Talisman Desktop 3.4 Build 3400 for Windows

by Lighttek Software

Avg. Rating 3.8 (57 votes)

File Details

File Size 10.6 MB
License Shareware
Operating System Windows (All)
Date Added
Total Downloads 14,818
Publisher Lighttek Software
Homepage Talisman Desktop

Publisher's Description

Talisman is a replacement for Windows Desktop and shell replacement. You can build any interface for your computer. It hides the standard desktop of Windows. Place any number of icons, buttons, pictures or other objects. These objects can have any form or dimensions. All objects can run external programs or internal shell commands. The number of forms (desktops) is not limited. Any screen object can be set to switch from one desktop to another. All settings and pictures are stored in a theme file. You can even make many themes and use objects with links to go from one theme to another. You can add HTML-pages and Flash movies to the desktop and add sounds to different events. It supports Windows XP icons of any sizes from 16x16 to 128x128 pixels. It is posible to create different "zoomer" objects from such icons and to place the icons of different sizes on desktop.

Latest Reviews

anomoly

anomoly reviewed v3.0 Build 3006 on Dec 18, 2008

Talisman is a fun shell for a minute. Then the realestate it uses and the games you play with it get to be a waste of time. I've used litestep but it is more like a linux gui than a windows one and is also very tedious and as well had stability issues when I ran it. I found sharpe enviro (free) seems to be the best yet. Integrates well with standard windows api's, is very stabile, slick simple, and highly configurable.
Talisman is definitely worth kicking the tires though. The Russian (I believe) devs did some nice work here.

mickbrix

mickbrix reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2803 on Aug 6, 2004

Sorry datarat i thought the users of a shell would have some basic knowledge of the gui, you know the bit where it says "install theme" and "set Litestep/explorer as shell" obviously a little complicated ..my mistake.
Talisman is very good, very easy and thankfully idiot proof.

GeneralLeoFF

GeneralLeoFF reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2803 on Aug 5, 2004

This is proly the best shell I have used but like any other shell and skin it gets old fast. Replacing the shell and skinning your OC is nothing but a fun toy. I tend yo always find the basic, simple, yet reliable defualt shells are always best when it comes to acctualy geting stuff done. 5 stars

PC Rat

PC Rat reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Aug 2, 2004

"Try Litestep it does virtually everything that this does and it's free"

It's also ten times more difficult to figure out and use.

Again: Talisman has a great balance of features ~and~ usability. For the $25 spent on Talisman you'll save $1,000 in heartburn trying to get LiteStep to work !

The DataRat

klumy

klumy reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Jul 31, 2004

I'm amazed about the functionality of Talisman. This one belongs to the best available skinning software available on the net !!

mickbrix

mickbrix reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Jul 31, 2004

Try Litestep it does virtually everything that this does and it's free.
Having said that Talisman is stable ,slick and fun and much better than the windows gui.

PC Rat

PC Rat reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2801 on Jul 17, 2004

There's desktop-and-shell replacements that don't do much. And there's desktop-and-shell replacements which are nearly impossible for the average user to figure out how to use.

Talisman is the one desktop-and-shell replacement that BOTH does a lot ~and~ is relatively easy to figure out how to use !

Nice balance between functionality and usability.

The DataRat

davidtb

davidtb reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2801 on Jul 16, 2004

I've used Talisman, more than once.
It's cool uh..smmootth, but it slows a p4/3gig with a gig of mem, right down. It is pretty, tho but I'm not that vain about my desktop, if I was I'd probably own a mac.
I did goto GeekNewz and read up on some of the customizations they offer. they're mostly fan-based and not so radically altering.
I suppose I needed to Learn more about d-top
customizing than letting a program do it for me.

my2¢
db.

wolseleydude

wolseleydude reviewed v2.7 Build 2707 on Dec 29, 2003

Nice, smooth, stable, what's not to like? 5 stars here.

mcguire187

mcguire187 reviewed v2.7 Build 2705 Beta 2 on Oct 16, 2003

I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU PEOPLE WHO SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS OSFTWARE. EITHER YOUR NEWBIES OR DONT HAVE NE IDEA HOW TO CODE :p.. 1 THING I HVAE TO AGREE ON IS THE BLINKIN THINK WINDOWS AND THE TASK BAR GROUPING. BUT I DONT SEE HOW THAT IS A REAL PROBLEM :).. BESIDES THOSE THIS PROGRAM HAS GEAT FEATURES BEING ABLE TO DESIGN YOUR OWN MENUS AND BACKGROUNDS TO BE ACTIVELY USED IS NEAT AND IT WORKS PRETTY FAST FOR ME I GIVE IT A 5 CUZ OF ITS CAPABILITIES BUT I GIVE IT A 4 FOR INTEGRATION REASONS

Avg. Rating 3.8 (57 votes)
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anomoly

anomoly reviewed v3.0 Build 3006 on Dec 18, 2008

Talisman is a fun shell for a minute. Then the realestate it uses and the games you play with it get to be a waste of time. I've used litestep but it is more like a linux gui than a windows one and is also very tedious and as well had stability issues when I ran it. I found sharpe enviro (free) seems to be the best yet. Integrates well with standard windows api's, is very stabile, slick simple, and highly configurable.
Talisman is definitely worth kicking the tires though. The Russian (I believe) devs did some nice work here.

mickbrix

mickbrix reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2803 on Aug 6, 2004

Sorry datarat i thought the users of a shell would have some basic knowledge of the gui, you know the bit where it says "install theme" and "set Litestep/explorer as shell" obviously a little complicated ..my mistake.
Talisman is very good, very easy and thankfully idiot proof.

GeneralLeoFF

GeneralLeoFF reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2803 on Aug 5, 2004

This is proly the best shell I have used but like any other shell and skin it gets old fast. Replacing the shell and skinning your OC is nothing but a fun toy. I tend yo always find the basic, simple, yet reliable defualt shells are always best when it comes to acctualy geting stuff done. 5 stars

PC Rat

PC Rat reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Aug 2, 2004

"Try Litestep it does virtually everything that this does and it's free"

It's also ten times more difficult to figure out and use.

Again: Talisman has a great balance of features ~and~ usability. For the $25 spent on Talisman you'll save $1,000 in heartburn trying to get LiteStep to work !

The DataRat

klumy

klumy reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Jul 31, 2004

I'm amazed about the functionality of Talisman. This one belongs to the best available skinning software available on the net !!

mickbrix

mickbrix reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2802 on Jul 31, 2004

Try Litestep it does virtually everything that this does and it's free.
Having said that Talisman is stable ,slick and fun and much better than the windows gui.

PC Rat

PC Rat reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2801 on Jul 17, 2004

There's desktop-and-shell replacements that don't do much. And there's desktop-and-shell replacements which are nearly impossible for the average user to figure out how to use.

Talisman is the one desktop-and-shell replacement that BOTH does a lot ~and~ is relatively easy to figure out how to use !

Nice balance between functionality and usability.

The DataRat

davidtb

davidtb reviewed v2.8 Beta Build 2801 on Jul 16, 2004

I've used Talisman, more than once.
It's cool uh..smmootth, but it slows a p4/3gig with a gig of mem, right down. It is pretty, tho but I'm not that vain about my desktop, if I was I'd probably own a mac.
I did goto GeekNewz and read up on some of the customizations they offer. they're mostly fan-based and not so radically altering.
I suppose I needed to Learn more about d-top
customizing than letting a program do it for me.

my2¢
db.

wolseleydude

wolseleydude reviewed v2.7 Build 2707 on Dec 29, 2003

Nice, smooth, stable, what's not to like? 5 stars here.

mcguire187

mcguire187 reviewed v2.7 Build 2705 Beta 2 on Oct 16, 2003

I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU PEOPLE WHO SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS OSFTWARE. EITHER YOUR NEWBIES OR DONT HAVE NE IDEA HOW TO CODE :p.. 1 THING I HVAE TO AGREE ON IS THE BLINKIN THINK WINDOWS AND THE TASK BAR GROUPING. BUT I DONT SEE HOW THAT IS A REAL PROBLEM :).. BESIDES THOSE THIS PROGRAM HAS GEAT FEATURES BEING ABLE TO DESIGN YOUR OWN MENUS AND BACKGROUNDS TO BE ACTIVELY USED IS NEAT AND IT WORKS PRETTY FAST FOR ME I GIVE IT A 5 CUZ OF ITS CAPABILITIES BUT I GIVE IT A 4 FOR INTEGRATION REASONS

artic6

artic6 reviewed v2.7 Build 2705 Beta 2 on Oct 16, 2003

Good look and feel, nice interface, but is is VERY slow, this is slower than Dameware and VNC, even on a 1GB network this program is a little on the slow side, if you have Windows XP or Server 2003 then stick with Terminal Services, if you do not then think before using this software, also the network utilisation is stupidily high (on my network)

UK

UK reviewed v2.7 Beta 1 on Oct 10, 2003

"It doesn't support icq blinking and Win key!"
Ha! I don't support ICQ and never use Win key!
The program is great.
It supports tons of features that are not supported by Windows :-)
My best recommendations!

slepax

slepax reviewed v2.7 Beta 1 on Oct 10, 2003

The look & feel is quite nice, and as some said it is very slow (although with the default skin it is working ok).

In my opinion shell replacement must be perfect and I have very small tolerance for faults in such applications. Here, after less than an hour I found some annoying stuff (all with the default shell):
1. It doesn’t "capture" the Windows key. Pressing the Windows key opens the old shell menu and not Talisman’s.
2. I can’t see any of the icons from the tray icon.
3. VERY IMPORTANT: It doesn’t support window title blinking, which means that if you have ICQ or MSN (tried it with MSN) window minimized and you receive a message, there is no indication for that.

When not working with the default shell it look very unnatural, like frame over frames, so I skipped it right away.

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