Greetings!
February is nearly over and so we are getting ready to release the ObjectDock 2 BETA.
Here's a quick status report on where things stand:
General Objectives of the ObjectDock 2 BETA
A lot of our development effort for ObjectDock 2 has gone into revamping the plumbing of ObjectDock to support 64-bit and Windows 7/Vista more natively.
The current ObjectDock works on Windows 7 and Windows Vista but some of the functionality either gets disabled or is flaky (the system tray and start menu features for example). Needless to say, the updated more secure architecture of Windows 7 and Vista made some of these features more difficult.
So one of the first things we're going to be looking for is how well this works.
Secondly, there are a "ton" of new features rolling into ObjectDock 2. Some of these features will be available in 2.0 and others will roll out over subsequent months as we nail down getting said features to function identically on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and then 64-bit versions of the latter two.
This next week I plan to put up a guided tour of the ObjectDock 2 beta and outline what is expected to be in by v2.0 and what we plan to put in in subsequent updates.
User Feedback Effects
The feature set of ObjectDock 2.0 is already set. In addition, the feature set of v2.1 and v2.2 has already been outlined internally. What we will be looking for from beta testers are what kinds of things they would like to see added during the v2.x generation of ObjectDock.
Scheduling
Originally our plan was to release the first beta of ObjectDock 2 this past Thursday. Unfortunately, a number of elements have not come together yet that we need to release the beta.
These elements are:
1. Assets. We are replacing the backgrounds, icons and other visuals for the v2.0 launch. I've made it clear to Stardock Design that I expect these assets soon but their schedule has been very tight with new projects from HP and Dell. That said, at some point in the next couple weeks if we don't have them, we'll put out the beta with the art assets we already have.
2. The new configuration. The lead developer of ObjectDock (and the same person for the past several years, Jeff Bargmann) has developed a pretty amazing configuration system for ObjectDock 2. This new system was necessary in order for us to realistically continue to add features withou the UI looking like a complete hack (i.e. like ObjectDock 1).
The delay in finishing the configuration has been due to me asking for Jeff's help on updating the architecture for ImpulseReactor that we are debuting at GDC in the first week of March. Once he's finished that, he'll be able to return fully to ObjectDock 2 to finish this part.
Once item #2 is complete, we will put out the beta regardless of whether item 1 is complete or not. However, we won't release the final v2 without the assets because frankly, the icons and dock backgrounds need to be updated imo.
So that's where things stand. Thank you for your patience and we look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas!
hi there, with heard of OD2.0 news, i'm excited, and hopping some cool feature could come ture..
i hope OD 2.0 could have a very important feature as DELL DOCK has, it is the "category" feature
(screen shot : http://chinese.direct2dell.com/photos/blog/images/8535/original.aspx )
if click the icon in the dock (say with the name: Picture), it then will pop up 2 app icons categoried in Picture
I think it is a great convenient to lauch apps...
and about the TABS feature, i like that very much, it could arrange all the app icons in gruop, but i think it's for groupping all the icons (at least for me..)
and the category feature is for convienent purpose, this is the most wanted feature for me, and i think makes OD more and more perfect...
and the TABS feature, i would suggest it has a "hide" feature, i mean you mouse over the edge of the screen , it appears, most situations it is hide, then the screen could look more clear... clear and easy to manage all the apps...
and i would also suggest OD 2.0 could adjust icon size(single icon), because a lot of icons downloaded cannot placed on the dock because they just look too big or too small compared to other MUST IN icons, then they just stay on the harddisk, and never be used..
i could suggest this feature come realized, and it's great for customizaioners...
thanks for your attention
OD is the best dock application!
Great Work!!
aoeking2...not sure how or why a lot of folks miss this feature but you can do what your talking about with OD Plus..not sure about the standard version,,, This Dock - Add - New Custom Flyout Menu. One you have created your new Flyout menu right click on its icon and select Dock Entry Properties. Then, once you have the Dock Entry Properties screen up select the Custom Menu radio button in the middle of the screen, Thewn add as many apps as you like to the custom menu section. Again..not sure about OD standard.
Karmagirl... check out my reply on another thread:
https://forums.wincustomize.com/376635/page/1/#2547395
the preorder email i received said beta starting in feb.
to all others, i was joking around sorry if it started making others complain
I completely understand the whiners... though I do not whine with them all day as I have better things to do.
Stardock sent out this email clearly targeting customers that are keen on the long awaited update. They mentioned no exact date, but a time range when the beta version of OD+ 2.0 will be available. Thus, motivation to pay in advance is triggered by a yet not too well-known feature list.. and the opportunity to be able to test the program soon (and not sometime later this or next year). If Stardock are not able to fulfill their advertising, there is enough reason for eager users to complain.
If I, as the owner of my own enterprise, made a contract with a fixed time/date of delivery, or even a rough one, and if I told them various reasons after missing the self-set deadline I would not get many customers in the future. Telling them other oh-so important customers were just more important (like the initial post says here) so that we delayed their project is nothing of a good service I think.
Having said that I cannot wait (literally) to see the first beta of OD+ 2.0 come up on the Stardock horizon...
Sorry, the initial post was made just short before the deadline, I thought the post was from March 1st...
I think my only complaint on the wait is that I would of rather had the money taken up front haha. I hate sitting on money for pre-orders and such. But owell, we all gotta make some sacrifices. lol
My only issue I have is that the lack of respect giving to Objectdock which they still state is one of their most popular programs. Surely they don't have to keep pulling people off of it for other project.
I been waiting for a couple years I guess a couple more weeks, months is not too bad. Still I wish they would have more respect for users.
Awww, looks like I missed the fun.
Thanks for some transparency Frogboy. That's always a good thing in any relationship, business or personal. It's a fact that many people complain a lot about this upcoming release and the only way to improve their feelings is with open communication. The main thing I'd like to see, and I hope that's what you mean by guided tour, is a real feature list (free vs. plus). As a humble docklet developer I think that's really helpful to share some details. One question I've already asked about and never got a reply is: will the reflections include docklets? (and will it be real reflections that move away from the image as in the Mac dock?) If it does it'll break the design of my "reflective" docklets on the release day and I think we should share this info so I could use my spare time to redesign my docklets. Honestly, I would expect even to take part of the beta experiment (of the free version at least) as a docklet developer. This way the developers could contribute to the added value with some cool docklets that hopefully will take advantage of the new features and will be ready on release day. Anyway, looking forward to the guided tour.
Unfortunately tough business decisions have to be made. If we don't stay in business, we can't make ANY applications.
If you do not respect users you won't stay in business anyway .
Respect is a two-way street. Stardock [unfortunately or not] provides these Forums for all to comment, including those whose one goal in life is to antagonize and foster dissent. It's a common trait of human nature to expend more energy in antipathy than in support. That's why there s a [seemingly] large vocal group uptight to whatever degree about the release or tardy release of Stardock's software.
Most are happy to wait patiently....it's ready when it's ready, but on these forums you see the vocal minority venting spleens, etc.
Well, not keeping promises tend to make people annoyed. Actually, as with the "happy to wait"-people, most annoyed people won't post anything either unless it's a really severe issue. You can't say for sure that the majority of users of any product are happy... In the end it'll show on how many actually pay for the upgrade to 2.0...
Never mind this, I think I need to elaborate this more to make my point, and I don't really feel up to it.
No problem with that, but why promise deadlines and then ignore them? That's the main reason people get frustrated.
I'm getting to the same point, Lack of response to my question(s) shows lack of respect and I'm not complaining, just asking for tech specs.
I give up on this subject, bye bye.
I'm pretty impatient for ObjectDock 2 to get completed.
I rely on it. And I run Windows 7 64-bit.
So you guys aren't alone.
It's too bad Jeff (the lead developer) is so talented, he gets pulled in so many directions.
I'm almost as ansy over this... as I am over my investments!
Sure it is a two-way street. I have a lot of respect for developers, for anybody who is able to make reasonable arguments and acts coherently. I make mistakes myself and try to avoid them. With such a reply from you (Stardock's) side you prove even more lack of respect. Saying 'it's a tough business' after having broken a promise to 'justify' the delay, all with a harsh tone (or is it me?) does not sound like awesome customer support. Let people complain (even when they're not right) and deal with it.
Negativity is quite common, that is for sure. Please refrain from accusing customers being sissies. That's not as positive as you might think.Unless you're up for making them former customers. Just let me know.
Thanks for listening.
Now THERE's something to complain about!
One can be cynical with out being negitive, cynism is some forms is a little dry wit.
Are we there yet?
^
Yes, it's you....
When the CEO of the company ALSO concurs with [and shares] the frustration/impatience then you [should] understand that the delay is not something that is avoidable.
Observations about the human animal's predilection towards vocalising negativity over acceptance and understanding is just that - observations....
Or as old George Carlin put it, all that comes out of anyones mouth is crap. lol
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