Shock Aero 3D

Many users like to customize the appearance of their desktop and make some modifications to turn their operating system into a more attractive environment. Since Windows Vista hit the markets worldwide, it brought one of the most sought-after enhancements that most users considered to be one of if not the only really good thing about the new OS: Aero.

Among the many utilities that were created to make it possible for those running pre-Aero operating systems to get a first-hand experience of the new technology, the lightweight Shock Aero 3D tries to offer a bit more than the others. Besides being quite small in size, this application is also very easy to use and doesn't require complex configurations.

It's all about getting inside the 'Options' menu which will become available if you right-click the tray icon of the program. From then on, things will be quite clear and straightforward since you only have two options you can choose from.

Shock Aero 3D can deliver either the Windows Vista Aero look or give a  Macintosh appearance to your system. There is another setting you can activate, namely adding the program to the startup list in order to be able to enjoy its functionality as soon as the OS boots up.

It's important that you keep in mind that Shock Aero 3D doesn't actually bring the transparency effect we tend to associate automatically with Aero, instead it focuses on the Flip 3D feature. This means that you will be able to view the windows of your currently running applications stacked and ready to be selected using the Alt+Tab hotkey.

For those who want to tweak their systems just a little bit and give an older operating system a pinch of the new, Shock Aero 3D will do the trick. For those looking for more than the smooth windows transitions provided by this piece of kit, it would be best to simply try another software.