Aston - free download

Aston Shell is a flexible and powerful Desktop replacement application, which lets you save your computer's resources while giving your Desktop a unique look. Aston completely replaces your old Desktop with a new one, providing numerous additional features and saving computer resources for more necessary tasks. By installing Aston, you acquire a lot more than just a fancy look, you get a more efficient way of using your computer. Aston looks similar to the Desktop you're already familiar with, but its components offer much more functionality:

-Toolbars (side panels on the left and on the right sides of the screen) offers easy access to the documents, applications and web links you need the most.
-Multi-state Taskbar buttons let you know exactly if a certain window is active or minimized (they are also adapted to the width of the Taskbar and are thus easier to manage: no precious screen space is wasted.)
-Aston Quick launch Panel can be as small as a single button: you get easy access to your shortcuts without turning the Taskbar into a garbage dump.
-You can hide and restore System Tray icons with a single click or a keystroke.
-Keep your Desktop clean: use the Panel plug-in to organize your files without turning the Desktop into a dumping ground.
-Desktop icons can be of any size, any form (thanks to alpha-blending) and can be animated as well. Standard limitations are gone!
-Aston Disks and the Recycle Bin let you visually monitor their fill states.
-Multi-monitor support.
-A built-in Hotkey Manager makes your work with Aston even more pleasant and effective.

Whether you have a five year old PC or a powerful high-end system, Aston is always the right choice. Aston, running with its most feature packed eye candy Themes, usually consumes about half the RAM that Windows XP Desktop normally needs and gives you much more in return. Aston is already known to be one of the most stable Windows shells ever.