Desktoptacular

Recently rebuilt my work laptop. Always seems to take more time than I expect to get it back into the kind of shape I'd like it to be. But also always well worth the effort. I thought I'd take a moment to detail all the extra tools, utilities, and applications I've grown accustomed to using.

1. Overall look and feel comes from XPize Darkside. This is a comprehensive "skinning" of Windows XP that gives it that darker edge (plus a glassy taskbar). There's a lighter version I've used in the past (XPize 4.7) that uses blues instead of blacks. But I like the black. Both packages also provide a slick "Alt-Tab" replacement that makes it much easier to remember what you're working on.
   
   
   
   
2. Visual Task Tips help with the multi-tasking, too, providing Vista-like capabilities without all the overhead. Simply mouseover any task in your Windows Taskbar to get a thumbnail image of the application.
   
   
   
   
3. Taskbar Shuffle. More micromanagement on the task-bar. I tend to like my taskbar to be at least somewhat organized, instead of a random jumble of apps. This utility lets me rearrange the applications on my taskbar by simply clicking and dragging. Very, very handy.
   
   
4. Google Desktop. Goes without saying. Gotta have this -- I don't know how I'd find anything on my laptop (or in Outlook) without it. Still getting used to the Launchy-like pop-up.
   
   
   
   
5. As much as I'd like to leverage Google Desktop's gadgets, I just don't like them very much. I'm a Yahoo! Widgets guy. For the most part, becauase the desktop is meant to be background, I only use a few widgets. The weather. Simple Monitor. And a couple of world clocks, one local, and one for India. A thin strip for controlling iTunes.
   
   
6. Notepad2 for most of my text-processing. I know there are many other similar utilities out there, but this meets the majority of my needs without an overabundance of unnecessary bells and whistles.
   
   
7. Dark Room. Only recently started using this, but love it. So clean.
   
   
8. SnagIt has become an absolutely indespensible part of my daily existence. A picture is worth a thousand words, and when you work in technology, being able to clarify a point with a quick screenshot is huge.
   
   
9. For less robust image management than SnagIt provides, I still opt for Irfan View.
   
   
10. Firefox, of course. And iTunes. Goes without saying.
    
    
11. Not as essential for a standalone setup, but Multiplicity also brings me a great deal of relief, especially when I'm at the office. My laptop isn't my main work PC, so when I bring it in with me and set it next to my desktop, it's great being able to work on both machines with a single keyboard and mouse.
    
    
12. Background wallpaper courtesy of InterfaceLIFT. Lots of great photos that make for great backgrounds. The one I'm currently using is called Before the Storm.
    
    
13. There are a few other tools and trinkets I've got installed to make life easier. XP's PowerToys are nice (especially the "Open Command Window Here" one), but as far as simple, lightweight, helpful utilities go, I don't know what I'd do without Folder Size.
    
    
    
    Basically replaces the "size" column in Windows Explorer with "Folder Size," allowing you to easily get a handle on what's taking up space on your HD. Why this wasn't built into the OS in the first place is beyond me.