Linux Desktop over XP? Check out Vista Transformation Pack Instead

As I last posted, I have been thinking about wiping my desktop and switch to Linux. I almost took the plunge back into a Linux desktop, but before I did I decided to catalog all the programs I would still need to run in Windows. Very quickly, I realized that switching to Linux outright was not really an option at this point. I use too many Windows-only programs for various things to make it an easy move.

That doesn't mean Linux is totally out. I could run Linux and still run Windows in a virtual machine. (Having mastered the art of KVM on Linux, I am going to find ways to make it work for me). But I am still confronted with the very unappealing prospect of spending 2-3 days re-building a machine that works perfectly well. As a techie, I am itching to make the move. As a business owner, I can't think of a more wasteful way to spend my time than re-imaging a machine that serves my needs just fine. 

What I did instead was a lot less time-consuming, and got me out of the "new car itch" mode I was in just a couple of days ago. I downloaded a program called the Vista Transformation Pack that grafts a Vista-style UI layer on top of Windows XP. If you are using XP rather than Vista but are jealous of those cool Vista widgets and themes, I suggest you check it out.