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The Winstep Nexus Dock is a free alternative to the standard Windows desktop, and it can add character to your user experience.

PROS

Tons of customization: Winstep Nexus Dock give you a lot of options and a fine degree of control over how the dock looks, moves, and sounds. You could have the dock running on a hundred different PCs, with no two docks feeling exactly alike.

It can completely replace the taskbar: If you’re transitioning from Mac OS X or another dock-oriented OS, or if you just want to try something different, the Nexus Dock can be configured to accommodate all the actions of the Windows taskbar, including access to the Start menu and the system tray.

Helpful fallback options: If you end up not liking your customized dock and you don’t know how to get back, you can reset the whole thing or individual sections. You can also back up your settings and move them to another device that has the dock installed.

CONS

Not clear what user problem it’s solving: The Windows taskbar may not be exciting, but it doesn’t get many complaints, either. The Nexus Dock is an interesting alternative that can help you personalize your desktop, but it doesn’t feel like an essential piece of the user experience.

System tray icons get stretched: System tray icons don’t look very good when they are stretched out to Nexus Dock size. Also, it would be nice to be able to set your own icons.

Minimal options for the screenshot tool: The screenshot tool is featured as a default item on the taskbar, but you can’t set a quality level or file type, and we’d prefer PNG to JPG. You can only tell the tool which folder to save the image in. For screenshots, we’d recommend Lightshot or Greenshot instead.

BOTTOM LINE

If you think that the Windows user interface is dull and you want to try something different, the Nexus Dock is worth a look. It may also be useful for Mac users who are transitioning to Windows or who must use Windows at work.