.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, i'm giving themes a shot

EDIT: Bleh. I got my Longhorn theme working and I gotta say, Luna Element is way better.

Although i'm liking what Longhorn does with your buttons...

I did have a longhorn theme that I also got from deviantart, but I didn't like it as much as the one I'm using just now. Didn't like what it did to folders, make the text unreadable. I did try and customise it alittle more, but I couldn't get it looking that good. Happy with my current one though. I might replace my iconset too, but I doubt it.

 

[G-Dub]

I use windowsxp standard theme with silver color

Same here. Silver XP Theme FTW! :imu:

 

[OCybrManO]

Why have icons covering your desktop when you could just put them all in quicklaunch?

Why have the quicklaunch icons cluttering your taskbar or, for that matter, why even bother using a taskbar when you can completely get rid of it?

The only thing on my desktop is a picture.

 

[StardogChampion]

Theme's like that load into system memory and, if gaudy and excessive *side eye's TheSomeone's desktop* will bog down your pc.

I personnaly like my desktop simple, with as little shit going on as possible.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7725/desktop12ar.jpg

But then again, the Windows XP themes have to get loaded into memory too, right? The XP theme's just made up images too.

Anyway, I use the XP default Silver style. Easily the nicest default style. I can't see how anyone can use the Blue, eek.

 

[StardogChampion]

I don't like the current selection of default WinXP themes, but the only thing keeping me from getting a new one is the fact that you have to install all this other bs like blinds and shiznat.

Search for a file called "UXTheme Multi-Patcher", my one is called "UXTheme Multi-Patcher (Neowin Edition) 2.5.1.exe". This will patch 1 file in Windows that lets you use themes without running dodgy spyware/shareware programs in the background.

This way you can use any visual style from this page without installing any crap:
http://browse.deviantart.com/skins/windows/visualstyle/?view=1&order=9&limit=24

Stick whatever theme you want into D:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes, then choose it from the Appearance tab in right-click Properties.

 

[JellyWorld]

I use a Mac OS X Tiger theme

 

[DreadLord]

Search for a file called "UXTheme Multi-Patcher", my one is called "UXTheme Multi-Patcher (Neowin Edition) 2.5.1.exe". This will patch 1 file in Windows that lets you use themes without running dodgy spyware/shareware programs in the background.

This way you can use any visual style from this page without installing any crap:
http://browse.deviantart.com/skins/windows/visualstyle/?view=1&order=9&limit=24

Stick whatever theme you want into D:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes, then choose it from the Appearance tab in right-click Properties.

Too bad the deviantart ones suck compared to the ones on wincustomize.com

Ohh, and if windows blinds is bogging down your computer at all, I'm pretty sure that's a good sign you need a new computer. Absolutely no difference here, and I can't believe how many of you seem to run on like 800x600 resolutions. I would never be able to handle that.

 

[shifty_uk]

I think its ugly, hence the reason why i completely customised it ....which is easy to do btw, just download a new theme

Here's a screenshot of mine
http://www.ryanarts.co.uk/screenhl2net.jpg

 

[poseyjmac]

Why have the quicklaunch icons cluttering your taskbar or, for that matter, why even bother using a taskbar when you can completely get rid of it?

The only thing on my desktop is a picture.

i used to do that. but you have to do more steps to get anything open. looks nice, but more work involved.

 

[duffers20]

Here is my background:

http://www.duffers20.com/images/desktop.jpg

I like it, everything is conveniently placed and its neat and pretty tidy. Really like my background too, thats also from deviant art. Some impressive stuff on that site!

 

[OCybrManO]

i used to do that. but you have to do more steps to get anything open. looks nice, but more work involved.

There may be two clicks instead of one... but there's less mouse movement if you're not already in the bottom left corner (as it appears right under your cursor) and it can do much more than the quicklaunch toolbar. So, it averages out about the same amount of time (maybe slightly less efficient, but not enough to make me want to go back).

 

[Triggerhappy41]

theme is all about personal preferences, the stupid sons of bitches should just STFU and install the theme they like, its not that hard.

I'd like to see one theme that everyone in the world likes.

morons.

 

[Naudian]

Why have the quicklaunch icons cluttering your taskbar or, for that matter, why even bother using a taskbar when you can completely get rid of it?

The only thing on my desktop is a picture.

Thats neat, can you tell me how you do that?

 

[duffers20]

Thats neat, can you tell me how you do that?

If you right click on teh desktop, then properties, then desktop tab, then the customise desktop button, you can choose what major icons are displayed apart from teh recycle bin, not sure how to hide that one.

 

[Naudian]

Thx duffers but I knew how to do that part, I was wondering how to get the thing that OcybrmanO showed...looks like a pop-up taskbar in menu form...

 

[Asus]

This is how I like my desktop. (Taskbar hidden on right)
And just for fun I'll post what I'm doing right now. The only way to play WoW.

 

[holydeadpenguins]

I used to use blackbox, but it's shit slow. I re-opened it just for you gus :E .

 

[OCybrManO]

Thats neat, can you tell me how you do that?

I use a little program called "RightClick."