HP NewWave is yet another Windows 3.1 desktop shell that aimed to add functionality that the MacOS had.

From all appearances, this is not the "working model", which was the freeware version, rather it is the "Office" version, which was the full commercial version.

This is the default desktop.
The desktop does not replace the Windows desktop, rather it is a separate window itself. The default position of the window allows you to view minimized window icons.

The about window. As you can see, this is the full Office version.

You can create a number of new "objects" for both standard Windows and bundled NW apps.

NewWave supports folders that open in new windows. Files can be dragged to and dropped on other folders. Folders can be viewed in a sorted list or with large icons. The "File Drawer" stores files that are not on the desktop or in another folder. Unwanted junk can be stored in the Waste Basket.
Objects can also be stored on a network server rather than the local hard drive.

The file system is hidden from the user in NW. What you see are what are referred to as "objects", which have 8.3 filenames in reality, while the long file names you see are stored in a special database. The files are stored in a special folder as well, the location and real name of which are not visible unless you view the attributes of the file.

The downside to all of this, is that other applications cannot use any of this. A user trying to search for the "Ok we’re good here" folder may be surprised to find that it’s not actually a green folder, and it’s real name is "OKWEREGO" or something like that.

NewWave comes with this thing called the "agent".
The "agent" is a scripting and task scheduling utility. It is used to automate a number of tasks in a number of applications, and these "scripts" can be set to run at any time.

Exiting NewWave.