Give XP a Vista Facelift

For those who like the look of Vista -- with all its flashy new buttons -- there's a program available to give Windows XP, Microsoft's last operating system, a graphical facelift. However, testers of the program, which is called Vista Transformation Pack 5.5, report that there are several problems keeping it from becoming a must-have.

Think of the Transformation Pack as a Chevrolet Cavalier with big, chrome wheels, tinted windows, and maybe even a flashy spoiler. Underneath the hood, nothing special is going on, but on the surface it looks about as hot as a used Audi. Cool, maybe even mysterious.

However, in the tech world such a superficial transition is pretty problematic. For one, it appears the Transformation Pack cuts out early when attempting to install to older machines running ancient versions of XP. According to reports, the installation process simply cut out early in many cases.

Furthermore, despite the "on the surface" intentions behind the Pack, there are actually many options to consider during installation. This means it can be a lengthy process, since the Transformation is essentially doing more to your operating system than meets the eye.

Although critics laud the Transformation Pack as an interesting upgrade that doesn't appear to bog down older systems with XP (so long as the installation actually works), others aren't so approving. Many believe the visuals, although nicer than standard XP, make for quite the ugly duckling when stacked up against a legitimate version of Vista. (source: zdnet.com)

Potential downloaders of the program should realize that it's exclusively meant to upgrade the visuals of XP, and does not provide any of the security updates within the upcoming Vista. And one last note to consider: always backup your system before you apply the transformation pack.

Consider yourself warned!

You can download the program, if you choose, here.