Stardock today announced Object Desktop 2008 for Vista and Windows XP. Stardock products are essentially synonymous with Windows tweaking and customization, and Object Desktop is their flagship product.

For the first time, Object Desktop will be split into two versions: Regular and Extra Crispy...oops, we mean Ultimate. The Ultimate version is 20 bucks more, but from our vantage point it seems to be worth it; you get around 10 added programs for the extra Jackson (doesn't quite have the ring of "Benjamins," does it?).

Both version include WindowBlinds, a program to alter the look of the entire Windows GUI; IconPackager, a one-click icon manipulator; DesktopX, a desktop enhancer that adds widgets and more; and Deskscapes, a progam that allows you to run animated desktops on your Vista machine (not limited to Vista Ultimate).

Existing Object Desktop users get the Ultimate version for free. That makes us warm and fuzzy inside.

If you've never played with Object Desktop before, you should give it a shot; but only if you have countless hours to waste trying to find that just-so look for your machine.

In our experience, we've spent hours and hours adjusting, tweaking, repackaging, downloading, etc...just to slink back to the normal Windows GUI after the novelty of customization had worn off.

But that's just us.

Object Desktop requires XP or Vista.

Thanks, Stephanie!

Tired of that bland, hopelessly outdated mouse cursor pointing forlornly on your screen? Spice it up with CursorFX, the new mouse cursor customization program from Stardock, the company that puts the "mi" in "customize."

CursorFX, formerly CursorXP, updates the Windows mouse cursor engine to support fluid animations, alpha blending, effects, real-time shadowing, color changing, trails, and more. The new version now works with both Windows Vista and XP and contains a number of feature enhancements and fixes.

CursorFX is offered in both a free and a Plus ($19.95) version. The free version should keep most users happy, but if you're itching for special effects when clicking, custom cursor sizing, etc...then the Plus version has got you covered.

Thanks, Spencer!

We took a pre-release version of Stardock's TweakVista for a spin back in June, and we were suitably impressed with this OS tweaking tool. Now the company has released version 1.0 in two varieties. One will set you back $20 while there's also a free version with a few features shaved off the top.

Both versions let you identify and disable Windows processes, update display drivers, configure User Account Control options, and analyze your computer's carbon footprint.

The premium version includes an auto-update option, configuration options for a larger number of services, and identifies programs that may be slowing your computer's boot process.

TweakVista isn't the only Windows Vista optimization application around, but it's definitely one of the more comprehensive applications we've seen.

You've got to love a company that knows how to give its product an obvious name. Stardock TweakVista does exactly what you would expect. It allows you to change a whole slew of Windows Vista settings. Some things you could probably accomplish through your Windows control panel, but others would require some serious mucking around in the registry.

TweakVista is available for free as a public beta, but it expires in October. The final version will cost $20, but one nice thing about running pre-release software like this is that any settings you make before October will hold up after your software expires.

Another nice thing about TweakVista is that not only does it prompt you to create a system restore point before running it for the first time, you can create that restore point by clicking a button within the program itself.

Object Desktop 2007, described by its maker Stardock as "a suite of desktop enhancement utilities designed to allow users to turbo-charge their Windows experience," is probably best known for WindowBlinds, a program that allows Windows to be "skinned." Object Desktop really is a suite, though, and includes a whole pile of programs like IconPackager for replacing your icons in one fell swoop and WindowFX for adding new visual effects to Windows. CRN has taken the latest version of Object Desktop for a spin and gives it fairly high marks, recommending its interface customization features for kiosk use, but cautioning administrators against changing around interface features that users are accustomed to. Object Desktop 2007 costs $49.95.