First off I need to add this bit of a disclaimer. I have been a WindowBlinds user for many years and it has been a part of my default install of any Windows OS since I first started using it. For the last two years I have also been a subscriber to their Object Desktop suite – of which WindowBlinds is a part – of enhancements for Windows. this year though my subscription ran out and I was unable to afford the renewal. However after my initial look at their new digital distribution platform called Impulse the folks were good enough to extend my subscription an additional year which is how I have been able to take a look at this new product – MyColors – from the company and I thank them for that.

One of the great things with WindowBlinds was the ability to skin; or theme, you desktop in just about anyway you want due to the incredibly large community that built up around the product. the only problem was that in many cases this didn’t include things like your desktop wallpaper or any of the widgets that you might be running. Some designers did include options for skinning those as well but it wasn’t a common thing. this meant that if you wanted a common look right across your desktop you had to do some hunting for matching themes and wallpapers.

With MyColors however this has changed as you can now select a complete theme package and apply it to your system with a simple one click action. The big difference is that while the WindowBlinds themes were made by community members and made freely available MyColors has become more a marketplace where the best themes available can be purchased thereby providing these creators with a way to finally make some money for all their hard work. there are some free ones available as well but the majority of the themes are available for anywhere from $9.95 up to the $20.00 range – but the quality alone makes it well worth the price.

When you install and start up MyColors for the first time you have one free theme package available besides the regular Vista Aero theme

The third theme you can see in the list is on of the other current free themes that I downloaded from the MyColors site. The fun part though comes when you decide to go do some shopping for new themes by clicking on the More Themes button and switch to the easy to use viewer of the additional theme packages available. This won shows the section called Rides and is devoted to car buffs

And then for the sports fans there are actually three sections available – NHL, NBA and of course the Collegiate Teams section

The beauty of the MyColors program is that everything is basically a simple one click operation – whether it be selecting the theme package to apply to your system or viewing all the ones that are available via their theme store. Plus if there isn’t enough there there to attract your attention you can always click on the View More button which will take you to the MyColors site where you can check out even more choices.

As much of a fan as I am of WindowBlinds I have to admit that MyColors has made a compelling case for replacing it as my default method of changing my themes. Even though this is more of a paying propositions that the WindowBlinds alternative with its extensive community of free themes I like the idea of paying for a more complete theme package of extremely high quality work.

This option won’t be for everyone but if you like the idea of being able to reward some excellent graphic artists for their work and the ease of being able to modify your desktop theme then this could be an alternative worth looking into.