Windows Themes
Themes for Windows first appeared in Microsoft’s Windows 95. Before then, users who yearned for visual customization either had to be extremely talented and resourceful, or settle for tinkering with the RGB values and border widths of the windows (or both).
Later versions of Windows had nearly all of the Plus! theme functionality ready-to-go, as well as plenty of additional options within each theme. Somewhere between Win95 and Win98, users discovered that they could mix and match theme elements and other related details — such as starting with an overall theme, but then replacing the elements with custom icons, buttons, and/or wallpaper (among other things).
Windows XP streamlined the theme offerings a bit, while progressively incorporating additional integrated appearance elements into its ‘visual styles’. The look became considerably more ‘modern’ but also offered a number of additional opportunities for theme designers; we also began to see many more integrated themes that took care of OS, browser, media player, and more with one package.
The big news for Vista was Aero…which was nice and all, exploiting the alpha blending effects, but still just a theme; from the reception it received, you’d think Aero was one of Vista’s killer apps. Aside from increasing visual quality and continuing the streamlining trend of XP, the theme situation in Vista and Windows 7 is largely unchanged.