Spicing Up Vista: Cool Downloads

Written on December 1, 2008 by Kay

Microsoft certainly hyped up Vista before it was released to the masses. Unfortunately, it’s hard to push an OS when every tech writer is advising sticking with XP until Microsoft introduces Windows 7. But it’s difficult to find a new PC that isn’t already loaded with Vista; sure, some hardware vendors offer a downgrade to XP, but not all of them do, so most users just have to make do with Vista until something better comes along.

Luckily, more and more Vista downloads are becoming available, extending the operating system, granting it more abilities, more fun. Let’s go through several of today’s most popular Vista downloads.

Managing Vista with Vista Manager

For those of us that enjoy hacking and tweaking our operating systems to get the maximum efficiency and enjoyment out of it, a single GUI that houses all important settings and options is certainly a boon. Vista Manager to the rescue. Vista Manager affords users tons of configurations, settings, and options, all conveniently residing within a lone interface.

Settings to alter your Desktop configuration, tweak out your Start Menu, and calibrate your shortcuts, all live inside Vista Manger; no more searching for the setting you need inside the control panel; everything is conveniently organized and within quick reach should you need to change your system’s settings and configurations.

Is your PC lagging like lava? Vista Manager offers optimization enhancements to put that spring back into your PC’s step. System security can also be fortified with this useful utility, as well as various ways to adjust and tweak out Internet Explorer. If you’re a configuration altering aficionado, then give this Vista utility a spin.

Start++: Start Menu Plus Plus!

Vista’s search box which resides in the Start Menu is very useful when you need to locate something quickly; it’s hard to imagine that it could have been improved upon, but the Start++ utility certainly has. Start++ makes things easier by allowing users to create shortcuts and aliases; for example, suppose you’re surfing a site and need to Google the fictional word “arrakis”, the desert planet in Frank Herbert’s novel Dune; pull up the search box from the Start Menu and type “g arrakis”. Start++ will intervene, displaying a Google result list for your convenience.

Another cool feature is the search startlets. For example, type in “play Beethoven” and Start++ will spring into action, scouring your hard drive for music files with the Beethoven in the name, building a playlist with all found results, all inside Windows media player.

Beautify Your Shortcuts

The Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover doesn’t pretend to be anymore than a utility that alters your shortcuts, an amazingly simple utility. Windows Vista’s shortcuts can be particularly annoying to look at: the large Vista icons coupled with the ugly arrow vignette can be an annoyance. The Shortcut Overlay Removing can shrink or remove these arrows completely. Once installed, specify your shortcuts options, log off then back in, and your shortcuts will look greatly improved. If you’re tired of the ugly arrows that come attached to Vista’s icons, give this utility a test drive.

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