Have you ever felt a little left in the dark, when looking at a friend's Vista desktop? The new Vista has a built in clock which is not part of the software provided for XP. XP users can have an even prettier one if they wish, as a company have produced the ClocX program designed so that you don't need to feel left out.

The program is very easily downloaded and takes only minutes on a broadband connection, and comes in a neat package with so many options, your friend may even end up jealous of you. Installation is in many languages making this a program for people all over the world, and the neat thing is the presentation of the clock.

The options allow you to have this housed on your desktop, or to have the clock at the top of your screen wherever you are. It's an attractive package which also allows a certain amount of flexibility of presentation. The models to choose from are simple to select by using the right click button, and a word of advice here is to move the accessories panel to the right of the screen, and touch each of the alternatives which will appear on the left, giving you accessibility to many different types and styles.

The program is free to download and has no spy-ware which is another advantage. Running a spy-ware program after installation revealed no traces which is good news as well for the security conscious. Want to make that clock unobtrusive? A simple option exists where you can make the clock seemingly transparent and click through the presentation, making it ideal for the busy person who multi tasks. While in click through mode, you can access and change your configuration from the tool panel icon.

Once you have this set up, the clock also acts as an alarm, though the benefit of this is that it doesn't actually make a noise. It simply shows a pop up which stays on your screen to remind you of things which you need to do. If you want to make the clock more complex, you can choose sounds from your computer to use with the clock, making the system very easy to personalize to your own tastes. With a second hand showing at all times, the clock does help to keep the computer user conscious of time keeping.

It's a handy program and takes very little space, and is certainly worthwhile considering as an option to the standard digital clock in your tool-bar. Do ensure that the version you download is suited to XP, and a prompt appears if you make an error, allowing you to abort and to download the correct software. Now, you have no excuse to get lost in the land of cyberspace and not know what time of day it is. The clock is there to remind you that time is passing, and helps you to become more productive and have a great display to compare with your friends who have Vista.

Learn more about this author, Rachelle de Bretagne.
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