Best Visual Styles of the GUI Olympics

Here are the finalists for the top visual style for WindowBlinds spots.  This is a very challenging event to judge.  After all, what exactly makes a visual style "the best"? Is it the features that they use? The usability of it? The subtle touches? How innovative it is? And then, which features should matter?

For example, Pixel8 made the best use of the dialog background skinning feature. Take a close look at its screenshot and see how much that adds.  On the other hand, what about a good use of sound? And by good do we mean useful or clever?

What it boils down to is this: Why are you changing the look and feel of the Windows GUI in the first place? Some people just want something that is slightly more attractive. Other people want something that is really "cool" looking. Each person uses visuals styles for different reasons. One person might look at a skin and say "Yuck! Way too busy!" whereas another person may look at it and say "Oh man, that's cool! That's what I want my computer to look like!" That's why judging "best" overall is so tough.

So go through these and you'll see how different they all are from one another. Some are more practical than others to use. Some have animation, others have sounds, some provide wallpapers (WindowBlinds visual styles can incorporate wallpapers as part of the visual style itself), others don't.

You can find all these visual styles in the WindowBlinds section over at www.guiolympics.com.

NeOS by Danillo0c
+ Sounds
+ Progress Animation
+ Toolbar icons
+ Some use of animation

Pixel 8 by Essorent
+ Progress Animations
+ Dialog backgrounds
+ Toolbar icons
+ Unusually clever title bar icons

Blanco by The Morphium
+ Progress animations
+ Toolbar icons

Cardinal by Pixel Pirate
+ Toolbar icons
+ Progress Animations
 

Legacy by Xino
+ Progress Animation
+ Toolbar icons
+ Animated version
+ Good use of sounds
+ Unusually good Start menu
+ Wallpaper

Dojo by Essorant
+ Progress Animation
+ Toolbar icons

Thunderstorm by Treetog
+ Progress animations
+ Toolbar icons
+ Sound support

G-Pod by Gabriel
+ Progress animations
+ Toolbar icons
+ Animation
+ Clever use of sound
- Minimize to system tray button is where the resize grip normally is

VectorCell by b0se
+ Unusually good title bar design
+ Best included Wallpaper
- No progress animation or toolbar icons

Curulean Jewels by BoXXi
+ Very unique title bar
+ Animations
+ Distinct look
- Not practical
- No progress animations/toolbar icons
 

Quasar by MikeB
+ Progress Animations
+ Toolbar icons
+ Animations
+ Sound support

Sektor by Danillo0c
+ Unusually good Start menu
+ Progress animations
+ Toolbar icons
+ Animation
+ Outstanding use of sound

Kewk by Erik Holmer
+ Progress Animations
+ Toolbar icons

Mini-OS by Treetog
+ Progress Animations
+ Toolbar icons

FlyOS by Treetog
+ Progress Animations
+ Toolbar icons

Antares by Treetog
+ Progress Animations
+ Toolbar icons
+ Sound support
+ Massive Animation
+ Separate unanimated style

FM by Gabriel
+ Progress animations
+ Toolbar icons