Free Cursors: Another Way to Dress Your Desktop
Are you a motorhead, a Matrix fanatic, or a movie buff? Replace your boring, standard-issue cursors with these jazzy downloads.
Kim Saccio-Kent
Don't you just love those Windows default mouse pointers--the generic white arrow, the nondescript I-beam that's so hard to see? Oh, you could jazz things up with one of the operating system's alternate schemes, like maybe Dinosaur, which offers green and yellow dinos for "busy" and "working."
But why settle for what Windows has to offer when you can download free cursor sets that go way beyond the ordinary?
If you work in a professional environment and want to add some understated zing to your desktop, 3D Flat, XP Cursors, and XZ-B-One Cursors 1 offer stylish alternatives. These animated cursors and pointers are easy to see on crowded desktops and in text-thick documents, and they just might make you more productive.
If your work environment is more relaxed, consider personalizing your desktop with your favorite hobby. Fans of feathered fauna will appreciate the aviary at Birds, while music aficionados will get a kick out of 3D Musical, a collection of animated instruments. Like to work on your car? Give Weekend Passion a chance to spin your wheels. Enjoy old movies? Wizard of Oz will put a smile on your face.
At Mechatech Cursors science fiction buffs will find an array of futuristic gadgets that blink and whirl. The Space cursor set contains a rocket, a robot, and more. And no sci-fi collection would be complete without a cursor set dedicated to The Matrix.
Stylish Pointers for the Office
If you want to make a personal statement at the office, but you work in a no-nonsense environment, try one of these cursor sets. Slick and unobtrusive, they give your desktop a little pizzazz. And they're practical too, with easy-to-find pointers and text cursors that might make you a bit more productive.
This understated set of animated cursors comes in soothing blue, gold, purple, and rose tones. The basic pointer is a brass triangle, slowly rotating along its axis, and the text cursor is an easy-to-spot I-beam. The designer's sense of humor shows up in the retro "busy" cursor, a light-purple floppy disk.
Here's a well-designed cursor set. Most of the elements, in kelly green and gray, are animated yet unobtrusive. For example, the text cursor is a small I-beam that changes from blue to green; and the pointer is a nonanimated but easy-to-find stylized green arrow. An executable file installs the cursor set and makes the scheme available for selection in Mouse Properties, Pointers.
Don't let the odd name throw you off: This is one terrific cursor set. All of the slate-blue cursors are animated, but the action is limited to a faint shimmer. The pointers are based on a basic blue arrow; when the computer is working, for example, the arrow vibrates. The text cursor--a big translucent I-beam--is easy to find and yet doesn't block your work. The whole set comes in an executable file that makes the scheme available in Mouse Properties, Pointers.
Special Interest/Hobbies
Are you a birder? A musician? A weekend mechanic? A movie buff? It might be fun to bring your favorite hobby onto your desktop.
If your idea of a cute redhead is a duck, you'll enjoy this animated cursor set. Most of the images used for cursors, pointers, and other indicators depict some sort of bird--including a flying mallard for the pointer, an Anna's hummingbird for Help, and a mute swan for Busy. The text cursor is a flashing I-beam that's easy to locate and relatively unobtrusive. Be sure to read the Readme file--it contains important installation instructions.
Here's some fun for musicians. For a basic pointer you get a spinning red electric guitar, while a spinning musical note serves as the text cursor. When the computer is busy, a beating drum signals the delay. Other cursors include an acoustic guitar, an accordion, a wooden recorder, and a soprano sax. The cursors are small enough to be unobtrusive, yet they pack high entertainment value.
This animated cursor set is designed for folks who like to work on their vehicles. The cursors--a collection of gears, brackets, and widgets that you might find in a workbench drawer--are a bit hard to describe. A little silver arrow indicator with a working engine next to it serves as a pointer, and in documents you see a big silver I-beam with the same engine. An odometer shows up when the computer is busy. Though a mechanic might enjoy this set, the animations are probably a bit too frenetic for the rest of us to work with every day.
Love old movies? Then it's a safe bet you'll be transported by this set of animated cursors. The pointer is Glinda's magic scepter, tipped with a glowing yellow jewel, and the text cursor is a big I-beam that fades in and out. When your computer is churning away, you'll see the horse of many colors changing hues as it runs. Other cursors include the Glinda herself, Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, and (of course) ruby slippers. Be sure to read the Readme file, which contains important installation instructions.
Futuristic/Science Fiction
Attention, science fiction fans: We have some terrific cursor sets for you, including weird futuristic gadgets, rockets and UFOs, and (of course) that science fiction staple, the Matrix.
This animated set features futuristic gadgets of mysterious purpose, with two or three options for many pointers. For example, you get two choices for text cursor, each an interesting variant on the I-beam (one appears to be two electrodes with a green spark between them; the other, two stylized triangles that glow red and green). Being so fanciful, they're somewhat difficult to describe, so refer to the screen shot to see whether they fit your style.
Science-fiction buffs will enjoy this entertaining animated cursor set. For a pointer you get a spinning rocket, complete with fire trail. When you resize a window, a UFO appears. When your computer is working to complete a command; a robot waves its arms, and when the computer is busy you see a space shuttle landing. Thankfully, the text cursor is a simple I-beam. Be sure to read the Readme file; it contains important installation instructions.
Here's a slick, well-designed cursor set for fans of The Matrix and its sequels. The pointer is a black arrow with tiny green code falling within it; other cursors include a computer with green code that appears on-screen and small boxes that play scenes from the movie. The text selection cursor is a simple line with a shimmering green outline. Installing this set can be a bit confusing, so read the Readme file before you begin.
Celebrate the Seasons
Perhaps you enjoy decorating your home to match the season. Why not decorate your desktop as well? We have a set of cursors for Valentine's Day, as well as one for St. Patrick's Day and the arrival of spring. And when fall rolls around, load up the Autumn Colors cursor pack.
Here's a Valentine's Day cursor set to brighten up your desktop during the sometimes gloomy days of late winter. All of the cursors are a cheerful shade of red, and the animation is limited to an attractive, nondistracting jewel-like sparkle. The pointer is a large arrow, and the text cursor is a simple I-beam that's easy to spot. When your computer is busy or working, you'll see a shimmering heart; a sparkling red hand indicates hyperlinks.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the arrival of spring with this fun cursor set. It consists mostly of static images, but the pointer brings some motion to the proceedings: It's a rotating four-leaf clover. Despite being quite festive, the pointers are small enough to remain unobtrusive.
This is an upbeat set for nature lovers. Most of the cursors feature a static orange-and-red maple leaf, though the leaf flutters while your computer is busy or working. The pointer puts an arrow just above the leaf, and the text cursor positions the leaf next to a red I-beam.
Unusual Objects
These cursor sets contain items not usually associated with mouse pointers, such as sparkling gemstones, international flags, and road signs. They're quirky, sure, but guaranteed to brighten your day.
Want to add a little glamour to your desktop--or to invoke the mystical powers of mineralogy (in digital form) on your behalf? Then load up this cursor set, which offers crystal versions of arrow pointers and text I-beams. Each cursor looks like a light-blue gemstone cut into a traditional or nontraditional shape and rotating to catch the light. It's difficult to do justice to these beauties in words, so check out the screen shot to see if they fit your style.
This pack is actually a pointer set--no cursors--but the unusually high-quality images justify the download anyway. You get high-quality animated images of the national flags of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, and the United States designed for use as arrow pointers. Prepare to salute your screen!
For something completely different, replace your mouse pointers with road signs. These cursors, a mix of static and animated signs, provide a nice change of pace--not to mention a stop, a U-turn, and a railroad crossing. When the computer is busy or working, one of two orange construction worker signs appears to give you the signal. Installing this set can be a bit confusing, so be sure to read the Readme file before beginning.
Installing Your Shiny New Cursors
Some cursor sets come packed with installation programs that do all the work for you--unzipping the cursor files; placing them in Windows, Cursors; and even adding the scheme to your Mouse Properties, Pointers tab. But most cursor sets in this review require a little more effort on your part. Here's how to install and apply your new cursors.
- Go into My Computer, Windows, Cursors, and create a subfolder named for your new cursor set.
- Download the cursor set file and unzip it into Windows, Cursors, New Folder Select Start, Control Panel, Mouse.
- In the Mouse Properties box, click the Pointers tab.
- In the Customize box in the middle of the screen you'll find a list of pointers and the cursor images that they are currently linked to. You'll need to assign a new cursor to each one.
- To get started, click Normal Select (if it's not already highlighted).
- Click Browse, open your new folder, select the image file that's named appropriately (it may have 'normal' or 'arrow' in the file name, in this case), and click Open. The new cursor will appear in the Customize list, next to the pointer name.
- Continue clicking each item on the list and assigning cursors until you've completed the list.
- Click Apply to see how your new cursors look.
- If you like the look and want to switch to it easily, select Save As under the Scheme drop-down list and name your new cursor scheme.