Pranking the pranksters

Fun with Object Desktop

Saturday, May 13, 2006 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News

If you already have Object Desktop you can do this. This week myself, Steve from TweakVista, Nate from Betanews, Bink from Bink.nu (who missed his plane back, tsk tsk), and several others were visiting Microsoft to get some of the latest news on Windows Vista.

While there, we put together a little joke using WindowBlinds + DesktopX + IconPackager + IconX in order to make a Windows XP machine look somewhat like Windows Vista. Using DesktopX we whipped up a fake build number, IconX to get the most of the Apogee icons, IconPackger to apply the icons, WindowBlinds to apply the VistaXP skin (skin not available here as Microsoft requested its removal).

Here's one of the screenshots we came up with.  You can imagine the setting that all this took place in - a couple dozen techies in a room all communicating to each other with IM in the same room.

The original prank was put up on Bink.nu (see link below)

15 Reply 16 Referrals
kin242
Reply #1 Saturday, May 13, 2006 5:21 PM
Nice one. Dunno what the big deal is with Vista. I've had the same GUI for ages already thanks to WB...

Sventekoz
Reply #2 Saturday, May 13, 2006 7:18 PM
LOL! Wonderful! Mind you, it's a bit troubling that Microsoft now seems to own a forest...

Tominated
Reply #3 Saturday, May 13, 2006 9:17 PM
no offence, but this looks more like vista

speedy5662
Reply #4 Sunday, May 14, 2006 1:26 AM
And thus my point what are the advantages of Vista????

Speedy

thomassen
Reply #5 Sunday, May 14, 2006 9:30 AM
And thus my point what are the advantages of Vista????

The advantages is everything that's done under the hood. The things you don't actually see.

JcRabbit
Reply #6 Sunday, May 14, 2006 11:49 AM
The things you don't actually see


Very well pointed out, Thomassen! UIs are like the tip of an iceberg, just the little part you can see - the bulk of it, the thing that makes everything work, is hidden under water.

Chasbo
Reply #7 Sunday, May 14, 2006 7:26 PM
Looks to me that in order to run Vista the way it should be run (With all the eye candy etc.) that you are gonna be shelling out about what ya have to spend to by a Mac. I'm just taking a shot in the dark here. Pick yer poision or what? Anyways (I'm from Chicago) Please let me know what I can or cannot do in Vista that I can't do in XP? I've heard that better security is built into Vista. Does this mean that that I won't need firewall and anti-virus from the outside? What ships with Vista will be all I need? What else is better than what is in XP? I just wanna know exactly what is so much better in Vista.

Jafo
Reply #8 Sunday, May 14, 2006 11:20 PM

There's a 'shell' proggy called Calmira that can alter your GUI [shell] in Windows 3.x to look like WinXP....but the OS will always be just Windows 3.x ....the same old 16bit thing drawn over Dos.

The shell can look all cute and such....[it's what we skinners are so often playing with]...but the shell is only the 'icing'.  The REAL 'cake' is the Kernel.

Making XP look like Vista is just that - 'LIKE Vista'.  It isn't Vista as the OS Kernel is still XP, no matter how much you play with its 'looks'.

People 'may' be enticed by Vista's 'looks' [GUI] to adopt it....but the real benefits will be in the functioning under the skin...and that's what'll be drawing me to it...


George Rogers Jr
Reply #9 Monday, May 15, 2006 1:49 AM
I think your right Chasbo!!! Now especially with duel video cards in Sli/Crossfire, duel core cpu's, 8+ gigs of memory, multiple HDD's in Raid config,...you name it!!! PC's have really hit the high rent district for certain...the one aspect however that keeps me from buying a Mac is the ability(with PC's) to totally control customization over both the software & hardware I choose. Intel/AMD(processor), Abit, Asus, ESC,Gigabite, MSI,(motherboard), Maxtor, Western Digital, Samsung,(Hard drive), Lian li, Antec, Cooler Master, Alienware(computer cases too numerous to mention in EVERY shape size(micro BTX, ATX,) etc....etc....etc....etc - you get my point. The ability to built your own using ANY components of you own choosing at all different power levels is the attraction for me. It's just like this website....your given the choice to have as minimalist or garish/over the top UI as you want!!

speedy5662
Reply #10 Monday, May 15, 2006 10:00 AM
Hey all,

Ok so vista is going to be the Sh**? 64 bit technology has been out for at least a year now and so far it's all blow and no go!! What i mean is that it appears to be the market trend to keep it only in the server realm. It would be cool for gamers if there was driver support for high end video and sound. None of which I have seen!! Vista (Microsoft) is making all the hype and really "under the hood" it may be better, However I HATE the fact with all the new security features that you have to "accept" the install of any programs at least 3x, before the setup will even start on the program. That is downright stupid!! I will agree that it seems to run stable. Also where i live wireless technology is pointless, due to the "atmosphere" in our area. Try to create a wired network in Vista...It's a really huge Bi***!!! So after playing and teching the beta for the few hours, I still went back to "old faithfull", XP Pro 2. I am going to the Microsoft conference in Witchita, KS on June 15th to see for myself why I or any of my customers will even have a reason to upgrade and i will keep an open mind. I can still say from my standpoint that as of right now Vista is still a Glorified XP and nothing impressive to me that could'nt be added by a service pack 3 for XP Pro 2. Especially the front end GUI.

Sad but true!!!

Speedy

tehZERO
Reply #11 Monday, May 15, 2006 11:07 AM
I would like to know where to get some of the wallpapers shown in the screeny.

Thanks,

rjsmith

Tom Harmon
Reply #12 Monday, May 15, 2006 6:09 PM
Wow...I must have missed something here. How did this get to be such a serious discussion? Kernels and stuff...hmmm.

GreenSkid
Reply #13 Monday, May 15, 2006 10:22 PM
Oh come on - that is just a screenshot - the difference between the 2 in usage is quite significant e.g. WB5 on XP does not achieve the blurring effect as Vista windows does. Further the Vista shell has many differences over XP. Even for someone who never knew about the mentioned Stardock products could tell the difference by just clicking the Start Menu and opening an Explorer window.

Vista is simply a step up from XP - and Vista + WB is going to be a step up from plain Vista. I'm not going to quantify the "step up" but for the non techincal if the "experience" is not just compellingly better than XP - then Microsoft and Stardock have failed to acheive their goals. Failure may happen but it is not the trend.

DocX
Reply #14 Monday, May 15, 2006 11:07 PM
Ya I liked the walls too..

Biglee1
Reply #15 Wednesday, May 17, 2006 10:43 AM
Hi All,

I know that the Vista XP skin was removed from the website at Microsoft's request but could someone send the v3 skin please. I did have it downloaded but lost it in a reinstall.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lee

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