A new version of the Windows Vista tweaking software Tweak Vi has been released two days ago with several new functions added to the software. Take a look at the list of fixes below to get an overview of what has been changed.
The default Windows Vista bootscreen is not really spectacular at all. It just shows a loading bar and the Microsoft Corporation copyright on a black screen. There is however a way to activate a secret Windows Vista bootscreen that looks visually more appealing.
I personally think that some of the icons found in Windows Vista are not that great at all and decided to look for a way to replace them with better suited icons. During the search I found a website that offers icon packs for Windows Vista that look really great.
There aren’t that many useful Vista sidebar gadgets available at the windows marketplace at the moment. I never quite understood why someone would want to add another clock for instance to the sidebar, does not make that much sense to me. One way to change the relative uselessness of the Windows Vista sidebar is to use the Amnesty Generator to convert web widgets to sidebar gadgets.
Internet Explorer 7 allows a maximum of two simultaneous downloads which might be enough for casual downloaders but is definitely not enough for users who download a lot in a short time. I’m on a very fast connection and have no problem to download 8-10 files at a time.
I was trying to find a way to shutdown Windows Vista using only the keyboard and had the problem that the method known from Windows XP was not working in Vista anymore. It remains a mystery to me why Microsoft decided to change this and remove the keyboard shortcut to shutdown in Windows Vista.
Microsoft confirmed that Vista’s Aero theme is consuming more power which leads to a faster battery drain. They say it is not that much that people should get worried but I personally feel that Aero consumes to much power. I also think that it is a pretty useless feature of Windows Vista. Sure it looks nice but that’s it. The transparency feature of Aero will be disabled whenever you switch to Power Save mode.
I always liked the concept of the program Autopatcher which is available for Windows XP. This tool is basically a collection of all fixes and patches for Windows XP which can all be automatically added to the operating system without connecting to a official Microsoft website and downloading them from there. Very convenient, just download one file, execute it and your Windows is up to date.
Microsoft is very keen to incorporate the gaming experience of Xbox Live to Windows Vista. Soon the first games will come out that makes it possible to compete with PC and Xbox 360 players alike in the same game. I think the first will the Shadowrun that supports this feature. While shooters are best played with a mouse and keyboard other games feel more natural with a gamepad. I’m thinking of beat em up games or arcade shooters for instance.
Just a quick tip today. If you bought or received Windows Vista Home Basic you probably have noticed that you cannot activate the Aero interface and wondered why that is the case. If you did not know, Windows Vista Home Basic does not ship with the Aero interface. That is at least what Microsoft wants you to believe. There is however a way to activate the Aero interface in this operating system.
