Windows 7: Customization

I started using Ubuntu Linux 10.04. It was nice but it of course wasn't compatible with anything because it was Linux. What I liked was the fact that it was astonishingly customizable. Is there any way that Windows can be configured to have that much customization.... having multiple task bars, selecting exactly what you'd like to have in those task bars, virtual desktops, things like that?

I doubt there would be, but it's worth a shot.

I really don't know. But for some of the criticisms shot at Windows 7 for supposedly ripping off stuff from MacOS, the one thing I would have loved to have seen in the Windows 7 user interface is compiz fusion's wobbly windows. If that's not eye candy, then I don't know what is.

God... it was hard making the transition simply because the wobbly windows weren't there. Or being able to tell the OS how you want each graphic to look. Telling the computer how you want a window to look when it opens closes, is minimized, maximized.... it's just awesome.

How about this, do you know of a program that can help me zoom like how Compiz was able to get things to work out?

Unfortunately, no.

Tutorials » Internet Explorer Zoom Level
Let us know if that is what you are looking for?

No you cant add extra taskbars, but yes you can make new tool bars.
R+click taskbar > Toolbars > New Toolbar;
Point that to a folder full of your favourite shortcuts. But that will only stay in the taskbar, you cant drag that off to the side or top like you can in XP. Not that I know of anyway...

Virtual Desktops. No. I've looked into this too, at the request of one of my managers who like how Ubuntu 9.10 could do it easily.
There is DeskSpace... If I can remember where the site is, I'l post the link to it. Or google it. I demo'd the trial version, and it basically behaves like the Cube effect. Theres no real easy way to flick to the one you want quickly, nor see whats on the other ones at a glance.

This too was my first impression of Windows 7. I've never used a Mac in the last 15 years, but it did looked exactly like my earlier Kubuntu 7.10 desktop. I was heavily disappointed with Microsoft in this regard....

In saying all this... (I think this is my longest post so far) theres is also a piece of software I have on one of my images...
Cygwin. I'm sure its free from RedHat.
I've never used it, its for one of our classes. I understand its a linux emulator for windows, or something like that.
I guess you could try installing that, and see if you can run compiz then.
I'd advise doing it on a test machine first tho

Hope this helps.

Edit: Oh wow, 3 new posts while I was writing this...

Customization has always been Apple BIGGEST disappoint, but in a way it is MS's too.

I keep wanting to see a NATIVELY customizable OS, such as Linux has with their Ruby (or is it Gem?). Not necessarily to that level, but a similar concept.

~Lordbob

It's a difficult area because we all want different custom jobs on our computers.
Then once we have that we want to change it.
"If it ain't broke don't fix it!" But leave it to me to break it so I can fix it!

But the point is that if it has a native customization tool, it would be REALLY easy to do whatever customizations that we wanted!

Even better would be the option to save a "profile" or the settings you used for a backup or to give to a friend.

~Lordbob

I am with you all the way.
So, why hasn't somebody developed a native custom tool yet?
Is it to expensive, put people out of work, too difficult to do?
Maybe you should start a new thread and get ideas of how to proceed! IMO