senior2k, you couldn't have said it better. Litestep truly has only one con, which is the fact that it may seem hard for beginners to install, but once done, it's the only way to go :-)
I had this LSDistro thing once on my machine... but this thing only let me use the themes that came with it, and since I'm too lazy to set up the step.rc by myself i erased it from my HD again. I'm not going to use LiteStep again until it gets a little more user friendly...
i too once tried the venerable LS back in the 30s, a little after the great depression ;-) It was anything but user-friendly back then, not to mention that i couldn't help from laughing everytime i saw this "Wharf" command ! :-)
It has probably changed since then, actually i hope it did.
Im a litestep junkie myself, but once ran hoverdesk. I really like LiteStep a ton better mainly because you can do WHATEVER you want with it, as long as you know how to work, which is also the only problem. If you are dedicate than LiteStep is the only way. The only other shell I would recommend besides litestep would be SharpE.
personally i think HoverDesk is very unstable...i use LiteStep over HoverDesk simply because HoverDesk has way to many glitches. LiteStep is very confusing if you are a first time user, but it is deffinatly worth trying
i tried hoverdesk once, following things i didn't like; Unstable, uses up too much ram, runs on TOP of explorer, not even remotely as configurable as litestep, and hmm, yeah, i didn't like the way you have the make themes. That was around 6 months ago though, i doubt that it cought up on LS though. LITESTEP FOREVER
Yeah, but Hoverdesk is very easy to configure. You can drag it apart into your own themes easily. But I don't want to have anything on my screen, so I usually run LiteStep or LiteShell.
If you find LiteStep confusing or intimidating, my best suggestion is to find an older theme, or just a really simple one. Trying to figure Litestep out by opening up one of [morph]'s themes probably isn't the way to go. Find a theme that has simple (if any) shortcuts, and always keep in mind that most of that code is for modules. When I first started using LiteStep, I was able to recognize that the only changes the theme I chose needed were simple positioning edits. After that, it ran tight, and I've been on LS ever since.
-- Malshai - Frightening small children and the elderly since 1980 --
Somewhat OT, but another great option is the suite of NextSTART and Workshelf by Winstep. Very stable and functional. Themes are easy to make and easy to work with. I've run them for two years with nary a hitch. Give them a look at www.winstep.net.
I loved using Litestep but I had to stop when I installed win2000 because it didn't support some of the system icons in the tray. I don't know if that's still the case or not, I haven't used any shell in a while, but I would love to get back into Litestep. I didn't find it too confusing when I first started using it a while back, I RTFM. :)
LS is a real shell as HoverDesk is a desktop replacement (runs over the explorer)
LS is now a mature product (several years old project) with a big community working for it and has a very large base of themes.
HoverDesk is a 1 year old project only with 2 ppl (Dangeruss & me) working on it. Regarding stability, HoverDesk's one has been really improved since version 2.0 and above : 2.2 and incoming 2.4. There's no more crashes though some work needs to be done on some plugins
Regarding the price (yes, HoverDesk is a shareware), I suggest you to read Craeonic's interview on Teknidermy (www.teknidermy.net). You'll understand why it's not freeware.
Anyway, it'll always be a matter of personal taste : some would prefer LS as a real shell with tons of modules & themes, some would prefer HoverDesk for its ease of use and configuration.
The best thing to do is to try both and keep the one that fits your needs : maybe same look but different products =)
Thibaud...I must get back into running HD over LS....trouble is that I keep updating the LS modules/builds and am now uncertain how I might have improved compatability with HD...or not....;p
Don't worry, I know that when you're sticked to a product (I know you're a big LS fan) it's hard to get back to another one =) Please let me know when you'll be ready to test it.
oops, correction : "keep the one that fits your needs" should be "keep the one(s) - as hvd can be run with LS - that fit(s) your needs"
Thibaud... I'm just changing over to the August 25 build....when I am happy that it is clean and stable with the modules I use I'll run HD over it and smoke my machine...;) BTW...ram is cheap so I'm running a gig......so that won't be a problem...;)
