XWindows Dock

The latest Windows versions are becoming more and more comfortable, but they are quite limited when it comes to customization. Fortunately, a broad range of specialized applications can be found on the Internet, which can be used specifically for this purpose. With XWindows Dock, you can place a Mac OS X-like icons dock on your screen. The application displays high-res icons, with shadows and reflections, which are animated when clicked. You may customize the icons dock, apply different skins and install various plug-ins.

XWindows Dock works on Windows 7, Vista and XP, but certain features can be used only on Windows 7 and Vista. The application is free and it can be installed in a few moments. It does not ask for powerful hardware and you don't have to install any prerequisite tools.

When launched, the application will immediately display an icons dock, in the lower region of the screen. By default, the dock contains only two icons, for My Computer and Recycle Bin, but you can add new icons just by dragging and dropping them over the dock. You can also add separators, if you wish to sort your icons.

Separators can be added by right clicking the icons dock and selecting an option in a pop-up menu, where you can also find options for locking all icons on the dock, adding new icons and plug-ins and accessing the Preferences menu. The icons dock can be set to 3D or 2D mode and placed on other edges of the screen. It is also possible to make a few adjustments to its behavior. For example, the icons dock can show running applications. If you click and hold a running application's icon, XWindows Dock will display all windows that belong to that application.

It is also possible to install plug-ins. The software comes with two sample plug-ins to help you get started. The available plug-ins are displayed in the Preferences menu as icons, which can be clicked and dragged to the dock. If you add a container plug-in, you will be able to reveal and access all sub-folders, from a folder of your choice, on the same icons dock.