Hi!

Just wanting to show you what I am working on in my spare time.
For a few years now, I had always had this vision of what my perfect Alternative Shell for windows would be, unfortunately I never had the skill to actually do it.

But now that I am older and more experienced, I finally have the skill to pull this off. So now I am working in my spare time on this now project "Mint Shell". I am confident that I will actually even finish this project, as it would be something that I am using and want to use.

Mint Shell is an alternative shell for windows like LiteStep, only that my approach is a bit different than most other shells. I am trying to make a workable Shell that would work in a day-to-day environment, as well as double as a MediaCenter. Eventually, this is supposed to be an alternative shell that incorporates user friendliness by using a simple interface (while retaining customizabilization(sp?) via Plug-Ins), simple but pretty graphics to be geared towards Windows-Based-Tablet-PC's as well as ordinary Desktop PCs.

It's a combination of MediaCenter and a Desktop Environment (sans desktop icons, I hate them. But you could add them yourself by writing a plugin!).

To achieve this, the shell is based on "pages". Pages are different sections or modes your desktop turns into. For example your normal desktop - which in turn can be further modified by widgets - an unread mail page, a media player that integrates seamlessly into your desktop and would be hugely versatile by using VLC as an underlying base, and much more.

I have just begun to work on this, and it still needs some work. Most of the "backend" work is done however, and then it's off to start with basic plugins that would constitute the default package of MintShell. After that, it will be released, and the userbase can then start writing their own stuff.

My mantra with this project is KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), which minimizes bugs and also helps keep the interface simple for non-geeks to use their PC without being overloaded by all the flashy stuff everywhere. Simple and Stupid.

Here are some screenshots of what I have so far (the clock on the desktop would be an example of a widget):







Let me know what you think!