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 WinStep Xtreme
 Nexus
 Start Menu Organizer
 Font Browser
 NextStart Corporate



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NextStart was awarded 5/5 stars for being an outstanding application!
NextStart received 5 stars at ZDNet... "versatile, dynamic... impressive, good-looking tool".
Featured as a "File Of The Week" at Softseek.com
NextStart
The desktop revolution begins here!


Downloads - Screenshots - Support - Themes - Buy Now - Register - Awards


The Award-Winning NextSTART, by Winstep Software Technologies , is a powerful, skinnable, and dynamic pop-up menu system that can be used as a replacement or supplement to the Windows Start Menu and Taskbar. NextSTART also offers an incredible amount of flexibility so that the user can customize it to his needs and wishes.

NextSTART is a component of the Winstep Xtreme suite of applications.



Unlighted theme.
Overview

Download Winstep Xtreme

 Winstep Xtreme 9.5 (from CNET) - May 21, 2009 (16.8 MB)
 Download Mirror
Contains a complete installation of NextSTART, Workshelf, NeXuS, Start Menu Organizer and FontBrowser.
Required for all new users!

 Winstep Xtreme 9.12 Beta 6 (Full) - December 1, 2009 (18.6 MB)
 Winstep Xtreme 9.12 Beta 6 (Upgrade) - December 1, 2009 (6.82 MB)
The Upgrade version MUST be installed ON TOP of an existing Winstep Xtreme 9.5 (or later) installation!

WorkShelf in Beta 6 features incomplete language files based on the Nexus language files (except for Portuguese, German, French, Dutch and Farsi, which are complete translations). If you would like to help translating the missing entries (about 250 entries of text specific to WorkShelf need to be translated) into your language, please read THIS topic on the Winstep forums or contact Winstep support.

Anybody providing a full WorkShelf translation gets a FREE Winstep Xtreme license key, as well as having their name properly credited, of course!




An in depth look...

  • Powerful Menu System
    Unlike many other menu programs, NextStart does NOT require you to re-enter the paths to all the programs listed on your Start Menu. NextStart will automatically read the directory structure of your Programs folder(s) and create a menu for you on the fly! In fact, thanks to NextStart's dynamic menu support, it will create as many menus as you wish based on any hard drive or directory!

    If you wish to create your own customized menu system, no problem! You can do this by simple Drag-n-Drop or through the use of the powerful, built-in Menu Editor, both allowing you to create any number of menus. The Menu Editor also allows the use of over 80 handy Internal Commands that give quick access to not only NextSTART specific features but also many popular Windows functions.

  • Complete Start Menu And Taskbar Replacement
    NextSTART features built-in task management to control running apps and the Windows System Tray. Gain access to your running apps via handy task icons/tiles right on your desktop. Best of all, you can choose the position of the "task list", the style, and even which icons should be displayed for specific applications. NextSTART also allows you to place the Systray anywhere on your desktop!

  • Hot Spot Support
    Thanks to an incredibly flexible feature utilizing user defined Hot Spots, you can "attach" a menu to not only different areas of your desktop but also other menu programs and applications! Activate your hotspots using different mouse buttons or screen edge 'bumps'.

  • Advanced NeXT-Style Look And Feel
    The NextSTART user interface was heavily inspired by the original NeXTSTEP operating system. Unlike many other Windows shell replacements and add-ons, the association is more than just skin deep. We've adopted many NeXT style functions and controls both in the menus and in the new and improved NextSTART Preferences Manager. NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP users should feel right at home. We've also expanded on these "classic" ideas and added plenty of our own, creating an advanced and unique menu system for Windows Users.

  • Flexible Configuration w/Theme Support
    Not happy with the default NextSTART configuration? Would you prefer a menu system that emulated BeOS or Mac? How about transparent menus? No problem...You can configure how the menus look and behave yourself! Choose where scroll-buttons are located, how menu selection is made, which mouse button activates the menus, assign hot keys and more! You can choose the font, the size, the colors (even use gradients and bitmaps with transparency!), 3D effects, custom icons and, still, more! In fact, thanks to the improved Theme support of the NextSTART Preferences Manager you can now import and export themes based on the above options. Share them with your friends or upload them to popular archive sites!

  • Drag And Drop
    Drag and Drop can be used to move/copy items from one menu to another, re-arrange them and even move/copy files from a menu to an Explorer window and vice-versa.

  • Full Multi-Monitor Support
    Position your menus, hotspots and startbar on specific monitors.

  • Context Sensitive Menus
    A context-sensitive menu is a menu with options related to an highlighted object or menu item. Each item in a menu has a context menu, accessible by right-clicking on the item. Options available in a context menu are the ones you would expect to find if you clicked on that same item under Explorer.

Registration

Winstep Xtreme is commercial software. You may try it for a period of 30 days, after which you must either purchase Winstep Xtreme or remove it from your system.

 

System Requirements:
Win 95, 98, SE, ME, NT4, 2000, XP 32/64 bit, 2003 Server, Vista 32/64 bit or Windows 7 32/64 bit.




Awards, Reviews and Misc
Listed as a "Popular" download at CNET's DOWNLOAD.COM
Awarded 5 out of 5 "Dudes" from FileDudes
Featured as a "File Of The Week" at SOFTSEEK.COM, it has reached #1 on their Utilities\Taskbar & Explorer Enhancements Chart.
NextStart was awarded 5/5 stars by The File Transit for being an outstanding application!
NextStart has been featured several times in LockerGnome.
A 'Must Have' download at SoftwareCenter.net
NextSTART received a great rating from BetaNews/FileForum
NextStart received 5 stars and a great review at ZDNet... "versatile, dynamic... impressive, good-looking tool"
NextStart has been awarded a 5 star rating at A1 Yippee Shareware!
NextStart has been awarded 5 cows at Tucows, with a great review too!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at SofoTex!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Softforall!
NextStart has received a Most Popular award at SoftPile!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at 5 Star Shareware!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at OneKit!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Final Download!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Shareup!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Download2You!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Picks Net!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at BrotherSoft Downloads!
NextStart has been awarded 5 stars at Shareware River!
NextSTART has been awarded 5 stars at TomDownload!
NextSTART has been awarded 5 stars at Soft32!
NextStart has been awarded 4 golden disks at Global Shareware!
NextStart garnered four 'smileys' at the Rocket Download Archive
NextStart was awarded 4 stars at SoftAward!




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 News

December 1, 2009

Nexus dock v9.12 and Winstep Xtreme 9.12 beta 6 Released!

The new releases offer better support for 3rd party dock backgrounds.

[Details]


November 23, 2009

Nexus dock v9.11 final Released!

The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE professional dock for Windows.

[Details]


November 23, 2009

Winstep Xtreme 9.11 Public Beta 5 Released!

The WorkShelf component in this first public beta release proudly features a new User Interface with multi-language support that will soon make its way to the NextSTART component.

In addition, the new beta adds full support for Windows 7 and all 64 bit versions of Windows, also fixing serious issues such as Skype 4.x becoming unresponsive when accessed via the systray icon, and an incompatibility with Logitech's 64 bit version of Setpoint that caused docks, menus and the Shelf to become blank and unresponsive.

[Details]


November 12, 2009

Start Menu Organizer v1.2 Released!

The Winstep Start Menu Organizer is an application designed to help you organize and clean your Windows Start Menu.

This new release improves multi-user support and adds support for four new languages: Farsi (Persian), Norwegian, Spanish and Turkish.

[Details]


September 16, 2009

Nexus dock v9.8 beta 3 Released!

The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE professional dock for Windows.

This new release fixes a MAJOR bug that caused the tab headers in Nexus Preferences to become unresponsive after 35 days!

[Details]


July 30, 2009

Nexus dock v9.7 beta 2 Released!

The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE professional dock for Windows.

This new release adds a ton of new features, including icon spacing, running indicators, optional full right-click context menus and much more!

[Details]


June 13, 2009

Nexus dock v9.5 beta 1 Released!

The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE professional dock for Windows.

It's every bit as powerful as the Nexus dock in Winstep Xtreme, except that it does not support multi-docks nor multi-level subdocks.

The new User Interface (coming soon to Winstep Xtreme too!) provides a nice intuitive configuration environment - and it has multi-language support!

[Details]


May 21, 2009

Winstep Xtreme 9.5 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v9.5, WorkShelf v9.5, Start Menu Organizer v1.1, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

Winstep Xtreme is now 100% compatible with both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Windows 7.

Among the many new features, check out the new Glass Blur and Colorize effects!

[Details]


December 9, 2008

Winstep Xtreme 8.11 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v8.11, WorkShelf v8.11, Start Menu Organizer v1.1, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

Among Windows 7's features, the taskbar overhaul is probably the feature in Microsoft's upcoming OS that has aroused the most interest.

Well, you won't have to wait for Windows 7 anymore - Winstep Xtreme 8.11 has just been released, and brings with it the most interesting and useful features of the new Windows 7 "Superbar" into the XP and Vista world!

[Details]


November 18, 2008

Things just around the corner...

So you've seen all those videos of the new Windows 7 Beta taskbar and you can't help but Wish that the new "Superbar" was available for your trusty copy of Vista and XP?

Well, you won't have to wait for Windows 7 anymore. Winstep Xtreme 8.11 is going to be released this month... and guess what it features?

Click Details to watch a video of the new Winstep Xtreme "Superbar" in action.

[Details]


September 26, 2008

Winstep Xtreme 8.9 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v8.9, WorkShelf v8.9, Start Menu Organizer v1.1, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

This release features, among many other additions, new dock and shelf mouseover effects plus the inclusion of a brand new application to the Winstep Xtreme family of products.

Click Details to find out what else is new and watch a video of Winstep Xtreme in action.

[Details]


May 30, 2008

Winstep Xtreme 8.5 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.6, WorkShelf v2.6, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

Restores the Weather Channel feed and brings Apple Dock style icon reflection to Windows.

[Details]


April 23, 2008

Things to come...

Sneak preview of the new icon reflection effect available in the next Winstep Xtreme release.

[Details]


February 20, 2008

Winstep Xtreme 8.2 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.5, WorkShelf v2.5, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

Winstep Xtreme is now 100% Windows Vista compatible.

[Details]


November 26, 2007

Winstep Xtreme 7.11 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.4, WorkShelf v2.4, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

[Details]


September 28, 2007

Winstep Xtreme 7.9 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.3, WorkShelf v2.3, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

[Details]


June 27, 2007

Winstep Xtreme 7.4 reviewed in Computer Shopper!

Winstep Xtreme got an Editor's rating of 8.2 out of 10. Click details to read the review.

[Details]


April 16, 2007

Winstep Xtreme 7.4 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.2, WorkShelf v2.2, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

[Details]


February 6, 2007

Winstep Xtreme 7.1 Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.1, WorkShelf v2.1, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS!

[Details]


November 24, 2006

Winstep Xtreme 6.11 Final Released!

Winstep Xtreme includes NextSTART v4.0, WorkShelf v2.0, FontBrowser v1.0 and NeXuS, the new entry to the Winstep family of products!

[Details]