Cheers Brad of Stardock for this notification of the FIRST public beta of ObjectBar.
ObjectBar is a brand new program from Stardock, makers of WindowBlinds and DesktopX. It is designed to be the ultimate Start bar extender/replacement. Stardock has gone and integrated the best features of non-Windows OSes into it as well as adding its own features. Every OS has its own bar-like interface - MacOS has the Finder, Linux has its wharfs, NeXT had a dock, OS/2 has a warpcenter, etc. ObjectBar can provide the features found in those OSes plus what's in Windows XP such as taskbar grouping and extended quicklaunch features. Additionally, it supports plugins, skinning (and its skins are theme independent, a first for this type of program), tear off menus and more. Stardock teamed up with the author of MacVision to create this. This version includes themes that emulate the MacOS classic look, QNX and a custom one. The enhanced version allows people to download any of the dozens of additional themes out there (such as ones that give WinME/2000/98 the ability to have an XP Start bar).
It is also the first program to work with Explorer to provide fully skinnable system trays (you can move your system tray anywhere) along with theme independent skins (take a skin from one theme and use it in another).
Download: ObjectBar here
Screenshot: Screenie of ObjectBar doing the biz
News source: ObjectBar website
