List of alternative shells for Windows

Last updated

This is a list of software that provides an alternative graphical user interface for Microsoft Windows operating systems. The technical term for this interface is a shell . Windows' standard user interface is the Windows shell; Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1x have a different shell, called Program Manager. The programs in this list do not restyle the Windows shell, but replace it; therefore, they look and function differently, and have different configuration options.

Contents

Shell Software license Windows versions Development status
3.1x 9x 2000 XP Vista 7 8 10 11
Blackbox GPL NoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesYesStalled
BumpTop Apache License NoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesYesDiscontinued
Cairo Shell Apache License NoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesYesActive [1]
Calmira GPL YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
Central Point Desktop Proprietary YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
Classic Shell Proprietary NoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesNoDiscontinued [2]
Emerge Desktop GPL NoNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoDiscontinued [3]
LDE(X) GPL NoNoYesYesNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued [4]
LiteStep GPL NoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoStalled [5]
Norton Desktop Proprietary YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
Open-Shell MIT License NoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesYesActive
Packard Bell Navigator Proprietary YesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
NewWave Proprietary YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
Program Manager II MIT License NoNoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesStalled
SharpEnviro GPL NoNoNoYesYesYesNoNoNoDiscontinued [6]
TabWorks Proprietary YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued
Talisman Desktop Trialware NoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoStalled [7] [8]
Xerox Rooms Proprietary YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoDiscontinued

See also

References

  1. "Cairo Shell Homepage". Cairo Development Team. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  2. "Classic Shell no longer in development. Source code released" . Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. "emergedesktop.org has shutdown". Emerge. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  4. phil (18 April 2007). "The road ahead is a cliff face". LDE(x) Forums. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  5. Donelle (11 January 2017). "Re: Added .NET Framework interoperability to the core and started a c# binding library". GitHub. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  6. "Download SharpEnviro" . Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  7. "Talisman Desktop". LightTek Software. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  8. "Talisman Desktop News, no updates since Aug 15, 2011". LightTek Software. Retrieved 15 July 2016.