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Windows XP Preview
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Themes first made their appearance in the Windows 95 Plus! pack, bringing colors, sounds, icons, and images that fit a common thread. Themes were included in Windows 98, and I believe ME as well. But themes in XP bring a new twist to them.
Skinning has become a popular thing for programmers to incorporate. It allows their users to create new designs and interfaces for the program. Microsoft has seen the popularity of skinning in other applications and will allow Windows XP to be skinned as well - as part of Themes. If you have ever used the program WindowBlinds by StarDock, this is what Themes in Windows XP will be like - Changing the look of buttons, window borders, tabs, progress graphs, and more.
The version of Windows XP we have only came with one theme, which is the default theme. To our knowledge, Microsoft will not be releasing a utility to design themes, but it wouldn't be a surprise if a company releases such a utility shortly after XP is released. Microsoft will also be making themes available for download from their web site.
And of course, if you're not happy with skinning, and like the look and feel of older Windows versions, you can always roll back to the Classic look.
