It seems Stardock are very bad at communicating. We're four months on from the release of Windows 10 and we don't know when WindowBlinds 10 will be coming. There's no ETA. Will it be this year? We don't even know if it is weeks, months or years away. We've no idea if any work is being done on it - I am sure it is though.
What would be nice is a little explanation of the problems and an update on progress.
We all knew Windows 10 would mean a large proportion of Windows users would upgrade. We all knew there was a limited, ahem, window for users to upgrade for free. We're almost halfway through that now and there's no sign of WindowBlinds 10.
For those of us who had WindowBlinds installed on Windows 8, we saw the skinning of the main windows worked fine - it was just the taskbar giving trouble. Now I don't for a moment think that means that that was all there was to do, but it's not like you had to start from scratch, does it?
The forums don't give any information other than it'll be coming at some point. Most of the replies given to people wondering are to blame them for upgrading to Windows 10 and to suggest that things like the TH2 November patch may change things (even though those replying have no idea if it did or not).
So, please, give us some indication of what's going on.
"We all knew Windows 10 would mean a large proportion of Windows users would upgrade." I hope WB10 won't be the end for W7 users.. I will keep W7 until the end.. taunted and teased by mind blowing new skins.. remember when XP skins disappeared? Ah yes. Sanity.
Brilliant. Cheers!
How many days since Windows 10 was available for testers? How many since it was available for all?
How many days since the Windows 10 GUI was finalized?
Don't be rediculous. It will always be evolving, but that didn't stop almost every major and minor software provider becoming compatible with Windows 10.
It's not 'ridiculous'. Other software does not actually RELY on the GUI to function. It is a common misconception that Windowblinds is 'just another program' that runs under Windows....like Photoshop or something.
Windowblinds is a program that interacts WITH the GUI to enhance its functionality/appearance, something quite different in fact.
I am certain that Stardock's devs see things that I don't, but I haven't actually noticed any GUI changes on Windows 10 since it's release.
To my untrained eye, the GUI has sucked about the same all along. Unless I have been asleep. What has changed?
tray section gained additional functions one example the safe external drive dissconnect button, that has a drop down menu for printers and stuffThe search integrated with Cortana has gotten some updates since the release.Not sure how much the function additional desktops plays a role.The info center also recieved some updates, guess that window would also fall into wb section.But yeah overall it pretty much looks the same.
I for one really like the Windows 10 GUI and especially the Start Menu Tiles.
It's not 'ridiculous'. Other software does not actually RELY on the GUI to function. It is a common misconception that Windowblinds is 'just another program' that runs under Windows....like Photoshop or something.Windowblinds is a program that interacts WITH the GUI to enhance its functionality/appearance, something quite different in fact.
Perhaps it is time for a differnt approach to WindowBlinds. Just my humble opinion.
While I would love a version that works fully now, there is no other "approach" they can take. You all need to realize that Stardock has consistently been doing the imprbable...
They release high level OS hacks that are completely safe, reliable, stable, and efficient. Windowblinds is the highest level of all of them because essentially, it is skinning the entire operating system.
Windows 10 included a ui overhaul. If you don't believe me or the support team at Stardock, force windowblinds 8 to install. Go on, try it. However, I warn you. Anyone complaining about how the ui did not change much may find it difficult to discover workarounds to make the computer usable after you do and it breaks your ui.
So, backup your machine first.
More accurately they are not 'hacks' .... ...
Fact: Some like the look of Win 10 as it is without adding anything. I can appreciate that.
Fact: Some would still appreciate the look using WindowBlinds. I can appreciate that.
Fact: Stardock said they are working on WB 10. In fact there was just a post that said the beta should be ready soon. I can appreciate that and looking forward to it. However if there is a set back I will just wait longer till it's ready.
Fact: Post after post bad mouthing SD for not having it done so you say, I'm not renewing or coming back. Do as you wish, but your bad mouthing isn't going to speed anything up so give it a break.
Good point, but the only other ways to make interface mods like this are. Sorry to undermine the wonderful work you all do.
"The only other ways". SD Devs are professionals. They do not 'hack', they do it for real.
Riddle me this...
This screenshot was posted by Gef in the screenshots gallery and he isn't answering what he used to do this.
Is he using a test of WB10 to do that?
No, he is using WB 8 and by the looks of it Start 10, but there are issues that are not showing in the screenshot. Lot's of issues, task bar buttons being key. Just wait for WB 10 Phoon.
Hmm. Wasn't aware that Start10 provides the native Windows 10 start menu like is in the screen shot.
Yup, sure does.
Duhh... I forgot that I knew that. I just assumed that was the equivalent of selecting "default theme" when using WB.
So I built a Windows 10 Pro VM to begin some testing...
What I did NOT realize was that I could "Show Win+X menu when right clicking the start button", and still have Start10 essentially being run, thereby still retaining the native look and functions of Win10 with the exception of the start button.
This gives me a new outlook on using Start10. (Phoon eats a spoonfull of Crow)
I also installed Windowblinds (knowing that there would be issues). What I could NOT make happen is have any type of skin apply to the Windows 10 style start menu.
It would apply just fine to a Win 7 style or modern style start menu, but never a Windows 10 style.
So, back to my original question. .. Is your answer accurate as to how Gef did this? Do you know that for a fact?
TheDude, have you noticed that WindowBlinds has no competitors even though it made millions for Stardock? Those who still tried quit a very long time ago, back in the XP days. And even then all of them were simply hacking Microsoft's own native skinning engine.
There is a reason why WB has no competitors: it's because it's very, very, very, difficult to pull off something like it. I don't think I would have been able to do what Jeff has managed to pull off so far in a million years. It's just too difficult.
The GUI changes Jafo is talking about are mostly not visible. They are 'behind the scenes' changes Microsoft makes to the GUI engine every time they release a new Windows version and it must be a nightmare to work around these and still have a stable WB. But Jeff always manages to do it, and my hat goes off to him. He is an incredible programmer and, from what I heard, a great guy all around too.
So stop giving him and Stardock a hard time. Otherwise YOU go try to make a Windowblinds clone, then come back to discuss how far you got.
Yes, as Jorge says...there WERE a few 'competitors' to Windowblinds....way back in XP days and before....[though the only one I can remember the name of was 'eFX' - probably because I also skinned it]. That was about the time Windowblinds became 'v1.0'.
Sometimes I really think the reason Microsoft doesn't do its own equivalent of Windowblinds is that it doesn't know how.... and just leaves it to Stardock...
I used StyleXP a bit. Talisman and Aston come to mind, but they were more like Winstep than WindowBlinds.
NEGATIVE on that first one. As I pointed out in another thread ( which was deleted ). StyleXP was nothing more than a uxtheme.dll hack with a boatload of die hard, misinformed followers.
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