looks like an aweful lot of work to remove useful icons and menus..

does your apartment look like this?

Do you know what Litestep is btw? Instead of icons & shortcuts I have a bunch of shortkeys and popup menus that are way better than the vanilla xp gui.

ex.

WIN + F // Firefox
Win + A // Audio Player (Foobar)
Win + C // Chat Client (Miranda)
Win + N // Notepad

Win + Q or W to switch between Virtual Desktop Screens
Win + ~ is for InputDirecot (control multiple systems using only one set of KB/Mouse)

etc...

I've never used it myself but I have a general understanding of what it does.

it's pretty neat, but as I said it must be so much work! besides, you have to have a completely original way of working on your computer, which to me would mean even more hassle if you're ever going to be working with a computer that isn't yours. learning how to work fast in a standard enviroment would be more efficient, altho maybe not as aestheticly pleasing for you.

hope you're happy tho!

looks good

whats with the polar bear about to eat a girl?

It's pedobear!!

Northern Lights?

http://digg.com/environment/Man_Runs_For_Life...S?FC=PRCT7

you should just use linux, you would get most productivity improvement by default and get a more stable and likeable system on top

I've tried various Linux distros and hated every single one. Maybe because my primary work its graphic design and thats one of the many areas Linux fails.
There is no color management system, gimp still has no cmyk support. I even managed to get my tablet working and started using Inksacape and Scribus. Apps are so basic and whats the point of using wine anyway? Thats like buying overpriced mac book pro and installing bootcamp.

I now use puppy linux (with fluxbox) on usb drive for light web browsing, mame games or as backup / recovery solution.

hmm, sounds fair. personally i never needed more than basic photoshop functions so gimp was fine
gotta admit that you got me interested in LiteStep though, never heard of it before

Yeah, its basically lightweight explorer shell replacement. If you use the standard installer it creates shortcuts for switching back to the original explorer look.
Btw if you are big on linux you can use fluxbox or blackbox for the same effect.

In its current form, linux is counter productive for what most people want to do with their pc's and will be for many years until big things happen to how we use computers.

While its userbase will continue to rise, it will take a long time to get anywhere near as popular as windows and by that time the things which Linux have over XP/VISTA will probably be implemented into Microsoft's later OS so the gap will close. as fast as its opens.

Linux is only getting a commercial sniff ATM because Microsoft have been caught napping over the last 8-10 years and that is changing and linux's share will go back down again.

I used to work at the biggest unix network in the UK, I have tried every distro and I use a shitload of software.

Its fair to say my computer needs are a great deal higher than the average person.

So tell me how the average person would be more produtive with linux when at present someone like myself has no intention of leaving XP, so why would average users?

what was the reason for u to stay with windows?
there are only 3 possibilities imho: you need a certain software, wnt to play games, have hardware that isnt supported

(Includes typos I dont have the care-time to repair!)
I stayed with XP because there was no need to go to linux.

It runs well, runs everything I use, supports everything.

If it was BSOD every ten seconds then fair play, but when the thing works after 7 days of 24/7 rendering at 100% load across 4 cores and has not BSOD in over 2 years it passes my test.
It takes less than 10 seconds to load up any pakage on my pc.
What more do you want?

linux is not really any faster or safer. Its faster because it does not have a constant Antivirus running and the certain apps are written for it and then they are mostly hacker related.

Its safer because is has a lower market share and a higher degree of competent users (epenis time!). the result of this is there are less people trying to break it and a greater degree of awareness. A simple formula which even so called smart people from the Linux community fail to realsie. Yes its fundamentally safer, but jsut as dangrous if Root is compromised and with a userbase built on hacking, I'm inclined to belive its potentially as bad as it good.

Many Linux users use and boast about using the OS because they want to be part of some fraternity to make them feel special.
I know I'm special so that's why you won't see me bragging about how I can crack my neighbours out of date WEP key.

If you wanna do securtiy related stuff then great get linux, Apache is great for the net, but hardly general user material is it? For everyone else, unless hardware vendors do the drivers upon release and every txt command has a gui equiv, it will always play second best because in any other form it would be counter productive.

And I don't care about paying for an OS. The second Linux becomes useful and widely productive is when distros start charging for it ala redhat.

So that is why, if any linux users can actually detail some reasons why mainstream users would be better of using Linux I would be happy to read and accept any real advantages.

Many Linux users use and boast about using the OS because they want to be part of some fraternity to make them feel special.

dont think so, but a lot of linux users prefer oss because of the philosophy behind it, wich is fine imho

i use linux cause i need it for my university work and see no advantage in changing back to xp for the other stuff i do (except for gaming, but actually it is a time safer if u dont have games on your main system ;)

speaking about security, im quite sure there are ways to hack some average ubuntu user like me, but almost noone tries and its propably harder than it is with xp. maybe im wrong, but im feeling way better doing online banking and stuff with linux

God, what an enormous waste of time

exactly my thought.

Calling creative work a waste of time? ty

nP~

if someone shits on a canvas and calls it art, i call it a waste of time.

First of all that a shit of example and creative work doesn't necessarily means art.

Second, seeing how you have over 4000+ posts seems like you must be GTD productivity guru! Whats on your To-Do list good sir? Let me guess:

- Jerk-off
- Switch Hand
- Jerk-off some more?

good point+nice insult.

Love the respect.

Thanks, never thought about the last two, I hope my life will be twice as fulfilling

you have over 4000+ posts

oh come on, don't blame him because he hasn't got much to talk about.

dun geddit?!

[mash]
Posts: 4124
Popularity: Megastar (53%)
Level: Regular
Registered: 10 Dec 2006


becks
Posts: 6783
Popularity: Supreme Ruler (72%)
Level: Trusted User
Registered: 27 Mar 2006


;)

ok.

go jerk-off, you supreme ruler, you. ;D

no time, had 5 replies this last half hour!!!

becks
Posts: 6801
Registered: 27 Mar 2006

That makes about
205 post per month for the last 2.75 years,
which makes about
7 posts a day for the last 2.75 years,
which makes about
1 post every 1.7 hours of the day for the last 2.75 years.

Unless the user becks is not a zombie and always awake, we can infer that the user becks on average has not left the internet for more than 1.7 hours a day for the last 2.75 years. Alternatively, we can deduce that the user becks on average has not left the house for more than 1.7 hours a day for the last 2.75 years.
Assuming that he has access to a car, which he is able to operate and which in a city goes about 40km/h on average, we obtain a radius of r = 50km/h * 0.85 h = 34km for the longest distance the user becks, on average, can reach from his house a day without suffering seizures or headaches from internet-absence.

Given the fact that he likes to use idioms like "you insist ignoring the implication", "my point was to show" (Posted @ 13:13 GMT 7 Jan 2009), we wonder about the evidence of his part-time job being a 'Popularity Supreme Ruler'.

:D

That was brilliant lol :)

damn you're scary

damn stalkers get everywhere

Creative work....gimme a break.

I suggest you check out this link

wow, that completely changed my view on this matter. thanks.

Jerking-off some more? I see...

nah, your mom's done.

Damn. I've must have stomped on a troll. Jackpot!

You win!

Sure man

stop being such assholes esreality..

nice desktop rizzo

Finally, some recognition :D

seriously... tnx man

np dude

how did you customize your own Winkey + <X> shortcuts btw?

Thats one of litestep core features. Inside "personal" folder there are two .rc files that can be edited.

For example in evars.rc you define the path of the program:
Notepad "C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe"

Shorcut goes to hotkey.rc
*Hotkey WIN N "$Notepad$"

thanks

Very nice and creative.

I did a bit of this on my laptop, but I never did anything close to yours, because I'd prefer a more vibrant desktop and explorer.exe. A lot of custom desktops I see now are very black and white, much like yours.

Still though, very nice. Ignore the idiots here who refuse to change from their XP Silver theme.

You did a great job, I like it =)

I also found that putting on too many programs to customize screwed with games a bit. A lot of stuff would make my Q3 stutter, not get 125fps all the time. Part of the reason why I keep my desktop clean, and do this kind of stuff on my laptop. Do you find you have similar problems?

I also found that putting on too many programs to customize screwed with games a bit. A lot of stuff would make my Q3 stutter, not get 125fps all the time. Part of the reason why I keep my desktop clean, and do this kind of stuff on my laptop. Do you find you have similar problems?

I've nLited my OEM verson of Win XP Tablet PC Ed. from 780MB to 270mb including SP3, drivers and custom theme. From there you can disable unwanted services and various tweaks can be applied including 500hz USB hack. The final image without the TPC addon should be 200MB. The setup requires only 500MB on HD without pagefile. Cold bootup takes only 15-20 sec.

I am with you on "too many programs" part. I dont install any bloatware system apps like windowblinds, iconpackager, etc...
I simply switch the explorer shell with litestep and everything else is the original dll files that are previously reshacked with simpler dialogues & icons.

Most of my apps are freeware and portable so i dont have to reinstall every one of them after format. The whole process takes less than an hour. Needless to say if do system recovery with tools like acronis you can bring back the system in 5 min.

So yeah it may take some time to do it at first, but look at it as one time investment :)

Impessive! id love to do this stuff myself one day, maybe when im not jerking off <@:)

holy shit you got the "Gillz Seal of Approval"


























no comment

i got a mac so meh

Recently tried the software on my pc... It doesn't like vista btw :( So had to uninstall with a huge amount of errors :)

I've never tried Vista tbh, apparently its still work in progress :)

I never went to editing explorer shell, as getting used to massive change like that is just inefficient. These days its just blue background and windows classic theme :(

what is this ugly crock of shit

reminds me of samurize..

credz for autechre.

effort. but not my cup of tea

why go to all this effort?

If I used windows I'd just install Blackbox, edit bbkeys.rc and I'm already as productive as this setup of yours.

I hope you're using fucking virtual desktops because if you aren't you're a huge faggot.

If I used windows I'd just install Blackbox, edit bbkeys.rc and I'm already as productive as this setup of yours.

LS & BB is the same thing really... Instead of bbkeys.rc in LS you edit hotkey.rc.

On the whole "effort" and "waste of time" bs. I really don't get whats the drama behind it coz its not like i've spend 30 sleepless days working on the mod. As a matter of fact most of it was done at the office. So...

btw its not cool calling random ppl on the internet homosexuals, especially if you are the one using OSX?

actually I'm using linux and tiling window managers are far more productive for me than typical "free-floating" window managers :)

Holy shit that is so hot :) Grats. Personally I don't like completely greyscale desktops, but that's just me. I admire your style tho :)

I had to go with neutral theme mostly because of the color intensive work I do in Photoshop :)

Wow, I can't believe LiteStep is still around. I remember back in 1999 or 2000 when I made themes for that beast.