Space the final frontier …….

OK, I had to say that – it’s a Star Trek review. Growing up in the seventies and eighties I fondly remember watching Star Trek. It was action, adventure and cool futuristic tech. Many modern devices are analogous to the devices used in Gene Roddenbery’s created universe. Modern cell phones can trace their inspiration to the communicators from Star Trek. PDAs and smart phones are Tricorder like in today’s world. Love it or hate it Star Trek’s societal impact can be felt even forty years after its start.

Today’s review item is from the Skins Factory who are renowned for their ability to skin OSes – making them look totally different and unique. Their Hyperdesk division has been morphing Windows XP desktops for several years, now they are bringing Windows Vista into the party and one of their first offerings is the Star Trek: The Original Series Hyperdesk Suite. Trekkers and Windows skinner can now make their Windows machine look like something out of the 23^rd century.

The Skins Factory Hyperdesk division is the same group that has provided Alienware with their unique PC interfaces, so we know the art will be first rate. It runs as a self contained program converts the bland Windows desktop into something unique. Previous Windows skinning programs required a dedicated program running to perform the conversion; The Skins Factory version uses the built in engine to change the Windows desktop appearance. Hyperdesk runs within the memory of the OS, so any changes can be undone with a click of a button as the system files are never altered. It works with or without Aero depending on which flavor of Vista the user is running and whether the PC has enough power.

Let’s take a closer look…….

Hyperdesk Star Trek: The Original Series Hypersuite

Reviewed by: Tomas Ratas

Sponsor: The Skins Factory

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

Hyperdesk Star Trek: The Original Series Hypersuite

Hyperdesk is an exciting new product from The Skins Factory that allows you to transform the appearance of your regular Windows desktop, with an endless array of exciting new desktop themes, skins, wallpapers, widgets and other applications called “hypersuites”.

Using Microsoft's own skinning engine, Hyperdesk uses a “native” and stable way to theme Windows. Because the magic of Hyperdesk occurs entirely in memory, your system files are never touched or replaced. And just as it takes a single button to make the magic happen, a single click will return you to your default Windows desktop.

Each Hyperdesk installation contains a custom hypersuite. These works of art have been painstakingly, hand-crafted by the world's most talented commercial interface artists at The Skins Factory, with the same attention to detail & flawless execution we've become known for throughout the industry.

The Skins Factory's theme design division has proven irresistible to the world's leading entertainment companies and content providers. In the past, Microsoft contracted The Skins Factory to build their only official Xbox desktop theme to date, while Alienware Corporation contracted us 6 times to design custom desktop themes. To take advantage of this unique branding experience, please contact us today and see why we're the company with the most desktop experience in the industry.

Hyperdesk currently runs in Windows XP with Windows Vista compatibility coming soon.

We distribute our Hyperdesk products digitally to the consumer. Broadband internet connections are suggested, but not required.

Now every fan of STAR TREK can own the official STAR TREK Windows Vista desktop theme designed by The Skins Factory's Hyperdesk division. Completely transform Windows Vista with 3 STAR TREK desktop themes that change your desktop into 1 of 3 Starfleet divisions - Command, Engineering or Sciences. Featuring a STAR TREK widget audio remote for iTunes/Windows Media Player 11 that includes transporter animations & original series sound FX. Includes: Over 30 custom designed STAR TREK desktop icons that stay true to STAR TREK canon & newly rendered shots of the Enterprise (based on the official models & textures provided by CBS Studios) on 3 different custom STAR TREK wallpapers (plus 3 variant editions).

You may install this purchased theme on as many personally owned Windows Vista machines that you own, but you may not distribute it. No license key required.

A Better Look at Things:

Star Trek: The Original Series Hyperdesk Suite comes as an executable file. The program is available in both Windows XP and Vista 32 and 64 bit versions. The XP and Vista versions are separate so make sure you order the correct one for your OS.

Installation involves running the Hyperdesk - Star Trek TOS VISTA_64 installation file.

The program is divided into two sections – the left side allows for selecting Hypertheme, Icon Set, Wallpaper and Widget while the right pane previews the selected option. Within the program the Hypersuite can be applied totally or in components. Next to the Apply Hypersuite is a Restore Vista icon.

The Skins Factory Star Trek Hyperdesk Suite provides three distinct styles within this skin suite, each corresponding to one of three Starfleet divisions – Command, Engineering and Sciences. Clicking on each of the three categories will enable or disable that item. For instance if you want just the wallpaper then keep the check on that category and disable the rest. The last option is for a Yahoo widget that when installed provides control of iTunes and Windows Media Player 11. This remote only works if Yahoo Widgets is installed.

Once the Hyperdesk is activated the Windows desktop morphs the desktop background and standard windows icons with Starfleet related themes. Icons such as Computer, Recycle Bin, Folders and Drives will transform into Federation images.

Here are some before and after shots of my Vista Ultimate 64 bit desktop with the various Starfleet division Hyperthemes. I have a dual monitor setup thus the two screens for each Hypertheme.

Overall the art is terrific. The images of the Enterprise are great and the theme color fits with the Federation motif. Skins Factory was kind enough to send us some images of some tricked out desktops and other promo images. If you are a Trekker then you will be in heaven with this Skin for Windows Vista.

Personally I thought the skinning did not go far enough with the Star Trek motif. Applying a Federation style font would have made the transformation much more seemless. I was still able to see glimpses of my old Vista desktop via the presence of unchanged program icons on my desktop.

The color scheme was too dark with black and gray used in many borders and backgrounds for programs. The three different “themes” are provided with the StarFleet divisions of Command, Engineering and Sciences, which seem to only differ slightly in color and content.

Finally the last issue I had with the Hyperdesk was the Restore Vista would send it back to the default Vista desktop not my selected desktop background.

Summary and Comments:

Star Trek: The Original Series Hyperdesk Suite is a unique way to skin your Windows Vista desktop without causing any hard to undo changes to the system. Fans of the Gene Roddenbery’s universe will enjoy the well-designed imagery from the folks at the Skin Factory.

It does skin the Vista desktop but the remnants of Microsoft’s world can be easily spotted. The implementation of Starfleet fonts and interface graphics in this Suite would make the experience more immersive. Maybe we will see this in the next iteration of this suite.

Unless you are a hard core Star Trek fan you may want to look at some of the other Hyperdesk offerings.

DragonSteelMods gives the Star Trek: The Original Series Hyperdesk Suite a 3.5 out of 5 score.

Pros:

+Excellent art design

+Its Star Trek – the Original Series

+Self contained program – run only in memory

+Easily restore default Vista desktop

Cons:

-Does not change the system environment enough

-Where is the Green Skinned Orion Girl?

I would like to thank The Skins Factory for the chance to review the Star Trek: The Original Series Hyperdesk Suite and for their support of DSM.

review#602

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