Themes for your Windows 7


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Microsoft's idea of what a "theme" is quite pathetic.

I think you're confusing theme with skin.

Their themes fit perfectly within the description and idea of a theme.

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A theme would/should be a complete visual style, including icons, sounds and cursors. That really would be a theme. Simply changing your taskbar to a pink hue and sticking a hello kitty pic as your wallpaper is not a theme.

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A theme would/should be a complete visual style, including icons, sounds and cursors. That really would be a theme. Simply changing your taskbar to a pink hue and sticking a hello kitty pic as your wallpaper is not a theme.

no it shouldn't.

a theme is a change of your current style. it's not a full overhaul. that'd be a skin.

A theme can technically be used for a lot of things though. but what they use it for more than enough falls under theme.

And themes are separate, this is a visual theme, then you have sound themes and icon themes(though icon themes aren't officially supported, partly because folder icons are complicated, and partly because MS wants icons to remain original and unchanged so the user it's sure it's what it's supposed to be).

These are "visual" themes, they make that perfectly clear, they shouldn't mess with sounds, and they should change the skin since that'd be a skin. They just theme the skin.

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no it shouldn't.

a theme is a change of your current style. it's not a full overhaul. that'd be a skin.

A theme can technically be used for a lot of things though. but what they use it for more than enough falls under theme.

And themes are separate, this is a visual theme, then you have sound themes and icon themes(though icon themes aren't officially supported, partly because folder icons are complicated, and partly because MS wants icons to remain original and unchanged so the user it's sure it's what it's supposed to be).

These are "visual" themes, they make that perfectly clear, they shouldn't mess with sounds, and they should change the skin since that'd be a skin. They just theme the skin.

+1

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A theme is a package of changes, including graphical, that change the look and feel of an operating system. Simply changing a skin or visual style does not in itself represent a theme, no more than Microsoft's idea of a theme does. I said their "idea" of what a "theme" is was pathetic, and it is.

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then 90% of themes on the net is pathetic.

as I said, I don't think you completely understand what the word means.

They are visual themes whether "you" think they are or not.

They are packs that change your windows into a themed visual package of one or more some way related wallpapers, and an accompanying skin color for the style that matches the "theme" of the theme.

in fact they could make themes that where just wallpaper packs, without color changes and they'd still be wallpaper themes.

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then 90% of themes on the net is pathetic.

as I said, I don't think you completely understand what the word means.

They are visual themes whether "you" think they are or not.

90% would be a reasonably accurate assessment. As to MY understanding of what a theme is, I think it is blatantly obvious I seem to the the only one here so far who has any idea of what a theme actually is, and I would suggest that perhaps you refer yourself to a dictionary or wikipedia and educate yourself. These are little more than "visual styles", not themes. It's almost as lame you actually thinking they are themes, but oh well, easily pleased I suppose.

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90% would be a reasonably accurate assessment. As to MY understanding of what a theme is, I think it is blatantly obvious I seem to the the only one here so far who has any idea of what a theme actually is, and I would suggest that perhaps you refer yourself to a dictionary or wikipedia and educate yourself. These are little more than "visual styles", not themes.

Only because you seem to have made up yoru own dictionary definition of the word.

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Only because you seem to have made up yoru own dictionary definition of the word.

Really?

GNOME and KDE use two independent sets of themes: one to alter the appearance of buttons, scrollbars, list elements, (for example to specify glassy-effect pushbuttons or square ones), and another theme to customise the appearance of windows (for example, window borders and title bars).

Windows 98 and Windows Me came with themes such as "nature", "space", etc. which contained desktop backgrounds, icons, sounds, colors, and cursors

Windows XP introduced several new themes, including Luna and Royale, which were both very different] from the Windows "Classic" look in previous versions of windows

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_(computing)

Theme: a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.

the element common to all or most of the forms of an inflectional paradigm, often consisting of a root with certain formative elements or modifications

If you think a subtle colour change and/or a different wallpaper is a "theme" then well, not to bright eh.

Edited by O.G
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If you think a subtle colour change and/or a different wallpaper is a "theme" then well, not to bright eh.

:rolleyes:

I'll leave the name calling to you you. after all it's a sign you have no real argument. And you allready gave a quote in your post demonstrating that MS windows 7 themes are indeed themes.

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I didn't call you any names. I said you are perhaps not to bright, which indeed seems to be the case as you have no idea as to what a theme entails even after being provided with both examples and the definition of the word. The Windows 7 idea of themeing is far from dominant, where as the the Windows 98 "Space" and "Nature" examples are perhaps the best representatives of what a theme should be. But heh if your happy being fobbed off with what Microsoft now deem as themes, fine. Guess you're part of the "less is more" generation.

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I think it is blatantly obvious I seem to the the only one here so far who has any idea of what a theme actually is

umm no.

I didn't call you any names. I said you are perhaps not to bright, which indeed seems to be the case as you have no idea as to what a theme entails even after being provided with both examples and the definition of the word. The Windows 7 idea of themeing is far from dominant, where as the the Windows 98 "Space" and "Nature" examples are perhaps the best representatives of what a theme should be. But heh if your happy being fobbed off with what Microsoft now deem as themes, fine. Guess you're part of the "less is more" generation.

Doesn't seem like you really know Windows 7 Themes at all. Wouldn't hurt to do a little research on it instead of learning examples, definitions and using wikipedia.

You should know that the theming in Windows 7 is similar to Windows 98 theming. Icons and sounds can be packaged in Windows 7 Themepacks as well. Check this out for Windows 98 themes applied in 7 http://www.beingmanan.com/wp/2009/04/windo...-for-windows-7/ .

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providing a limited example of what certain other systems use the for themes is not a definition of the word theme. seriously..

and you obviously don't know what name calling is either. YEah calling people "not bright" because they don't agree with your "opinion" of what a theme is.

go read some books and learn what the words theme actually means before you go about namecalling.

They ar enot all encompassing themes, but they are visual themes, with themed background picture packs and a style color matching the background pack, making a simple theme.

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I'll say it once again, though the fact that I need to only further proves the point. I never called you any names. I suggested to you that perhaps you were not to bright. Now you could have taken that or left it, as it stands you seem to have taken offence to it showing that maybe there is an element of truth to it. Anyway.. You're boring me now.

@Imran, I'm well aware of how theming works in Windows 7, shame none of that is being utilized by the Windows themes site. The packaging of visual styles, icons, sounds and cursors, is, as I have already pointed out, what a theme is. The wiki article, which support both what I have said and what you have said (as does the link you provided) , was for the benefit of the intellectually challanged who suggested I had my own idea of what a theme was, when in fact it is not MY idea, simply it IS what a theme is. I never said Windows 7 couldn't be themed, I said Microsoft's idea of what a theme was is pathetic. Considering the potential, compared to what they have made available, that would seem to be the case.

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Well you just keep on with the name calling.

Whether you try to cloak it or not, by not directly saying "stupid" saying "not to bright" and "intellectually challenged" is name calling. Though it is kind of ironic

anyway

Main Entry:

theme

Pronunciation:

\ˈthēm\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English teme, theme, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin thema, from Greek, literally, something laid down, from tithenai to place — more at do

Date:

14th century

1 a: a subject or topic of discourse or of artistic representation <guilt and punishment is the theme of the story> b: a specific and distinctive quality, characteristic, or concern <the campaign has lacked a theme>

2: stem 4

3: a written exercise : composition <a research theme>

4: a melodic subject of a musical composition or movement

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theme

theme [theem] Show IPA noun, adjective, verb, themed, them⋅ing.

–noun 1. a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic: The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.

2. a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.

3. a short, informal essay, esp. a school composition.

4. Music. a. a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.

b. a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.

5. Grammar. the element common to all or most of the forms of an inflectional paradigm, often consisting of a root with certain formative elements or modifications. Compare stem 1 (def. 16).

6. Linguistics. topic (def. 4).

7. Also, thema. an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.

–adjective 8.

having a unifying theme: a theme restaurant decorated like a spaceship.

–verb (used with object) 9. to provide with a theme.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theme

Oh my, look at that, they are indeed themes. you know at least for those of us who are able to read. I would think you are one of those.

They are not system themes or all encompassing themes, but they ARE themes. and whether MS chooses to use the full power of themeing on the themes they currently provide or not is kind of irrelevant.

Also I'm done with this thread, firstly because we're way of topic, and secondly because arguing with you is frankly stupid. even you admitted that you have a "opinion" of what the word theme is that differs from everyone else so.

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Ok you guys really need to chill now. This arguement seems immature to be taken so seriously. OG doesn't like the themes microsoft has made for 7, and rightly so, as they haven't used the full potential of the theming capabilities in it. But they're still themes no matter what. So, relax people!

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I'll say it once again, though the fact that I need to only further proves the point. I never called you any names. I suggested to you that perhaps you were not to bright. Now you could have taken that or left it, as it stands you seem to have taken offence to it showing that maybe there is an element of truth to it. Anyway.. You're boring me now.

@Imran, I'm well aware of how theming works in Windows 7, shame none of that is being utilized by the Windows themes site. The packaging of visual styles, icons, sounds and cursors, is, as I have already pointed out, what a theme is. The wiki article, which support both what I have said and what you have said (as does the link you provided) , was for the benefit of the intellectually challanged who suggested I had my own idea of what a theme was, when in fact it is not MY idea, simply it IS what a theme is. I never said Windows 7 couldn't be themed, I said Microsoft's idea of what a theme was is pathetic. Considering the potential, compared to what they have made available, that would seem to be the case.

A Theme in Windows 7 is a collection of Wallpapers, Icons for Desktop Icons, Cursors, Sounds, and Glass Colour

A Visual Style in Windows 7 is a new UI design which changes the graphic elements, fonts, and colours which define the look of the OS

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A Theme in Windows 7 is a collection of Wallpapers, Icons for Desktop Icons, Cursors, Sounds, and Glass Colour

A Visual Style in Windows 7 is a new UI design which changes the graphic elements, fonts, and colours which define the look of the OS

Surely this settles it. This was my understanding of it anyhow. I guess technically a theme could also include a visual style - pretty sure one of the XP "space" themes changed the visual style to silver rather than blue.

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