Datasheet
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CHAPTER 3
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MANAGING THE WINDOWS DESKTOP
Highly regarded theme management programs include WindowBlinds at
www.stardock.com and StyleXP at www.tgtsoft.com. Both are shareware, cost
$19.95, and occasionally have the odd operational discontinuity (bug) to
work around; but the sites also have libraries of themes that you can browse
and download for free.
Finally, if you want additional themes, Microsoft encourages you to give
them more money for the privilege. You can purchase the Microsoft Plus!
SuperPack for Windows XP. For only $29.95, you can get four “astounding”
new themes and eight “stunning” screen savers, according to the Microsoft
Web site. There are also some additional games and multimedia add-ons,
some of which may be useful to you, others that are available elsewhere
(Movie Maker 2 is a free download, so you don’t need to buy the SuperPack
to get it).
The hidden powers of the Start button
The Start button is the place where everything can be done to your com-
puter. By clicking Start, you can work your way through stacks of menus in
order to launch applications, run system programs, and access frequently-
used documents.
The Start button was introduced in Windows 95 and ever since then has
undergone modification. The latest version separates the menu into four
areas: the pinned applications area,
the most-recently-used area, an
area for common Windows-related
functions, and a menu structure for
everything else (see Figure 3.10).
Like many things with Microsoft
software, there are numerous access
points that lead you to settings you
can change, and some of the more
important settings are hidden where
you wouldn’t expect them. The Start
button is a prime example. It con-
tains a number of settings that
change how it behaves and how
your desktop looks.
You can access the hidden pow-
ers of the Start button by right-click-
ing it and then clicking Properties.
Figure 3.10. The four Start button areas present
you with different ways to launch applications or
open documents.
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