# Tiny vista



## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

Hj posted a thread about tiny xp. Now there is a tiny vista. It is a small version of vista, runs on 100mb ram and takes up 2gb hard rive space. I am not posting the link to this version of windows, because it is illegal. Download only at your own risk.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

There is an interesting alternative for Windows XP users who want to test drive the look and feel of Windows Vista, yet aren't prepared to purchase Vista or invest in the necessary upgrade hardware to migrate to Vista. There is a free Windows Vista overlay for Windows XP that allows you to do just that. It's called Vista Inspirat.

Don't get the idea that this is just another theme or skin; it's a 27 megabyte package that changes a whole lot more than just the colors and icons. It even modifies many DLLs to have the entire operating system take on Vista attributes (they are safely changed back if you uninstall, or doing a restore point will also take it right back). It even changes the tiles in the upper right corner of applications (minimize, maximize, close) to look like Vista.

I've been testing it for a while now. I'm to the point where XP looks sort of old fashioned to me now. When people see my desktop they really think it's Vista. I doubt if I'll ever uninstall it, and I'm picky!

At any rate, it's a great way to get used to Vista without the expense of buying Vista or doing the necessary upgrades. Download it for free here:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/Universal-Vista-Inspirat-Brico-Pack.shtml

After installation it will occupy just over 400 megs of hard drive space, and it uses about 25 megs more of memory. I think I was using 155 megs after a clean boot before installing Vista Inspirat, and 170 megs after. For what you get in return, the system resources used are modest.

Check it out!


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

I have to say that after testing Vista Inspirat for over a week now that I've found no stability problems at all. Moreover, it is the most well thought out shell I've ever worked with. It even comes with a utility to inspect the Vista Inspirat installation to make sure all of the file versions are correct, in the event that a Windows update installs a component that has the appearance of XP.

Historically I've always taken the position that desktop themes and shells introduce more installability than they're worth. From my point of view that's any instability problem at all, since stability is much more important to me than appearance. Without fail, every time I've installed a desktop theme or shell I've uninstalled it. But that's definitely not the case with Vista Inspirat.

I'm keeping Vista Inspirat. I like the look and feel of Windows Vista, and with Vista Inspirat I can do it without buying Windows Vista or upgrading my XP machine. Of course, eventually I'll need to upgrade to the real Windows Vista, but this way I can put that off until my next machine major upgrade, while having the look and feel Vista in the meantime.

If there is a downside at all, it's that it eats up about 430 megabytes of hard drive space. But to it's credit, it doesn't use much more memory than the default Windows XP theme (only about 25 megs more).

So is giving Windows XP a makeover to look like Windows Vista just putting lipstick on a pig? Who's to say, since the jury is still out on Vista. It could be that the first release of Vista will be more of a pig than XP is.


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

Every body is getting me SO excited about vista~! My next computer will most likely have vista on it~! Actually I would say the price of xp machines are going down??


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Teresa S. said:


> Every body is getting me SO excited about vista~! My next computer will most likely have vista on it~! Actually I would say the price of xp machines are going down??


Try Vista Inspirat then. You really can't beat free.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

I had Mac OS X about a year ago, and it already had the stuff that Vista has now.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Kung said:


> I had Mac OS X about a year ago, and it already had the stuff that Vista has now.


I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Vista Inspirat is more about appearance than functionality. 

If you want or need Windows Vista functionality, then get Windows Vista. If you want to try out the look and feel of Windows Vista but aren't prepared to invest in upgrading your machine or purchasing Windows Vista, then Vista Inspirat is a good alternative.


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## grannygardner (May 4, 2005)

Thanks for the link Nevada. DH and I have three computers and he installed it on one of them today. I think we'll like it.


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## MeanDean (Apr 16, 2002)

Well good luck with that Tiny Vista ... especially when people start pumping out WPF/e based applications left and right ...

... wonder what the footprint of .NET 3.0 Framework runtime is these days?

... of more concern, wonder how much WFC is being leveraged to keep Tiny small?

Meaning, you may be in a situation where you're stubbing basic functionality, and talking to the mother ship to get the rest of the guts of a particular applicaiton and/or feature.

.


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## freegal (Mar 4, 2005)

MeanDean, could you say that non-technically please?


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I may try tiny vista myself. I do so want to keep Windows that is for sure. I am not interested in any other OS other then Windows and I can't update this computer for Vista for anything under 500 Dollars. So this Dressed Up look a like Vista sure sounds cool. Even it basically is Windows dressing.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

freegal said:


> MeanDean, could you say that non-technically please?


He means that Tiny Vista is stripped-down to the point where it can't do much. That's true, they had to gut the operating system to make it that small. It has serious limitations.


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

still decent enough for an old system, if some one just wants the feel and look of vista


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Teresa S. said:


> still decent enough for an old system, if some one just wants the feel and look of vista


Sure, and some limitations have alternatives.


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## freegal (Mar 4, 2005)

Thank you Nevada!


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

Hmm....I am having problems downloading the vista look-a-like. (tryed usng IE ad KM)
it says the file is corrupted. Any alternative links/solutions?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Teresa S. said:


> Hmm....I am having problems downloading the vista look-a-like. (tryed usng IE ad KM)
> it says the file is corrupted. Any alternative links/solutions?


Sure, google for Vista Inspirat. It's all over the Internet.

[ame]http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vista+inspirat[/ame]

By the way, if you wait a few days one of the CDs I mailed you has Vista Inspirat on it. Check the labels for the new CD set. One of them mentions Vista Inspirat.


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## Teresa S. (Mar 2, 2006)

Thanks Nevada~! I will wait for the cd's, so I won't have to wait for it to download.


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