At Windows Guides, we do our very best to bring you the best tips, advice, and freebies. In this guide, we share the second part of 100 of the best free icon packs available online. The posts are broken into two because of the size of the images needed to preview each pack. For those on dial-up, 7.14MB of images may be a little much—hopefully by splitting this post into two parts, you’ll be able to get the most out of these great downloads.

Missed the first part? 100 Free Icon Packs for Windows [Part 1 of 2]

Looking for even more icons? Icon Packs on Windows Guides.

iVista 2 PNGs

Designer Icons – Professionally Hand-Crafted Free Icon Set

Icon Pack 2

Web 2.0 Gift

Radium Icon Set

Black glamour

Summer Collection icons

Shine

Light Dock Icons

Vintage Stamp Social Media Icon Pack

Icon Pack

Coquette Part 2 Icons

Niome PNGs

Onibari Leopard Made

Onibari light

Glass Icon Pack

Coquette Icon Packs

Pry Black icons

Eko Folders

Crystal Project icons

Crystal 256X256 PNGs

Icon Pack 2 Custom Icons II

Office dock icons

GNOME Desktop icons 2.20

De Freu. -Icon Pack.

“Where Are My Money” Icon Set

Sketchy Web Icons

Balloon Icons

Developpers Icons

Aeon

Simplistica icons

Noiro Icons

Icon Pack 2 Custom Icons III

Web Application Icons Set

facebook ui icons vector

Strawberry Milkshake – System Icon Set

Finance

Glossy Grayscale Icons

Aesthetica Icons

KX2 Assembly Line: Computer Pack V1

NX10

Flurry Icons for Social Media

Flurry Icons for Audio 2

Weby Icon Set

11 Free Video Sharing Icons

Flurry Icons for Gamers

JB: Insomnia Collection

Circles III : Gaia

Adobe CS4 mini icon set

Primo icons

Back to 100 Free Icon Packs for Windows [Part 1 of 2]

Looking for even more icons? Icon Packs on Windows Guides.

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

Unfortunately the web browser, which was originally designed for reading documents, is not an ideal environment for running applications. It is frustrating and time-consuming to wade through a mass of browser windows and tabs just to find your email client. Unstable applications can slow down or crash your entire browser. And many of the conveniences offered by modern operating systems are unavailable to Web Applications running in the browser.

Introducing PRISM…

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with
4,5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

SumoPaint.com as Standalone Web Application

Prism is a product from Mozilla Labs, designed to “remove” the browser from the picture. Instead of running all your Web Applications in the browser, Prism lets you run them in their own window just like normal applications. You still need an Internet connection to make most of them work, like the MSN SkyDrive and Google Docs. But you no longer need to remember which Tab your application is hiding under.

Prism is based on the same technology as the Firefox Browser, ensuring maximum compatibility with the entire range of applications available on the web. Ironically, Prism is a Web Application (or Firefox Add-on) but it is also available as a Standalone Application.

Any Site, with all the OS benefits…

And if you were wondering, Prism let you open ANY site as a Standalone Application. I am currently logged onto my WordPress account, typing this inside the Prism Interface. Prism doesn’t just open a web page in a browser-like interface, it also gives you all the benefits of a true Standalone Application. With Prism you can hide your application in the System Tray, Add it to your Dock, Run it when you Boot your Computer, get Traybar Notifications, and the list continues…

Imagine. You no longer need to log on to your web mail account, Facebook or any other site you use. Now you can run it as if it were installed on your computer. Prism will store your site passwords and even let you know when you have new mail arriving in your inbox. This is truly a great piece of work.

Easy to Setup and Use

I prefer the standalone version of Prism as I don’t use Firefox that much. Anyway, the Program comes in a ZIP-file, with no installation required. Unzip and Run.

The Prism Interface is a simple Form Utility. You fill in the URL of your desired Application, give it a Name, and where to save the Short-Cut (Desktop, Quick-Launch or Start-Menu). Once you have saved your preferences, double-click the Icon, and voila!

Un-Install a Web Application

Not only do you get to use your favourite Web Applications as if it were a real Application, but removing an unwanted Application is also truly simple. Delete the ShortCut. No more “Left Overs” in the Registry or unused folders in the Start Menu.

Features

• Access web apps from system taskbar or dock
• Pop up alerts
• System tray icon and dock badges
• Minimize to tray
• Run applications automatically when your computer starts
• Rock solid web app stability
• Associate applications with browser links
• Tray icon and dock menus
• Works on Windows and MAC

To read more about the features, Look here: http://prism.mozillalabs.com/features/

Or… Download

Download Site

About Thomas

Computer geek from the age of 7, which amounts to 30 years of computer experience. From the early days (when every computer company had their own OS) of DOS, Windows 1.0 through Seven...

This week, we have a collection of Windows XP, Vista, and 7 style icon packs. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

Blue Aero 7 IconPack Project

Black Vista Icon Pack

Developer Library Icon

Windows 7 6956 Icons

Sleek XP Basic Icons

Vista Style Ultimate

Aesthetica Icon Set

Wraith Dock Icon Pack

HP Dock Icon Set

1024, 512, and 256 px PNG Icons.

Radium Icon Set

DeskMundo Live Icons

Q’s Vista Ready Icons

Nx06 Icons

Staned Aero

Aurora Folders

“16 icons in formats PNG (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16), ICO (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICNS (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16).”

Vista Control Panel icons

Phuzion Icons

VistaIco

Sleep XP: Basic Icons

Cristal Intense

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

If you’d like to convert your Windows Vista or 7 to make it look like OS X Snow Leopard, you can learn how in this guide. Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide:

1. Create a system restore point.
2. Patch your system files with UXTheme Multi-patcher.
3. Download Snow Leopard for Windows 7.
4. Take Ownership of Your Files.
5. Install Snow Leopard for Windows 7 theme.

Please note: this guide involves modifying system files and you should proceed with caution.

Create a System Restore Point

You should first create a system restore point so you can roll back any unintended changes. If you are unsure of how to do this, follow this guide: Create a system restore point.

Patch your System Files with UXTheme Multi-patcher

To install third-party themes, you will need to patch your system files. The easiest way to do this is with UXTheme Multi-patcher:

1. Download UXTheme Multi-patcher.
2. Extract the download, right click UXTheme Multipatcher.exe, click Run as Administrator.
3. When UXTheme Multi-patcher loads, click Patch.
4. Wait while the program patches your files and makes a backup of your originals.

At any time, you can open the program again and restore your files to their original state by clicking Restore.

Download Snow Leopard for Windows 7

Download the  Snow Leopard for Windows Theme. To extract the theme, you have two options:

1. Click an ad to get to the files (not a fan of this.)
2. Extract the files manually.

It’s up to you to decide what you’d like to do to extract the file:

Click an Ad to Get to the Files

If you double click on the downloaded executable, you’ll be asked to watch an ad. The download will then extract to your desktop and you’re ready to install the theme.

Extract the Files Manually

If you disagree with the practice above, you can extract the files manually (this method works at the time of writing this guide.)

1. Download a program like 7-zip.
2. Right click the downloaded executable and click 7-Zip > Open archive.
3. Extract snd.wmv.
4. Rename snd.wmv to snd.zip.
5. Open the zip file and extract the contents to your desktop.

Take Ownership of Your Files

To learn more about taking ownership of a file, go here.

The next step is to take ownership (Take Ownership registry hack) of two system files that you’ll be replacing (the Welcome Center file is optional and should also be owned if you use Welcome Center):

• C:\Windows\system32\shell32.dll
• C:\Windows\system32\ExplorerFrame.dll

Install Snow Leopard for Windows 7 Theme

To install the theme:

1. Go to C:\Windows and locate explorer.exe
2. Rename explorer.exe to explorer.exe.backup.
3. Copy the explorer.exe file from the theme folders to C:\Windows.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for shell32.dll and ExplorerFrame.dll (Welcome center file is optional.)
5. Double check you have replaced all system files as noted above.
6. Copy the theme files in the Themes folder to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes:
7. Important: reboot your computer.
8. Right click the desktop and click Personalize.
9. Click the Snow Leopard theme to apply the style.

Your desktop should look something like this:

If you want to add a dock to make it look even more like OS X or add even more customization, you can follow the instructions on the theme’s download page.

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

This week, we have a collection icon packs that could be used for mobile applications. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

HUD Transparent Leopard Icons

iPhone Icon Pack

iPhone Flag Icons

Stickers Icon Set

Free Web Development Icons #4

Leopard iPhone Icons

18 replacement icons of Mac OS X Leopard Folders in iPhone Icons Style

Vaga

60 semi-transparent .png icons (16 x 16)

Glossy eCommerce Icons: 32 Free Icons

Media Icons

August Iconset

Fresh Add-on

“ecqlipse” PNG

Pretty Office Icons

Coquette 4

Flavour Extended

Stationery Icons

Stunning 128 free icons by wefunction

Basic Set

30 free office Icons

Finance

MinIcons

Web Injection

Credit Cards

2experts

Mobile Device Icons

Onebit

Monofactor Icon Set 1: 25 Free & Scalable Icons

Blue Velvet Icons

WYSIWYG Sapphire Icons

BlackBerry Dock Icons

Free Multimedia Vector Icons

MinIcons

Country Flag Icons

Free Vector Icons Pack 03

Monofactor Icon Set 1: 25 Free & Scalable Icons

Finance and Applications Icon Set

I-KID Icons for iPhone

Windows Phone 7 Series Icon Pack

Weby Icon Set

Black Neon Agua icons

WIP – 32px mania iconset

Function Icon Set

Coquette 5

Silk Companion 1

Flavours

iPhone Toolbar Icons

Round Theme Icons

106 iPhone Application style icons. PNG Format 59×60

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

This week, we have a collection of device, drive, folder, and filetype icon packs. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

Elite Icoms

Reflective Dock Icons

Colourflow:lovesamy custom set

Colourflow : Folders – Blue

140 Stone Tile Icons

Developer Library Icon

heart_PNG

Black Vista Icon Pack

Vista Style Ultimate

Aesthetica Icon Set

Ruby Extended Icons

Chums Icons

Human-O2

DI – Folder Icons

Exempli Gratia

Reality

Slick Drives Remake

Sleek XP Basic Icons

iD

Delikate-Lite

Flavours

Media Icons

HydroPRO v2

Coquette 4

Lucid: Icons

ColorFlow Art Project Folders

iSuite Revoked

Sketchy

Dimension Of Deskmod Cds

Blue CD Icon

Leopard Style Drive Icons 2

OSX Refflective Iconset 1

Boxes

TiCons 3

Blue Aero 7 IconPack Project

WEB

Leomx

Hardwaremx Plus

Hardwaremx

Hardware

eico 1 Year

the last order:candy

PSP Icons

Adjust’s Glass Folders

iPlatinum

MICRO + NickelCobalt Mod

GVS iconset

Onyz Leopardized

Yeti Box

Hiddenmx Win

Leomx Win

Movie Icons

Elegant icon set

Black glamour

Azenis IP

Snowe Doc 2

Blue whales 2006

The Last Order Plus

AlumiGlax 2, Special Folders

avXicons

Phuzion Icons

Blueset Icons

Scrap Icons

UMI Icons

Colorabo Icons

Onibari Leopard Made

Green and Blue

De Freu Icon Pack

Carbon Gloss

Distortion Icons

Dellipack 2

Radium Icon Set

DeskMundo Live Icons

BLACK

Colorflow Unique

Classy Icon Set

White Leopard

HydroPRO -HP- Dock Icon Set

comPewter Desktop Icons

File Icons Vs. 3

VIVA Icons

release_synergy icons

Stacks Dock Icons

project: PANDORA dock icons

Helix Icons

Black Elegant – Icon Set

Stilrent Icon Set

Simple and Clean Icon Set

Slick Drives

iZ3

Green Icon Set

icon for transformers

170 dock icons

Mouse Category Season 02

Blossom Icon Set

Stickers Icon Set

iTunes

Sketchy Paper Icons

Made of Wood

Aurora Folders

“16 icons in formats PNG (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16), ICO (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICNS (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16).”

Must Have Icon Set

59 Icons in all sizes in PNG and ICO formats

Wraith Dock Icon Pack

Computer Hardware

9 Icons in all sizes in PNG and ICO formats

Ive Drives

These hard drive icons are inspired by beautiful Apple hardware designed and crafted by Jony Ive and the Apple Industrial Design Group. Available in four styles of familiar Apple hardware:

Monitor HP

“1 PNG Icon (128×128, 256×256 and 512×512)”

Driver

18 Icons in .PNG format (512×512)

XIII

“21 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (16×16, 32×32, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”

Desktop Icons

5 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (256×256)

Mod’em

1 PNG Icon (256×256 and 512×512)

Technology Icons

Wooden Dashboard

HD Wooden Storage Box

3D Blue

Mirror

Glass Folders

Aqua & Blend

W R E N

Blend

Stick pack

HP Dock Icon Set

HALO Dock Icons

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

This week, we have a collection of application application icon packs. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

Photoshop CS3 icons

iSuite Revoked

Aqua X

Office 2007 Icons

Rino Icons for Docks

Stilrent Icon Set

Crystal Icon Set

iFirefox

Ps Style icon pack

Adobe CS3 Icon Pack

WMP 12 Concept Icon Pack

Black Pearl

Rounder

170 dock icons

wooden icons

“VLC, glassy icon”

1 Icons in PNG format (512×512 & 1024×1024)

Simply Safari Icon

“1 Icon in .ICO and .PNG formats (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”

VLC Beam

globe-white icons for browsers

isabi for Windows

Arzo Icons Vol.2

Black glamour

Blue whales 2006

Function Free Icon Set

Web Browsers Icon Set

Web 2.0rigami

DESIGN for: psdbox.pl

DI – Folder Icons

Adobe Creative Suite 4

Exempli Gratia

Globe 2

Qure for Adobe Creative Suite

Joost

Lucid: Icons

GP iCons

Browsers Compass Icon Pack UD

TextEdit

MS Office 2007 Icons Pack

140 Stone Tile Icons

iSuite Revoked Animated PNG

The Browser Icons

Adobe:Round icons

Drop Box Icon

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

This week, we have a collection of apple inspired icon packs. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

Weathered Apple Icon

Black Aqua Safari

Macbook

Magic Safari

Aqua Dashboard

Stacks Dock Icons

HUD Transparent Leopard Icons

Aqua X

White Leopard

Ive Drives

These hard drive icons are inspired by beautiful Apple hardware designed and crafted by Jony Ive and the Apple Industrial Design Group. Available in four styles of familiar Apple hardware:

Driver

18 Icons in .PNG format (512×512)

Wooden Dashboard

HD Wooden Storage Box

Aqua & Blend

W R E N

Blend

OSX Refflective Iconset 1

iSuite Revoked

Browsers Compass Icon Pack UD

VannillA Cream Icon Set

WEB

Leomx

Hardwaremx Plus

Hardwaremx

TiCons 3

Leopard Style Drive Icons 2

iPlatinum

isabi for Windows

Ipod Nano Icons

MINUM CALABI Mac

Onyz Leopardized

Just in Case – LP Case Icons

Leomx Win

Antares Complete Pack

Browsers Compass Icon Pack UD

Snowe Doc 2

UMI Icons

Onibari Leopard Made

WIP – 32px mania iconset

Exempli Gratia

Reality

Slick Drives

Slick Drives Remake

Fruity Apples

Made of Wood

Hydrogen

iDVD Replacement Drive

Open Phone Pack

iPhone Icon Pack

Leopard iPhone Icons

18 replacement icons of Mac OS X Leopard Folders in iPhone Icons Style

Simply Safari Icon

“1 Icon in .ICO and .PNG formats (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”

Mac Mail Stamp Icons

Videos

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

Interview with Joseph Moran & Kevin Otnes

RICH: Joe, you say you like to play Tennis; what else do you like to do outside of the world of computers?

JOE: I’m a big movie fan, though considering the way I watch most of them– on Blu-Ray disc or via digital download– I guess that barely qualifies as outside the realm of computers. Considering how much time I spend seated in front of glowing screens, I do try to get outdoors as often as possible– biking is another activity I’ve recently rediscovered (though with a GPS mounted to the handlebars, even that isn’t quite computer-free!).

RICH: Kevin, you have an extensive history with writing; what else do you like to do?

KEVIN: I have several hobbies and interests outside of computers and writing, such as woodworking, playing the guitar, raising tropical fish, and Mission/ Arts & Crafts/Craftsman furniture. I’ve done woodworking almost as long as I’ve been using computers. I got hooked on the New Yankee Workshop and made several Shaker tables, and about ten Adirondack chairs. I’ve also made various cabinets, bookcases, and aquarium stands. I love the smell of fresh sawdust in the morning. I’ve always wanted to build a guitar. For Christmas I got a kit for building a solid body electric guitar.

Yet all of those interests outside of computers point back to computers, especially the Internet. How did we live without the Internet? For woodworking, I use the web to order tools and supplies, read and find solutions to woodworking challenges on user forums, and get inspiration from other people’s creations. For awhile, I was really into raising Discus, the “King of tropical fish.” There are several great Discus forums which helped me get a handle on the proper care of Discus. Because Discus can be tricky to keep, many pet stores do not carry them. If you’ve never seen a Discus, or have only seen a few in the pet store, go to Discus as a Hobby, discusasahobby.com. Discus breeders and hobbyists love to share pictures of their fish. The web is also great for guitarists, even amateurs like me. You can order sheet music and song books; find sites with lyrics and chords for songs; and find luthiers who sell guitar kits, like Luthiers Mercantile International, lmii.com, Stewart-MacDonald, stewmac.com . My electric guitar kit came from Grizzly Woodworking, grizzly.com.

Your computer does not have to be the center of your life—put it to work to serve your real interests, hobbies and needs.

RICH: You wrote for Microsoft; what was your favorite part of working for the company?

KEVIN: I enjoyed the privilege of working with really great, smart people to develop and release really great products—editors and fellow writers on the user education teams, and the developers and program managers who put the product together. Also the annual employee meetings—nobody can pump people up like Steve Ballmer.

I used to bring my daughter with me every year for Bring Your Daughter to Work day, because Microsoft really puts together a full day of events for this. My daughter’s favorite memories were not the events, but the free apple juice in the kitchenettes.

She’s away from home now in her second year of college. Her name is Mac (MacKenzie). She is not a PC. She uses an Apple MacBook. I don’t know where I went wrong.

RICH: Joe, you’ve been a PC user for many years; your Mum bought your first PC for you–what made you want a PC?

JOE: I’m not really sure, and to be honest I don’t recall asking for it, but I was a pretty inquisitive kid, so I guess my Mom thought it would be a good learning tool, which it was. My first computer wasn’t a PC strictly speaking, but rather an Atari 800 with 48K of RAM and a cassette tape drive. I did a lot with that system, even signing on to CompuServe via 300bps modem (and at outrageous hourly connect rates). Some years later I emptied my savings to buy my first IBM-compatible clone (with 640KB RAM and no hard drive) which opened a whole new world, especially once I started playing around with the early versions of Windows.

RICH: When did you decide the technical field was for you? What’s your biggest highlight from working in this industry?

JOE: My degree is actually in political science, but I determined after college that I didn’t want to work in politics or law, so shortly after graduating I applied for a job at a computer magazine (one of the first Windows-specific publications, as it turns out).Tech has been such an integral part of my life since I got that first computer, in retrospect it’s hard for me to imagine doing anything else. As for industry highlights there have been several, but one of my all-time favorites was visiting Microsoft’s campus on Halloween night for the “DOS is Dead” press event (this is going back almost fifteen years). It was when they began heavily promoting Windows and DirectX as a gaming platform over the then-dominant DOS. They turned an entire multilevel parking structure into a giant haunted house with a huge party that lasted into the wee hours. I still have the commemorative sweatshirt, which sports a tombstone and is covered in “stab wounds”.

RICH: Kevin, your book is titled “Getting StartED”; what is the significance of the uppercase ED?

KEVIN: The friends of ED line of books originally started out to mean friends of every designer, developer, or an EveryDay guy named ED. This is the starting point for an urban legend. There is a real person out there named ED. ED, this book is for you.

RICH: Joe, in Getting StartED Windows 7, it says it’s aimed at beginners. If a reader is very new to computers, how easy will it be for them to learn from the book?

JOE: I think it will be pretty easy for beginners to learn from the book because we don’t assume the reader has lots of computer knowledge. Moreover, we try to explain not simply how to do use this or that feature, but at a very basic level, why you should use it. For example, during the chapter on User Accounts I was thinking about all the times (lots) I’ve encountered a Windows system where everyone in the house used the exact same account, and was sure to spend some time up front emphasizing the added convenience and security of giving each person his or her own.

RICH: Even though the book is for beginners, do you feel experienced users could get value from reading it?

I think people that are experienced with XP or Vista can still get a benefit from the book. Even though we intentionally keep much of the material quite basic, there’s lots of good info in there about new and improved Windows features, not to mention the myriad UI enhancements.

RICH: Windows 7 is a quick release after three years of Windows Vista. Kevin, do you think the new operating system come too soon?

KEVIN: Not a moment too soon. I was surprised when I started hearing about Windows 7. I know that before a new operating system is even out the door Microsoft is already working on the next release. But initially I expected a series of Service Packs that would address Vista annoyances like the overactive User Account Control. Look how long XP has lasted. Several years ago, my friends and family knew I was testing Vista and trying it out on my home computer. When Vista came out nobody asked me “should I upgrade to Vista?”

Everybody asks me if they should upgrade to Windows 7, is it any good? I was asked that so many times over the holidays, I posted a blog article on my new blog at yourmotherdoeswindows.com.

The short answer I give is… if you have Windows Vista now, I recommend upgrading to Windows 7. If you get a new computer, get it with Windows 7, not an XP downgrade. The only exception is if you are looking at a netbook you’ll be disappointed with Windows 7 Starter edition. You are better off with the Windows XP Home SP3 netbooks. I upgraded my netbook to Windows 7 Pro and have no regrets. But part of why people buy netbooks is because they are so inexpensive. For most people, it doesn’t make economic sense to upgrade a netbook to Windows 7 Home Ultimate or Pro—for the price of a netbook + an upgrade above Windows 7 Starter, you can get a slightly larger standard laptop with Windows 7 Home Ultimate.

RICH: Joe, Windows 7 comes with a whole host of new features; what is your favorite addition to Windows 7 and why?

JOE: I’m a big fan of the new Taskbar. Prior to Windows 7, keeping open programs organized was always a bit of a pain, especially for those of us running with countless apps or open windows. The ability to pin frequently-used programs, Jump Lists, thumbnail window previews, etc. have made the new Windows 7 Taskbar a real productivity enhancer, and it looks a lot cooler too.

RICH: Conversely, Kevin, what is your least favorite feature of Windows 7? What would you do to improve/replace it?

KEVIN: The new taskbar is not as versatile as it was in Windows XP. On my computers running XP, I tore off the Quick launch bar from the main toolbar, and docked it on the right side of my desktop. On my work computer I have all of my most commonly used programs on my Quick launch bar so that I rarely have to go down into the Start menu. With Windows 7, I cannot float or dock toolbars separate from the taskbar—I have to move all of them to one side of the desktop—top, bottom, right, or left. Dragging the entire taskbar is not as smooth or intuitive as it used to be.

What I would like to see is floating/undockable multiple toolbars, an option to separate the quick launch bar from the taskbar buttons for the open windows.

Ask me how I feel about the taskbar a few months from now and I may think it is fine. In a way I’m grasping at straws to find things that I dislike. I really, really, really, like Windows 7. Visually and usability-wise, it is as exciting a step forward (from Windows P or Vista) as Windows 95 was to Windows 3.1.

RICH: I agree, even though the new taskbar is still great and brings new features, it also lost some features that used to make it great. What is your number one Windows 7 tip?

KEVIN: Let Windows do the work of finding and organizing things for you. Take the time to see how Libraries work to organize your documents, pictures, music, and videos. I wasn’t crazy about Vista dropping “My” from My Computer, My Documents, My Pictures, etc., because I was used to seeing “My” in front of those for so long. In Windows 7 I was skeptical about Libraries, but once I gave it a chance it really simplified and cleaned up how these things are stored and accessed. The real folder structure of C:\ Documents and Settings is still there underneath it all, but for most people the Libraries folders are much more intuitive.

In the book we try to use the Search programs and files box on the Start menu as much as possible. It is so much easier to find features that way than to try to navigate through a long series of cascading menus to get to something in Control Panel. Type Picture, and wait a moment—you will see several groups of listings, like Programs, Control Panel, Documents, Music, Pictures, etc. These are the programs, features, and files associated with pictures. Compare that to trying to locate any of those items individually through the Start menu—such as searching for files, scrolling through the Programs list, or opening Control Panel. Windows 7 does a great job of indexing everything on your computer so that you can find things and get to them easier.

RICH: What about you Joe? What’s your number one Windows tip?

JOE: Probably “slow down a read a bit before you click”. I think that in haste lots of people tend to give dialog boxes only a brief and superficial scan at best before making selections, which can not only to missing important information, but often to unintended system changes or even malware.

RICH: Thank you both for taking time to answer my questions and sharing a little more about yourself and your book.

KEVIN: Thank you Rich for allowing me to share my Windows experiences with you and your readers.

JOE: Thanks for taking the time to read the book and talk to us.

Book Review of Getting StartED Windows 7

Getting StartED Windows 7 is a newly-released book, which is designed to help novice users get started with Windows 7 and learn good practices. The book is free of technical jargon and gives background and insight on everything it teaches.

When I first flicked through the pages of the book, I was impressed by how simple it looked; I knew the book had a lot to teach and contained a wealth of information, but I didn’t once feel overwhelmed by looking through its content.

I don’t consider myself an advanced Windows user (you’d have to know a LOT to take that crown), but I feel I know enough to get me into trouble and dig my way out–sometimes–again. With skepticism, I began to read a book written for begginers. Could I really learn anything? I secretly thought to myself. Many hours later, and a little sleep deprived, I can say that I highly recommend this book. I learned quite a few gems that will be useful, to someone, someday.

The book is filled with sidenotes (NoteED) and advanced tips (AdvancED.) The AdvancED boxes are where I learned the most; I found a wealth of information in these boxes like on Page 366, which gives a tip on Easy Transfer. Windows Help tells you to install programs first and then copy files when migrating to a new PC; however, the book instructs you to do the opposite: that is, to copy files and then install programs. The book teaches you that Windows Easy Transfer gives recommendations on which programs you should install after it copies your files. If you copy XLS, DOCX etc. files, it recommends you install Microsoft Office. This is a great tip and, while I don’t use Windows Easy Transfer, I know plenty of people that do and will share this gem with them.

One thing I feel the book lacks is a glossary. The book explains words when they first appear, but if you aren’t reading cover to cover, you may miss some explanation and a glossary would really help.

In conclusion, this book really is for novices and, as a technical person (if that’s you), you wont learn a ton from this book. You will, however, learn the right way to do things–the way Microsoft intended and not the shortcut, back path you’ve found. This book has helped me help others and it can do the same for you. If you’re new to computers; new to Windows; or need a clear, simple solution to your PC questions; this book is for you.

Purchase Getting StartED Windows 7

Special offer: Getting StartED Windows 7 retails for $29.99 USD; however, you can get it for $15.24 (price accurate at time of writing.)

Purchase Getting StartED Windows 7 ($15.24 aff.)

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

I’m unavailable until January 4th, 2010 as I take some time off work, get one year older on my birthday, and work on the site for 2010. I’ll get back to you all then, so keep the comments coming and be sure to keep the conversation going on Windows Forums.

Here are some Christmas links for you:

• Christmas Freebies: Wallpapers and Dock Icons
• Winter and Christmas Wallpapers (Windows/Mac)

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.