Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Programming dreams....


pictured: Visual Tooltip freeware desktop enhancement.

I have always loved enhancing my Windows desktop, from changing settings and themes to using custom iconsComputer (get some great ones
here!). Now that I have learned some basic programming (I made a factorializing Java app for my Science Fair), I would like to try my hand at making my own desktop enhancement app (with the help of my master-programmer father, of course!) Here are my ideas for this forthcoming program:

PROGRAM TYPE:

Desktop Enhancement
(beautifying the Windows Desktop and adding functionality)

PROGRAM NAME AND DESCRIPTION:


hyperTaskbar
This program will add the following two functionalities to the Windows Taskbar:
  • For Windows XP, this will add the "taskbar previews" feature featured in Vista's taskbar (see screenshot on top for a different app that provides this functionality on XP).
  • For all Windows OSes, hyperTaskbar will provide an enhanced Quick Launch Menu, providing:
    • skinnability
    • ability to move to places other than Windows taskbar
    • Web widgets (e-mail checker, RSS headline reader, etc.)
PROGRAM'S CRITICAL DETAILS:
  • Supports Windows XP and Vista
  • Built on Microsoft .NET Framework
  • Could integrate this into a suite of other desktop enhancement applications by me: hyperPolyGlot.
    • Note: hyperPolyGlot is just an ambitious idea by me to create the desktop enhancement killer app suite, composed of hyperTaskbar (taskbar enhancements), hyperNotify (a notification app), hyperIconToy (icon customization), and the hyperPolyGlot launcher. As of yet, I am still thinking about building hyperTaskbar (Even that may never come!)
  • Free and open-source.
Like my idea/s? Have any changes/suggestions before I start making hyperTaskbar? Sound off in the comments to this post!




5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the idea, and it is very creative, and can be great for all XP users who want to add more functionality to their OS. However, I already have Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit, so I am quite satisfied. Again, great idea though!

Maggie's at the Door said...

Great idea....
i sort of just finished this book called pretties, which is set in the future so I'm talking all pretty-like.

i love your idea...you could probably make some quick cash...
I, on the other hand, am a Visual Effects geek. ya know, special effects, computer graphics, all that stuff!

Abhi Sharma said...

Prad-

Thank you! *bows deeply* Technically, hyperTaskbar will work on Vista, and enhance it by providing a skinnable, movable, and widget-able version of the Quick Launch Toolbar. hyperPolyGlot will provide similar enhanced features for XP and Vista.
========================================
Maggie-

Thank you! *bows deeply* I would like to make my program/s free and open-source, (geekese warning!) so everybody running Windows XP can stay with the more stable, compatible OS while having Vista's gorgeousness and cool, new features.

Maggie's at the Door said...

Is it to be available to us?
*begs*

Abhi Sharma said...

Maggie-

Yes, when I get around to making it :)...