|
What would you say if I were to tell you to choose a picture and some lines of code to define yourself and how you felt at that exact moment? Would you find this to be a blasphemous request, a cruel task? Look for a moment, at your desktop.
The average desktop consists of a taskbar, full of the most commonly used programs of the user, a picture; which more often than not is the picture the OS came with, some icons on the screen itself, and that is generally all that's there. For some, it is simply a vehicle by which they access the programs they care to use, and in doing so, bypass the potential canvas in order to stay on task and optimize the efficiency at which they complete their work.
My question is simply this, is it really just a desktop, or is it a place for you to pour your interest, your excess time, and for those of us not exactly brilliantly artistic in the common areas to display some type of passion in the area of creation? This will be the first in a group of several blogs about the types of desktops, which I prefer, and what I believe it all means. I will gladly aid in the composition of any desktops that I post, and would love to hear the meaning behind everyone else's desktop.
My Desktop-+ Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/GhCaw.jpg) After toiling with code, several programs, images, and icon packages for several months, I finally came to the end of my desktop road, at least for this month. A desktop shouldn't be bound for an excessive amount of time, and should always reflect your feeling and mental state at the time you compile it. This month, I was looking forward, progressing, moving out of the atrocity that was my once life and into the light of an era I could tell stories about without dragging the mood down.
The Picture: + Show Spoiler +An elegant series of bubbles and color streams create an angelic, peaceful display. A far cry from the once dejected, dreary, and frankly morbid past wallpapers, it now reflects an emotion of progression and forward-thought.
The Rainmeter: + Show Spoiler +For those unaware, Rainmeter is a fantastic program that allows one to customize their desktop exponentially further than previously. As opposed to spending weeks coding clocks and calendars, the vast array of skins available online can feed any desktop-whore's hunger for fascinating new and interesting looks. I opted for a simple, open-ended display consisting only of a couple of computer readings, a date, a weather report, and a music-playback tracker. The possibilities are truly endless.
The Dock: + Show Spoiler +Some may look and say, "Looks like he's running a Mac." However, you could not be more wrong (I don't like Macs, so don't accuse me of trying to make my desktop look like one!). The icons are a beautiful set designed and licensed by Evan Brooks. The set is known as "Token" and comes in a black and white set. With their welcoming simplicity and ability to create common visuals between all icons, they add to the serenity and minimalism of the desktop.
Now, after reading this, some of you may be thinking I've taken this to the edge and with a swift shove, pushed if far beyond the boundaries it need be taken, but for me, and I know for others, a desktop is not just a place on a screen. It's something that welcomes you when you get home, when you've had a hard day, you can look at it and say, "I made this, I cared about it, and no one can take it away from me." Some of you may accuse me of being histrionic in my analysis, but this is a blog, isn't that the idea?
I would like to thank those of you that took the time to read it all, and would love reply's with YOUR desktops, YOUR stories, and what inspired you to change Vanilla, into Rainbow Sorbet.
(I'm aware of the Monthly Desktop Threads, but this struck me as a bit over-embellished to post arbitrarily in a thread).
  
|
My story technically starts back when I was 12 and was first exposed to the web design scene. Back at the time, I joined a web design site known as Meteor web designs (MWD) and met a lot of very talented people who helped me further my skills in photoshop. Having been 8 years since then, my photoshop knowledge has only continued to grow and my obsession with making things look nice exponentially.
Now before, if you recall the older days with windows blinds and lite step eating up a bunch of what little RAM we had in our rigs in those days, it wasn't very practical to have a bunch of third party programs running in the background. I like to keep my computer clean. Now, having splurged on a 3k desktop a few years ago and then bam, i learned about rainmeter.
before this, i had no idea there was a program like this to make the desktop completely unique. Now, i guess i do possess some of the PC elitist attitude that many of the older PC users have but i'm not ashamed of it if asked. I don't gloat it, and when people come over and ask how to use my computer (non literate users dont know how to operate my rig anymore) i'll oblige to explain.
that being said, rainmeter spoke to me in a special way. "Hey! take all that photoshop you learned, and put it into your desktop. You invested so much in it already, why not just make it even more pretty and unique" and so i did.
heres my current one =]
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/47vVf.jpg)
|
Simple yet very tactile and handy, I especially love the media-player tracker you use (even more so than my own!) By chance did you modify Omnimo for the shortcuts?
|
I wish someone would just get on my computer and deck it out with sweet rainmeter shit  Tried messing around with it for a bit..could never get it to look that awesome. Now i just use rocket dock and launchy with a couple windows widgets
|
On March 25 2011 09:19 decafchicken wrote:I wish someone would just get on my computer and deck it out with sweet rainmeter shit Tried messing around with it for a bit..could never get it to look that awesome. Now i just use rocket dock and launchy with a couple windows widgets
Like I said in the OP, I will be more than glad to write a guide to help you out with making your desktop exactly what you want it to be! You can either reply here or shoot me a PM and I should be able to handle the rest (I am also always available on both Skype and B.net, so if either of those work better for you, I would gladly oblige).
|
My desktop is boring as hell:
+ Show Spoiler [empty desktop inside!] +
I don't have any files on my desktop, they all go in my dropbox so i can access them at my notebook aswell.
I don't have any programs on my desktop. Launching programs goes by win-key+space to bring up this awesome tool:
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/8h1jO.png)
(launchy for world domination! at least on windows)
Aaand finally i don't have any fancy HUDs on my desktop either, as most of the time either some game, or some design/development tool, or my browser, or if none of these my IRC client is running on full-screen, so i wouldn't see it anyways and it would only drain cpu.
However, i have haxed my desktop background into my browser, so thats kinda cool.
+ Show Spoiler [desktop image inside a browser woot] +
Concluding, i think it does define me pretty well. Its like absolutely smoothed towards processing speed (not CPU processing speed, but my own workflow processing speed). Anything i do regularly, i completely smooth out so i can do it hell fast. For instance, look at my browser. It doesn't have any more control buttons. I even have removed the tab bar (i still use tabs, i just don't have them displayed). I purely control it by mouse gestures/keyboard shortcuts. Launchy saves me the work of mouse-aiming or start menu navigating to start up any application. It's all trimmed to be used at lightning speed. whoooooooooooa!
/edit: cause someone asked, before i get pm flooded, here's a source link for the wallpaper, it's stolen from the february desktop thread somewhere i believe.
|
All I want from my desktop is efficiency and a picture that makes me lol every time I look at it. Maybe if my laptop wasn't a 5 year old budget Dell, then I might spend some of my precious resources making my desktop look pretty.
I've fiddled with different icons and skins before but even though it looked nice, things were never completely congruent. If I installed a new program then it would either have to have the default icon which wouldn't fit with the rest of the look, or a generic icon from an icon pack, which also didn't suit me.
If I did use Rainmeter or something, whenever a new program is installed that I will use regularly, which is relatively often, I'd have to fit it in somewhere on my desktop. It feels like I'd spend too much time fine tuning everything and lose functionality and efficiency.
So I just use a program called launchy which means I can access anything I want with keystrokes. I don't have any icons apart from Show Desktop in the quick launch on my auto hidden task bar.
Here's my current desktop (lol):
+ Show Spoiler +
|
On March 25 2011 09:22 MisterD wrote:+ Show Spoiler +My desktop is boring as hell: + Show Spoiler [empty desktop inside!] +I don't have any files on my desktop, they all go in my dropbox so i can access them at my notebook aswell. I don't have any programs on my desktop. Launching programs goes by win-key+space to bring up this awesome tool: (launchy for world domination! at least on windows) Aaand finally i don't have any fancy HUDs on my desktop either, as most of the time either some game, or some design/development tool, or my browser, or if none of these my IRC client is running on full-screen, so i wouldn't see it anyways and it would only drain cpu. However, i have haxed my desktop background into my browser, so thats kinda cool. + Show Spoiler [desktop image inside a browser woot] +Concluding, i think it does define me pretty well. Its like absolutely smoothed towards processing speed (not CPU processing speed, but my own workflow processing speed). Anything i do regularly, i completely smooth out so i can do it hell fast. For instance, look at my browser. It doesn't have any more control buttons. I even have removed the tab bar (i still use tabs, i just don't have them displayed). I purely control it by mouse gestures/keyboard shortcuts. Launchy saves me the work of mouse-aiming or start menu navigating to start up any application. It's all trimmed to be used at lightning speed. whoooooooooooa!
Got a really boring desktop as well. Been using rainmeter, and sometimes rocketdock, for over a year now, but I finally realized that... Well, I don't ever really look at them. Like at all. Got the time and date already in the taskbar (which, by the way, replaces rocketdock completely funcion-wise). CPU, RAM, HD space and all that stuff I don't look at ever anyway. The only skin I have still active that I actually check is my Uptime meter. Used to keep my old computer running for weeks non stop, trying to lower that. 
And I've got a similar program launcher to you, called Executor. Don't know how I survived without it until I saw a link in one of the monthly desktop threads.
|
To those of you asking/PM'ing me, I have begun drafting a guide to setting up a desktop akin to mine. I will do my best to post it in a timely fashion, but I'm coming to notice that typing out instructions is a lot more lengthy than I would've once expected it to be. Sit tight, I love the contributions so far!
|
On March 25 2011 09:02 ProjectVirtue wrote:My story technically starts back when I was 12 and was first exposed to the web design scene. Back at the time, I joined a web design site known as Meteor web designs (MWD) and met a lot of very talented people who helped me further my skills in photoshop. Having been 8 years since then, my photoshop knowledge has only continued to grow and my obsession with making things look nice exponentially. Now before, if you recall the older days with windows blinds and lite step eating up a bunch of what little RAM we had in our rigs in those days, it wasn't very practical to have a bunch of third party programs running in the background. I like to keep my computer clean. Now, having splurged on a 3k desktop a few years ago and then bam, i learned about rainmeter. before this, i had no idea there was a program like this to make the desktop completely unique. Now, i guess i do possess some of the PC elitist attitude that many of the older PC users have but i'm not ashamed of it if asked. I don't gloat it, and when people come over and ask how to use my computer (non literate users dont know how to operate my rig anymore) i'll oblige to explain. that being said, rainmeter spoke to me in a special way. "Hey! take all that photoshop you learned, and put it into your desktop. You invested so much in it already, why not just make it even more pretty and unique" and so i did. heres my current one =]
Is there anyway i could download this for my desktop? Thats pretty sick.
|
A Guide to My Desktop
I'll make this as brief as possible, while still including enough information to make this relatively simple to execute, and give you enough guidance to do it yourself in a way YOU prefer!
+ Show Spoiler +Mandatory Programs/Mods+ Show Spoiler +Rainmeter: The backbone of any well orchestrated desktop; found here and here. ObjectDock: Many swear by RocketDock, but I've found this one to simply be more intuitive and simple to set up (which I will go into later). Token Icons: A very simple set of icons, if you're looking for more colourful icons, DeviantArt has a plethora of shiny sets to suit any fancy. -Dock-
This is definitely going to take the longest by several miles. First of all, ObjectDock Plus (torrent or purchase, I won't specify here). The settings are as follows:
Size - Medium (78) Pixels Tall
Style/Color - These are my personal settings; if you wish to have a more flashy and prominent dock, feel free to mess around with these! Aero Reflections (although it doesn't much matter, it's going to be totally transparent). Disable the custom coloring, and drag the transparency bar all the way to the right in order to make it 100% transparent.
Effect - None. Again, feel free to play around with these, it's supposed to be fun making a desktop that suits YOU!
Accessibility - Regular. Set the Mouse activation and sensitivity to "short delay."
Settings:
Load on Startup (Yes)
Hide the Windows Taskbar (Yes)
Enable Aero Peek on running tasks (No)
Miscellaneous Tweaks:
Show indicators under running programs (Yes)
Label font: This can be really anything you want it to be, if you know a certain font you really enjoy, feel free to use that; personally I use Champagne & Limousines 12px. This can be downloaded here (http://www.dafont.com/champagne-limousines.font).
This next bit will take you some time. In order to modify the icons, you must download the Token set, and manually change the icons yourself (yes, this is extremely tedious and time consuming, but I have yet to find an automated way of getting this done. Just right click the icons as you wish to change them, navigate to the folder in which you've extracted the set of icons, and find the appropriate icon.)
If anyone has questions on this bit, feel free to ask in PM or in the blog. After posting this I will continue drafting guides for Rainmeter and Tips and Tricks to making your desktop work for YOU as opposed to you working for IT. Sit tight!
|
My perspective is that a desktop is for icons. As such, my desktop is 90% full of icons at all times and there is no room for a picture. If there is something I actually need to click on (games, calculator, word processor) I use the start menu. This eliminates the need for bullshit folders and cleaning your shit up.
|
My desktop is my life.
My desktop as in the default screen is devoid of icons. It's black with a black interface and hidden icons and pop-up rocketdock, with this picture in the center.
+ Show Spoiler +
Whenever I have time I clean up my desktop, takes anywhere from 1-4 hours.
|
On March 25 2011 09:02 ProjectVirtue wrote:[/B
i had no idea there was a program like this to make the desktop completely unique. Now, i guess i do possess some of the PC elitist attitude that many of the older PC users have but i'm not ashamed of it if asked. I don't gloat it, and when people come over and ask how to use my computer (non literate users dont know how to operate my rig anymore) i'll oblige to explain.
My desktop is not some hipster bastion where I can show off my flashy icons and ricemeter. Who the hell cares. If you are a super linux nerd you will laugh at people who do things like that, if you are some special flower who's goal in life is to make sure that everyone knows how creative and amazing he is, your only friends will be people who feel the same way, all struggling together in a perfect harmony of smug elitism. You just crave that experience of when someone asks to use your computer, and you get to explain it to them. Deep down you just want someone to compliment you on it, it's like people with model train sets, or people who build insane things in minecraft, just to put it on youtube and have people in comments tell them how cool it is.
:/
[b]User was warned for this post
|
On March 25 2011 11:31 Xinliben wrote:Show nested quote +[B]On March 25 2011 09:02 ProjectVirtue wrote:[/B
i had no idea there was a program like this to make the desktop completely unique. Now, i guess i do possess some of the PC elitist attitude that many of the older PC users have but i'm not ashamed of it if asked. I don't gloat it, and when people come over and ask how to use my computer (non literate users dont know how to operate my rig anymore) i'll oblige to explain.
My desktop is not some hipster bastion where I can show off my flashy icons and ricemeter. Who the hell cares. If you are a super linux nerd you will laugh at people who do things like that, if you are some special flower who's goal in life is to make sure that everyone knows how creative and amazing he is, your only friends will be people who feel the same way, all struggling together in a perfect harmony of smug elitism. You just crave that experience of when someone asks to use your computer, and you get to explain it to them. Deep down you just want someone to compliment you on it, it's like people with model train sets, or people who build insane things in minecraft, just to put it on youtube and have people in comments tell them how cool it is. :/
Well, I cant deny that you are accurate about wanting to be complimented. But at the same time, why else do you indulge in arts. Theres hundreds of thousands of amateur web designers floating on forums, making sigs, making templates, why? They have an idea that they believe is unique, sharing it with the community is the only way to get feedback.
I also used to do CGI on the side and who doesn't love putting in 40 hours of work into something and hearing people compliment his hard work. Or after i finished my 1/100 unicorn lambda, to find out that months later after posting, my custom color scheme and modifications was able to inspire a new modeler to attempt something new.
granted, at the same time, theres also a lot of self satisfaction wouldn't you agree? Even if its playing an instrument, or something more basic like working out. Can you accomplish something you've strived for and just shrug it off? its the same thing with customizing your desktop. Think, use imagination, make something you beleive is unique. Share it with the community. Inspire. Thats what makes the webdesign community continue to go round and round =]
Edit: for those who want to use the hexagons from my setup. heres the png for both sizes :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/moocowguy/smallhex.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/moocowguy/btn4.png
|
On March 25 2011 11:31 Xinliben wrote:Show nested quote +[B]On March 25 2011 09:02 ProjectVirtue wrote:[/B
i had no idea there was a program like this to make the desktop completely unique. Now, i guess i do possess some of the PC elitist attitude that many of the older PC users have but i'm not ashamed of it if asked. I don't gloat it, and when people come over and ask how to use my computer (non literate users dont know how to operate my rig anymore) i'll oblige to explain.
My desktop is not some hipster bastion where I can show off my flashy icons and ricemeter. Who the hell cares. If you are a super linux nerd you will laugh at people who do things like that, if you are some special flower who's goal in life is to make sure that everyone knows how creative and amazing he is, your only friends will be people who feel the same way, all struggling together in a perfect harmony of smug elitism. You just crave that experience of when someone asks to use your computer, and you get to explain it to them. Deep down you just want someone to compliment you on it, it's like people with model train sets, or people who build insane things in minecraft, just to put it on youtube and have people in comments tell them how cool it is. :/
TBH, if you can't take the time to make something you like looking at and working with, why take the time to make other things? I personally know for a fact that I'm the only person that will be using my computer, and I simply want it to be something I'm proud of. It's not that I'm being narcissistic nor histrionic, it is as simple as I want something nice to look at and reflect myself. What is art if not a vehicle to express oneself and have a feeling of self worth? I care what I'm worth to me, other opinions interest me, but don't affect me. I understand the thought process, I just simply don't agree with it.
|
This is my desktop
![[image loading]](http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab105/MortarNPestle/DesktopMarch2011.jpg)
I'm a huge fan of Rainmeter and the infinite tweaking and testing you can do. It's so satisfying to create something that works out perfectly with the design you had in mind.
As much as I enjoy looking at my desktop (and showing it to others), it is above all a workspace for me. I keep my desktop as clean as possible, and reserve its space for files from projects that I am currently working on as well as my organizational tools: a built in calendar, clock, notepad and convenient weather application.
My background was a quick photoshop job, as I wanted something textured but not too distracting, with the overall purpose of providing a dark backdrop for Rainmeter.
Glad to see (and not at all surprised) that there are other TLers with an interest in creating their perfect desktop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/IprnS.png)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/evpEi.png)
![[image loading]](http://i51.tinypic.com/2cp2wcg.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/JXZc2.png)
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/xU0mV.jpg)
