SBar

SBar is a simple replacement for the default taskbar in operating systems predating Windows 7. It brings to the table modern functionality consistent to the more recent releases from Microsoft.

SBar emulates the taskbar in Windows 7 for earlier versions of the operating system and this means that the application can group the items as well as provide thumbnail previews of the windows; under XP these are static but on Vista they are live.

Moreover, there is support for jumplists and the buttons can be pinned to the taskbar for a more comfortable way to access frequently used programs.

Customizing how SBar works is not a tough job as there are few tweaks that can be done. All the options are housed under a single panel.

The size of the preview thumbnails can be customized by simply dragging by a slider to make them larger or smaller; their size is displayed right under the slider in pixels. If the thumbs are not of much use to you they can be disabled.

An important aspect is that the thumbs also show the name in the titlebar, thus improving the identification of the windows.

Additional choices available refer to its position and the skin, which is set to aero, which makes for a cool effect, especially on older systems.

SBar is of no use for users of the latest operating systems but if you still have an old timer running it would make for a nice visual customization. Moreover, it can help handle the application windows in a more productive way.