..either in creating graphics, coding apps, figuring out ways to customize your OS, editing html, anything really.

That's one thing going on, on the web, seems worthwile to us. So why spoil all this by recommending expensive apps and/or a new default. Lots of creative people are just offering their stuff for free, cause they like to share... and since this whole customizing thing should be fun, it feels good to go for cheap, not dollars.

Besides, reality shows there's mostly a cheap solution for everything you think is a problem (read: challenge). In finding this, or letting you know it's available, we'd like to help.

Ofcourse it can be done. You simply register some major stuff from most known shareware companies, all featured here, download some skins, fiddle a bit with the settings and there you have it, a cool and really differing desktop experience. That's not what we're about; we'll try to convince you not to do it and check out all free options to create an even more different, personal look and working environment!

However, there's an end to freeware when it comes to some specific, advanced tweaks. Or freeware apps won't do the trick on your machine... we will present shareware here, and try to respect the work their creators have put into this apps. We actually registered a few, select applications, we don't believe in stealing... heh, but we don't believe in some shareware companies wanting our money too much, either. There's this other approach too, "adware", free software supported by ads. (Not to be confused, but how to be sure, with "spyware"...) Once again, we may have lost contact with reality, but they seem to bite eachother, the effort of personalizing your computer, and allowing advertisement on it.

Or, just get that registration code for free ? We are aware there's a grey area somewhere (like that cool graphics application that came with one of our machines, but is running on both...), but no, that's not the way! How are you gonna justify that ? You are poor ? Find the freeware alternative, and besides, really.. ? You are all against commercial companies wanting too much out of your pocket ? So are we, but by breaking their codes you give them a break anyhow. Supporting the other side seems more constructive...

So, even if there's a few dollars involved, it's no shop, where you pay and get lost. People give you their stuff for free or almost that amount, consider that. Most asked reward is a little response... can't expect them to continue without any of it, right ?

We've seen programs being coded because of a single request, and cool stuff die because of a lack of appreciation. Take notice of that before you take the - often abused - word 'community' in your mouth! If you want it to live, make it live. Ask, answer, use the messageboards around, comment, suggest, help otherwise, if you can. And sign this!

Relation is a bit tense, sometimes. There's reasons for that. As we understand, the Mac had to fight to survive, and it seems they did: insert babble here, on design level as seen on most Mac pages compared to general standard :)...

We happened to buy a pc and run Windows (didn't know much else, then) and are quite content with it. A MacUser is quite happy too, we hear, and though the 'creative approach' seems a (great) bit longer existing on the Mac, we see no reason to be bickerish... much more fun enjoying stuff from the other platform, finding ways to exchange.

So, being content with this OS, we're only briefly touching shell replacements here. This place is about tweaking the default, explorer(.exe), mainly. Just our area of expertise; gotta set some focus, right ? Anyone has got to admit that all the work done in the shell-scene has done much good to users of the default explorer shell, and still does. Heh, our "daily rotation" scheme covers the main sites there... we just don't cover any replacements, fully - that's already being done, and good too (start with some of our customization links...).

And though this site may look like a celebration of Microsoft, it's obvious that fame brings arrogance. So get rid of this logo's, standard interface, icons, make it all to look and behave like you want it to, cause it can be. Enjoy.

We're keen on conforming to web standards these days, Zeldman and likeminded people convinced us. Doesn't mean we're gonna be fundamental about it, and in reality, while most of these pages will in fact validate, our .css files are not even close, because there's some non-valid tags to have a minimal amount of backwards compatability. Well, minimal, if we deleted the fixes for IE5 in .css, that would reduce them with 50%...

..we're not unwilling to publish any contribition you want to make here. We can think of a couple of contributions we're not able to create and/or ain't got the time/means to do it, that would still "fit the format"...