Shell for Windows

Thanks to a great deal of flexibility, your virtual work or leisure space can be completely altered in order to make you more relaxed or simply suit your extravagant style. Customization is abundant, ranging from changing window elements and color, or giving your desktop a fresh new look with applications like Shell for Windows.

After a short and uneventful setup process you can go ahead and take the application for a spin to check out your new desktop. Be sure to make a backup of important files and folders to avoid any possible errors or conflicts with programs you might have installed, because changes are made to the Windows Shell, thus putting stability a little bit at risk.

However, we were surprised to find that, although it hasn't received updates in some time now, the application manages to perfectly run even on Windows 8.1 with the latest updates. After a second or two of blackout and screen flicker, your desktop remains fitted only with the background image and a top toolbar split into different categories with tools for various areas of your computer, such as programs, files, applications, Internet, network, system, tray, as well as a panel to display time and date.

As difficult as it might seem to grasp at first, with no icons chaotically lying around your desktop or even a taskbar, you might find accommodation a little hard, but only until you get to know which is which. Panels speak for themselves, with possible customization options and helpful tooltips to get you out of sticky situations.

Different areas of your computer, such as certain applications, locations and even Internet related content are organized by default. You can also take the time to create new folder and shortcut structures to replace the no longer needed desktop icons, as well as saved favorite web pages to access at the press of a button.

More advanced management is also possible thanks to the utilities found under the system tab. It can be used to quickly launch the task manager, various administrative tools, control panel elements, as well as your computer's power options and user session controls.

On the aesthetic side of things, the application does a pretty good job at delivering quality. A few color schemes can be selected from the options menu, as well as clever half-transparency for sliding menus, and which categories to make visible. There's even a neat rotation animation for program icons displayed next to the name in every menu entry.

If you're looking for a way to spice up your workspace and bring something new to your virtual world, Shell for Windows is one of those applications worth looking into. It's still rough around the edges, with no option to make Windows start in this state, as well as difficult or faulty transition between desktop states, but managing to overlook these inconveniences surely brings you to the change you're looking for.