Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

24 Moby Thesaurus words for "window shopping":
   buy, buying, buying power, buying up, catalog buying, coemption,
   consumer power, consumer sovereignty, consumerism, cornering,
   emption, hire purchase, impulse buying, installment buying,
   mail-order buying, marketing, money illusion, purchase, purchasing,
   purchasing power, rebuying, repurchase, shopping, shopping spree



The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

window shopping
 n.

    [US Geological Survey] Among users of WIMP environments like X or the
    Macintosh, extended experimentation with new window colors, fonts, and icon
    shapes. This activity can take up hours of what might otherwise have been
    productive working time. ?I spent the afternoon window shopping until I
    found the coolest shade of green for my active window borders ? now they
    perfectly match my medium slate blue background.? Serious window shoppers
    will spend their days with bitmap editors, creating new and different icons
    and background patterns for all to see. Also: window dressing, the act of
    applying new fonts, colors, etc. See fritterware, compare macdink.


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

window shopping

    A term used among users of WIMP environments like
   the X Window System or the Macintosh at the US Geological
   Survey for extended experimentation with new window colours,
   fonts, and icon shapes.  This activity can take up hours
   of what might otherwise have been productive working time.  "I
   spent the afternoon window shopping until I found the coolest
   shade of green for my active window borders --- now they
   perfectly match my medium slate blue background."  Serious
   window shoppers will spend their days with bitmap editors,
   creating new and different icons and background patterns for
   all to see.  Also: "window dressing", the act of applying new
   fonts, colours, etc.

   See fritterware, compare macdink.

   [Jargon File]

   (1996-07-08)