Windows 8 was recently unveiled with what many consider to be the greatest leap in Windows UI design since the operating system first launched in 1985. While the official release of the OS isn’t expected to be until sometime in 2012, software developers are already trying their hand at creating a similar interface for Windows 7, and you can test it out right now, for free.
Omnimo 4 is a Rainmeter skin for Windows which replicates the Windows 8 interface exceptionally well, with a huge variety of tiles available for use. Email, calendars, news feeds, launchers, weather, search bars and literally hundreds of other addons are free to use. Being simply a skin, Omnimo doesn’t replicate the full Windows 8 interface (that is, task switching and full-screen apps) but it does do a fantastic job of imitating the primary tile home screen. It runs on Rainmeter, a desktop customization platform which has been available for years, and as a consequence it is stable and light on resources.
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The skin also offers two different display settings: Windows Phone 7, or the slightly different Windows 8 interface. Tiles can be resized and arranged in every way imaginable, with endless customization options for however you want the interface to look. It is available it multiple languages, and is easy to set up, with a simple installation process. Note that this is just a skin, so it makes no actual changes to Windows and can be very easily removed (unlike the ‘Windows 7 Transformation Packs’ of a few years ago).
