Tell us what you'd like to see us work on for Object Desktop this year.
New apps? Update existing apps? You let us know.
Windowblinds does a great job as it is and needs little further development to remain viable. As I said before, I don't care too much about 3rd party apps, that still stands. In fact, I don't care greatly about Explorer backgrounds being skinned, either. The standard white will do me if skinning them is a problem.
I can't speak for anyone else, but as long as the taskbar and Windows borders are skinned then I am happy to settle for "some". Hopefully this will remain the case as I cannot stand the Fisher Price appearance of the default Windows GUI.
As for Deskscapes, I don't really care. I rarely ever use Dreams because my desktop always has some window or another open, which kind of makes them redundant. Right Click, however, now that's a different matter and I would love to see it brought back for Win 7, 8.1 and 10.... with the options to move, copy, delete files/folders. I currently use a progran called Rightclick Enhance that does all that and more, but I'd much prefer a Stardock version.
Purely denials.........................you can not have your cake and eat it too.
Who has said this ?? Please quote exactly the source from. People did complain the price,question its sustainability but people who going to pay,they will and vice versa.
The app, Wallpaper Engine, generates more revenue per month than WindowBlinds has in years.
At the same time, the number of users interested in skinning the UI is decreasing and those that are interested are generally unwilling to pay what it costs to develop it to that level.
Thanks for pointed out the fact instead of living in the pipe dream/reminiscing the old days. I thought people did aware of these situations. I have been avid user of Windowblinds since 2001,it's quite sad,outside of Stardock,the furore of it has been died out awhile. Yes,people still use it,but then we are talking about a very small percentage of it,how do we rejuvenate/increase of that is the problem.
@ Gaspershooters. -In a bad mood you seem to be.
-If you read what I wrote I said:
I am not in a bad mood,not at all. I just think as a mature and educated man that you should be able to say something based on the fact/reality,disagree or not is your prerogative,though.
Just keep in mind,when it really does die down,everyone is lose.
Whatever
Tis a lively discussion and can be kept that way without all the rhetoric being tossed about. WindowBlinds, Start 10 and IP are IMO essential to a decent desktop. Only ones I use. The iconpack I keep is office because it fits with everything and I have no desire to change it. I do like to change up my WB's to fit my mood. I don't need a wallpaper changer as I am my own wallpaper changer, I go with what I like. If WB goes so goes Start 10. I have my Winstep Xtreme and that will do all I need it to do. And I have my Photoshop so SD will do what it will do. End of story.
Well I surely don't want "nothing".
I can't see the numbers so I have no right saying it's making money or not. Only the owner of any company would know if they are actually making money. I do know as a plant manager before I retired there are always changes in any area that isn't producing revenue. So many of my friends here may not want to see me saying this, sorry but it is fact.
With that said I have a question that everyone may like an answer for. SD says "All or Nothing" for WindowBlind. so what would that actually mean?
1. We would be able to continue using it as it is now?
2. If so would the forums still be available?
3. Over my 11 years or so I have seen many people request their product key be reset. So it's evident the Product key is controlled by SD. If WB becomes dead, could something be done so we can at least use the version we have now till at least it just won't work on Windows no matter how many time we may format our computers or get new ones? As is WB may work on windows for years even if it has a glitch.
4. I have a lot of friends on here. Yes Internet friends but never the less people I like. Just to many to list names as if I forget any I would maybe have the missed ones wondering why I didn't mention them. Like what I said or not it's the real world and any business has to make money. What I think is if we knew exactly where things stood we would have a better idea instead of "all or nothing"
5. Last. Everyone needs to calm down. Maybe if that happens maybe Brad will answer my questions and others. Making negative comments or demanding things doesn't do a damn bit of good.Yes again it would be really missed my me and many but life would go on till our number runs out.
Thank you.
Not at all Don.
The amount of high quality free new skins is an ever decreasing commodity, while new Master skins simply maintain a degree of regularity. This clearly shows a lack of interest in the enjoyment of skinning that once prompted the steady sales of Windowblinds.
I've bought plenty of Master skins even though I don't use Windowblinds anymore. I do it to help support you guys/gals that put the effort in to it.
Face the facts.. those that say they will leave if WB's goes the way of the unicorn are a small percentage of the overall revenue of the business. Sad but true. It's turning in to a dying horse that cannot be healed with the way Windows OS is progressing.
I also don't understand the reasoning behind not caring if 3rd party apps are not able to be skinnned.
When I use my PC I am running programs. If you leave out the apps well, your just using your PC to click around the OS and not actually doing much with it.
Since Day 1 of Windowblinds there has always been programs that did their own thing and WB wouldn't apply to them properly. Nothing there has changed, only the culprits [usually].
The OS Shell is what needs skinning, along with open windows [as much as is possible].
There is absolutely no way on earth that any one developer can possibly manage to create a program which actually can skin ALL programs' windows. It cannot be done and never will.....although it is fair to say 'most' could, once upon a time.
The current diversity in programs' "styles" is possibly our own collective fault....showing programmers that their proggies do not have to be so butt-ugly...and simply hope that the OS shell can clean it up a bit.
It wasn't even Nullsoft who originally started [much of] it all with Winamp ... it was an outsider called Fly7e. Even in that specific case it was a direct result of my meddling with 'magic pink' that Maxim came out with a proggy that would code the Winamp Transparencies for the skinner [Instead I had done it the long way which took a heck of a while to do... but it showed the way for Maxim's proggy].
Moving on several years later you had the likes of The Skins Factory doing really cool stuff with WMP .... I'm still using their Alienware 'ALX' ... [it's still fun] proving the MS default was just 'yawn'.
Early days saw a lot of people actively involved in totally alternate Shells - just about the best way to avoid most of the MS 'dross', but again MS reinventing themselves made more problems for outsiders to keep up...and interest dwindled [certainly did for me].
Lately I've been skinning FSX [another living-in-the-past proggy that can be skun [I like that word]], and avoiding tweaking the MS OS....can't even run WB with FSX loaded/running....and you need it running when drawing the graphics and re-applying.
Of course, when I did use LiteSTEP you only had the Windows in WB to apply [the Explorer shell wasn't running] so all my WB skins looked a bit crap because they were really only for the 'windows'.....[and they were crap anyway]...
Here is my answer. Anyone that uses Microsoft Office will know why. In fact this applies to some non office programs but 3rd party ones. When making a WB. When making a WB especially a darker one. There is are background colors one can set and many do that is made darker because the majority of the skin is dark. You can't read the text or see what you are typing. so that is why I don't really care. However you aren't looking at why this is being mentioned. Staredock would save a lot of money and time if they just keep WB alive for Windows and not what 3rd party apps were skinned. So based on the current situation things are being mentioned that would save SD quite a bit of money. Enough I have no idea. Just trying to keep Windowblinds alive.
So what you are saying basically is the Masters that upload quality paid skins hardly ever upload a quality free skin. Such a bunch of crap. If it's free or not the skinners make a quality WB. I'm a Master and don't upload paid skins. you may not like all the designs, colors, or style and that is fine. I can assure you the quality is made the same. Doesn't matter if it's mine or other Masters uploading free ones. You don't even use WindowBlinds so how would you even know if it's a quality WB or not? By looking at a screen shot.
I will give you this as it's a known fact by all. The amount of skinners is way down. That has nothing to do with quality. It's this so called new World we live in where people can't walk without a cell phone in their hand.
Dave... to put it bluntly...
I said nothing more than what I said with no hidden meaning. Don't read between my lines and put anything other in to what I said. I'm sorry if you don't understand my thoughts behind it but please don't add words to what I said.
Thanks
Well, you asked the question:
Really would want this:
1. SpaceMonger has fuzzy duplicate file search support, this is really important with trying to recover from drive synchronization errors
Some priority:
1. ObjectDock dragged into Windows 10 All Versions
2. "Simple" turn on/turn off function to standard desktop from all of Object Desktop programs.
Nice To Have, Not Urgent
1. Multiplicity Support for NAS drag and drop over Remote Connections (the NAS attached to the remote device is accessible rather than having a separate connection).
2. CursorFX works within current Stardock games, particularly Gal Civ III. Gal Civ III themes are options within Object Desktop.
Dave... to put it bluntly...I said nothing more than what I said with no hidden meaning. Don't read between my lines and put anything other in to what I said. I'm sorry if you don't understand my thoughts behind it but please don't add words to what I said.Thanks
Maybe I did read to much. sorry if that is what happened.
I really did want to answer your question. "I also don't understand the reasoning behind not caring if 3rd party apps are not able to be skinnned."
Again when they are skinned with a dark skin they can become un-usable because of what a color can do. I would also make a bet a lot of SD money has been used trying to keep up with 3rd party apps. You have been here a long time. I'm sure you have seen over a 100 post complaining about Firefox not being skinned correctly. Maybe there will be enough money and worth it if the only thing that has to be done is keep WB alive for Windows fixes and not 3rd party stuff. That is all I was saying. You did ask that question.
To switch gears a little bit, I'm thinking of a "new" customization program. I'm thinking along the lines of ShadowFX which just adds shadows to the default Win10 windows. Maybe there could be some interest in a small program that just lets users control transparency and blur on the default Win10 windows and taskbar. That in itself could make a decent difference in Win10. (Not suggesting it as a replacement for WindowBlinds). Wouldn't require any skinning, just something any user could use to adjust. Anyway the thought popped into my head while I was thinking about Win10's default and I thought I'd throw it out.
Win 10's default UI and icons are sad.... just sad. Since Win 7 the Windows GUI has gone downhill and MS needs to invest more into improving the look of Win 10.... otherwise stop putting up roadblocks to stop Stardock and others from doing it for them. I mean, are these roadblocks even necessary, or is MS employing them to gain even more control of OUR PCs? I'd say the latter, given MS' bully boy tactics of late.
What am I saying, "of late"? MS has been a big tech bully boy for decades.
The reality is a lot of skins are only useful with the OS, and even then Explorer menus can be almost unreadable with some permutations. For 3rd party apps the problems of usability persist if the skinner hasn't used the apps in question. Nonetheless, carefully chosen skins make Win 10 et al far more attractive than what MS offers. I've reduced the hundreds of skins I've tried to some three dozen, and every one makes the Windows experience much better aesthetically. So WB stays with me ad infinitum. So does Start 10, which is far superior to the horrid MS tiles. Cursor FX Plus is just plain fun compared to the MS offerings. OD runs fine on Win 10 and doesn't require much more than choosing an attractive shelf for the icons to cast shadows/reflections on.
I would be sad to see Stardock stop supporting these, but change is always part of reality. Perhaps someday a foundation will run it, and it will become open source. In the here and now, I'm a very happy user.
I wonder what came first, the chicken or the egg?
Well ... I started out here using Start8 -- when MS decided EVERYONE had switched over from Desktops to using touch-screen Tablets and clearly did NOT need a Start Menu anymore!
Then, when I came here, I found out about WindowBlinds and a bunch of other SD apps that made life in Win8x a lot easier -- so I subscribed to OD. I think my usage went up to about a dozen SD apps, and I downloaded LOTS of Blinds.
But over the years, things have changed. Now, I only use WB and Start10.
I also, despite having downloaded probably more than 100 Blinds over the years, have settled on using a half dozen. I like the dark themes but most of them make the text so dark, my (aging) eyes can't see it against the background.
There are alternatives out there to Start10, some free some not, so if that goes, I can use something else.
But ... WB is my main reason for renewing the OD subscription. IF that goes, so do I.
Paul's dissembling. His early skins were very clever & among the best available at the time. And still among my favorites.
Regardless of financial aspects and usage stats, WB is STILL the 'glue' that keeps us all together. Take that away, you kill what is left of the community - and without it everything else crumbles.
Not everything should be seen in the cold light of numbers.
Exactly!!!!! WB IS the goto desktop enhancement for me. I could live without IP, CursorFX, Deskscapes and other customisation apps if I had to, but not WB. It is the most important of all Stardock customisation apps and needs to stay.
As for the money side of it, it's a bit like when I worked at a place called C.O.N making plumbers supplies. We made everything a plumber could ever need..... and fire hydrants. Now these fire hydrants were mostly bought by local authorities and some plumbers, but they were entirely unprofifable and barely sold for cost. However, we had to make them because nobody else did.
Thing is, there were many profitable items on the inventory and these covered the costs of the fire hydrants, and that's what needs to happen at Stardock.... all the profitable and good sellers help to cover WB and others that may not be selling so well these days It can't be all about money when customers still want viable customisation programs.... and WB, IP are still viable with Win 7, 8.1 and 10.
Well I do hope Stardock comes up with some kind of workable solution. Seriously, those Win10 window frames really do kind of make me want to gag. I ran Win10 for awhile before WB came out for it, and I found it to be ... unpleasant. Every once in awhile I run Win10 naked for a (very) little while for a quick change of pace, and I still find it unpleasant after about 10 minutes.
Thissa not fair. I gots a list of Master WB's I wanna buy. If WB goes south what I gonna do.
I'm chiming in late because I've been traveling out of the country for six weeks and just got back.
I currently use and love WB, Start10, Fences, and SpaceMonger.
Back before I retired I used to run a lot more programs simultaneously and I used ObjectDock, IconPackager, SoundPackager, and the ancient ControlCenter (which I used for virtual desktops).
I too would hate to see WB go away, would rather have some than none.
I agree with much of what has been said. AFA Object Dock, I've already moved on to another app for that. Icon packager I don't use anymore. I love Cursor XP and still use it but that seems like a dead project. Right now, fences, cursor xp and win customize are all I use.
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