Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DEV.to VS Classic Shell

Compare DEV.to VS Classic Shell and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

DEV.to logo DEV.to

Where software engineers connect, build their resumes, and grow.

Classic Shell logo Classic Shell

Classic Shell was developed for Windows 8 since that was the first version of the popular operating system to forgo the iconic Start menu.
  • DEV.to Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-13
  • Classic Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

DEV.to features and specs

  • Community Engagement
    DEV.to offers an active and supportive community of developers where users can share knowledge, seek advice, and collaborate on projects. This fosters a sense of belonging and continuous learning.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform provides a straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to publish content, engage with other posts, and navigate through various resources.
  • Content Diversity
    DEV.to features a wide range of topics related to software development, from beginner tutorials to advanced technical articles. This diversity makes it a valuable resource for developers at all skill levels.
  • Open Source and Transparency
    DEV.to is built on open-source software, which promotes transparency and allows users to contribute to the platformโ€™s development. This aligns with the core values of many developers.
  • Cross-Posting Capabilities
    Users can easily cross-post articles from their personal blogs or other platforms, increasing their contentโ€™s reach and visibility without significant additional effort.

Possible disadvantages of DEV.to

  • Content Quality Variation
    Given its open nature, the quality of content on DEV.to can be inconsistent. Users may need to sift through a mix of high-quality and less useful posts to find valuable information.
  • Platform-Specific Features
    Some features and optimizations are tailored specifically for the DEV.to platform, which might not translate well if the content is shared elsewhere.
  • Limited Advanced Customization
    While the platform is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options for articles and personal profiles compared to more robust blogging platforms.
  • Visibility Challenges
    With a large user base, it can be challenging for new users or less popular posts to gain traction and visibility unless they are highly engaging or promoted.
  • Distraction Potential
    The platform's social features, such as discussions and notifications, can sometimes be distracting, potentially impacting productivity for users who are easily sidetracked.

Classic Shell features and specs

  • Customizable Start Menu
    Classic Shell allows users to customize the Start Menu to a significant extent, including changing the style and appearance to resemble earlier versions of Windows (XP, Vista, and 7).
  • Performance Enhancements
    The software is lightweight and generally does not consume significant system resources, making it a performance-efficient alternative to the default Start Menu.
  • Enhanced Usability
    It brings back certain features and functionalities that are familiar and preferred by users, enhancing overall user experience, particularly for those transitioning from older Windows versions.
  • Frequent Updates
    Classic Shell is regularly updated to ensure compatibility with new Windows updates, providing a reliable solution over time.
  • Free of Cost
    Classic Shell is available for free, making it an accessible option for anyone looking to improve their Start Menu without financial investment.

Possible disadvantages of Classic Shell

  • Limited Official Support
    As Classic Shell is developed primarily by volunteers, official support may be limited compared to commercial software.
  • Complexity
    The extensive customization options might be overwhelming for less tech-savvy users, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    Although updated frequently, there can be temporary compatibility issues with the latest Windows updates, requiring users to wait for the next release.
  • Lack of Modern Features
    Classic Shell aims to replicate older versions of Windows Start Menus, which might lack some of the modern features available in the default Windows Start Menu.
  • Discontinued Development
    Official development of Classic Shell was discontinued in December 2017. While community forks like Open-Shell continue the project, the lack of official development could be seen as a disadvantage.

Analysis of DEV.to

Overall verdict

  • Yes, DEV.to is considered a good platform for developers looking to connect with peers, stay updated with industry trends, and share their knowledge.

Why this product is good

  • DEV.to is a popular online community for software developers where they can share articles, tutorials, and insights related to programming and technology. It's known for its supportive environment, user-friendly interface, and the diversity of content, making it a good resource for learning and networking.

Recommended for

  • Aspiring software developers seeking learning resources and mentorship.
  • Experienced developers looking to share knowledge and contribute to the community.
  • Individuals interested in keeping up with the latest trends and discussions in technology.

Analysis of Classic Shell

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Classic Shell is considered a good tool for those who want to enhance their Windows experience with more customization and a nod to classic Windows aesthetics. It's reliable, widely used, and addresses some of the usability concerns people have with newer Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Classic Shell is popular among users who prefer the familiar interface and user experience of older versions of Windows, particularly Windows 7 or even XP. It offers customization options for the Start Menu, Explorer, and other UI elements, allowing a more personalized and comfortable experience for those who are not fond of newer Windows UI changes.

Recommended for

    Classic Shell is recommended for users who miss the classic Windows Start menu and layout, those who find the new Windows designs less intuitive, and individuals who want more control over their interface customization. It's particularly suitable for people transitioning from older Windows versions to newer ones who wish to maintain a certain level of familiarity.

DEV.to videos

Ben Halpern founder of Dev.To & The Practical Dev

Classic Shell videos

Classic Shell with Windows 10!

More videos:

  • Review - Classic Shell Review | Make Windows 8 Like Windows 7 with Classic Shell
  • Review - Classic Shell 4.0.2 Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DEV.to and Classic Shell)
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
0 0%
100% 100
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
LMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using DEV.to and Classic Shell. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DEV.to and Classic Shell

DEV.to Reviews

  1. It is a nice mini-blog, it's for free and such but

    As a mini-blog, it is a nice alternative for Medium to publish and share information about programming.

    However, the community and the organization are biased toward social justice (and they are open to it). You can read its Code of Conduct, it is so vague and politically leads (I prefer a term of service because it defines fair rules for everybody). So it alienates developers that we don't care about politics in pro of people that want to talk about any other topic such as sexuality, how women are unprivileged, and such. It even mandates to use inclusive language. Good grief.

    My main complaint is the quality of the community. It is not StackOverflow (so we don't want to ask for an answer here), and most of the top topics are clickbait, such as "how to become a rockstar developer in ... days", "100 tips to become a better programmer" (and it doesn't even talk about programming).

    Technically this "mini blog" site allows us to use markdown, and it is okay. However, the whole experience is really basic. Even the template is ugly.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Medium
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Free
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Social justice|Basic features|Quality of content

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
The 'dev.to' forum is a great place for developers to find answers, share their knowledge, and learn from others. It's a place for people to talk about their projects, ask questions, and get feedback.
Source: www.notchup.com
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
One of Dev.toโ€™s unique features is its focus on the human side of coding. Developers often share their personal stories, career journeys, and lessons learned, creating a sense of camaraderie within the community. The platform also encourages content creators by providing a clean and user-friendly interface for writing and sharing articles.
Source: www.qodo.ai

Classic Shell Reviews

We have no reviews of Classic Shell yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DEV.to seems to be a lot more popular than Classic Shell. While we know about 668 links to DEV.to, we've tracked only 18 mentions of Classic Shell. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DEV.to mentions (668)

  • How to find a device by its MAC address
    You can collect all of that by hand, or let a scanner do it in one pass. DeviceShelf resolves vendor, hostname, services and open ports for every device on the network and turns them into an actual identification; the same IEEE data behind our lookup page ships inside the app. For the full detective story, see the guide on identifying an unknown device. - Source: dev.to / about 23 hours ago
  • "My pending() Function Learned to Draft Against Nested Comments. My audit() Function Never Learned to Look for Them."
    Def _walk_comments(comment): """Yield this comment and every comment in its subtree, at any depth.""" yield comment for child in comment["children"]: yield from _walk_comments(child) Def audit(): ... for a in my_articles(): if not a["comments_count"]: continue for root_comment in api(f"/comments?a_id={a['id']}"): for c in... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • ๐Ÿฃ Sushi RS: SVG Sushi Components for Rust Frontends.
    So I came across the Frontend Challenge: Comfort Food Edition on dev.to, and I thought: "Hey, what if I build a Rust crate that lets you render SVG sushi directly in your WASM frontend? How hard can it be?". - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • Woof Are You, Really? A Dog Personality Quiz Built in a Weekend
    This is a tiny, silly personality quiz built for the DEV.to Weekend Doggos challenge. Answer questions about your Saturday mornings, your feelings on doorbells, and your ideal compliment โ€” and find out which dog breed you truly are today. (Not forever. Today. Check back tomorrow, you might be a different dog.). - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Stop Arguing About Which Model Is Best. Build a Two-Tier Habit Instead.
    Verifiable only with effort. Anything touching the filesystem, package installs, CI config, database changes. Wrongness here is quiet and expensive. These get the strongest model I have and a sandboxed dry run before anything executes. I wrote a separate piece on dry-running assistant-written shell commands because this category keeps hurting people. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
View more

Classic Shell mentions (18)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DEV.to and Classic Shell, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Start Menu X - Start Menu X with Start Button. Power users know how inconvenient and time-consuming it is to launch programs from the system menu.

Hashnode - A friendly and inclusive Q&A network for coders

Start Menu Reviver - Free Download! Recover and update your computer with Driver Reviver and Registry Reviver. Easily update software, unlock new functionality and remove hardware device errors and clean, repair and optimize your registry in a few simple mouse clicks!