We are putting together the schedule to make WindowBlinds 11.
Customization is a lot harder now than it used to be. Microsoft, for reasons unknown, has actively encouraged developers to take care of their own client and even non client (border, frame) painting rather than using standard Windows controls.
Microsoft's baffling decision to throw away trying to provide a standard set of in-app controls for developers and instead provide vague, often conflicting standards (cough, Fluent) has resulted in having less and less of the OS we can even touch.
Which is unfortunate because WindowBlinds, in theory, could actually give Windows users a consistent, OS-wide Fluent if apps weren't handling the drawing of their own UIs these days.
Still, with that in mind, there are things we can do such as skin the standard OS controls and then handle apps on a case-by-case basis. Keep in mind though, the more non-standard apps we have to handle, the harder it is for us to keep compatibility.
Earlier this year we released Curtains which doesn't even hook into the OS. This means it is 100% compatible. Skins, even the weirdest ones, won't break a given app. Of course, the price is that it doesn't skin nearly as much (no client area GUI controls like scrollbars, push buttons, radio buttons, etc.). It's done quite well. However, we know there are still plenty of people out there who would like to have more full control over how their Windows desktop looks.
That's where this thread comes in: What would you like to see in WindowBlinds 11?
Where I am at that is a problem most places could only dream of having. Restaurants / stores have very odd and unpredictable hours, schools are closing for extra days, public bus routs are being cut... All because no one wants to work where other people are located ever since the shutdown of 2020.
Covid has changed our world, possibly forever, some peeps found there employ very different than pre Covid, many moving to a home environment. Others became busier than ever like Key Workers, although i am not considered a Key Worker, the industry i work in was one of those that became far busier with more people at home only increasing the workload and numbers using there computers more.
My Industry exploded overnight, going from "A steady in the week , but busier at weekends" type of thing, to a new normal of being busy almost every day of the week. Personally during this whole time, i have worked almost everyday, only taking time off to attend Funerals for members of my family who were hit hard by Covid and lost all. I understand the new norm better than some, we all are needing replacement staff as no Industry has been immune to Covid and it's effects.
Went back to Win10... 11 is absolute garbage, broken ugly bug infested junk, bit like Win10 really... only worse in every way
I was mainly saying it is Win11 that is ugly.... Win10 isn't as bad as you can still customize it somewhat with third party software.... unlike Win11 which is just awful.
I actually like the look of windows 11 over windows 10 in general. There are only two elements that I find lacking in Windows 11 due to their weirdnes, and that is the start menu and the taskbar.
As far as Windowblinds 11 is concerned I think it should be built around start 11. I would much prefer using a skinned Windows 10 / 11 theme along with a newly built taskbar that includes never combined tabs. From my experience using explorerpatcher I can confirm the taskbar still looks good on a Windows 11 device using windowblinds 10. There shouldn't be too much change here as far as how the takbar will look skinned from windowblinds 10 to 11
Other than that, I prefer having things like the command bar skinned rather then using the silly ribbon menu. I also like the rounded corners and other program layouts. I dont think I would want those modified too much which means windowblinds 11 should alter the skinned look a bit here over what we had for windowblinds 10
I actually dislike bringing back windows 10's explorer in windows 11 with explorerpatcher to get windowblinds 10 working on it because I like Windows 11's soo much better.
That is my 2 cents in what I want in windowblinds 11.
Before i skinned or used a theme to change Win11, i considered it Boring to look at, but have thought the same of older OSs too. Can not say my experience is the same as Koogle, for me it is a tool i need to work with, so i do as much as i can to make Win11 suit me, once i get it looking good and in the way i have before with older OSs, i can sometimes forget what OS i am using until i see the Settings window.
Every OS for years now has divided peeps, Win11 is no different, but i and others see it as the future, whilst others choose to remain with older systems, as long as we all get online safely , and that is another story completely, sooner or later the market share for Win11 will steadily grow as more and more users are upgraded. At some point we will all need to try it and work within it.
Hopefully WB11 will be with us later this year, at least then it can look better, hopefully using skins we all love.
Koogle, read back into this topic, it is now possible to change the look of Win 11 using WB10, it works, is very stable, but does have a small issue with transparency, but this option can help you with how "Ugly" you find Win11 using your most used and favourite Windowblinds.
Anyone on Windows 11 is still considered ahead of the curve. I think our group size is somewhere between 10 percent and 16 percent right now. So basically all the cool kids are using Windows 10 right now because it is the most popular at the moment. That is ok though... I am sure eventually some of the staunch none Windows 11 peeps will cross over
All fun aside, there are reasons for the division. I honestly believe it is mostly in the area of start menu and taskbar, along with the system requirements. These facts usually do not take into consideration all the good things Windows 11 is doing. WindowBlinds 11 absolutely needs to be built around Windows 11 strengths as it hides its weaknesses.
Anyone on Windows 11 is still considered ahead of the curve. I think our group size is somewhere between 10 percent and 16 percent right now. So basically all the cool kids are using Windows 10 right now because it is the most popular at the moment. That is ok though... I am sure eventually some of the staunch none Windows 11 peeps will cross over All fun aside, there are reasons for the division. I honestly believe it is mostly in the area of start menu and taskbar, along with the system requirements. These facts usually do not take into consideration all the good things Windows 11 is doing. WindowBlinds 11 absolutely needs to be built around Windows 11 strengths as it hides its weaknesses.
I will take "Ahead Of The Curve" PhoenixRising1, not sure about "The Cool Kids" though, for me, and i can only speak for myself, have Found Win11 to be Stable, not come upon any major , or minor bugs that have effected me in how i use Win11.
As you know i had no choice with the migration due to work, but i do listen to others who have Hands on Hours with this OS, prompting me to pull my Win 10 SSD out of my desk drawer and install it on a Multi Booting 4 SSD System (just To Be Sure) should i need to go back to it. I have gone back to it, but not through issues with my 3 Win11 SSDs, but more to test out all those masterskins i installed once and changed for what i use the most, forgetting how many i had.
I have still used Win 11 Daily and considering all other peeps opinions will stick with it, as for me, I have had No Issues to make me change my mind.
I am looking Forward to WB11, i have always loved new Editions of Software as usually they bring in new and interesting things to play with, Win 11 market share will increase, of this i am sure, not a betting man but would back it in the long term as other older OSs will become unsafe to use for many but not all. I do like some of the new things in Win11 and hope WB11 will rise again bigger and better than before, just not sure when in 2020.
The cool kids part was supposed to be a joke because most people are still on Windows 10. However, Windows 11 market shares have grown. It is at 10 - 16 percent. I think they are claiming 16 percent now. So it is climbing at a steady rate. Sun Valley 2 may be the update a lot of people are waiting for as well. To some people after this update drops it may feel like Windows 11 is finally going out of Beta since this is where major complaints are finally being addressed. If anyone says Windows 11 was taken out of Beta too soon I will agree 100 percent. Windows 10 was similar where it launched as a work in progress and eventually became a well ironed out OS, it just takes time.
Being an early adapter of Windows 11 has forced me to use things like explorerpatcher. All that program does is allow people to take part of Windows 10 with them to Windows 11. When Windows 11 is really done I do not think I will need to use it anymore. So, even I am not on Windows 11 100 percent yet.
I suffer from eyestrain and I love Windowblinds' ability to reduce eyestrain by softening the bright whites. I saw someone mention how it affects apps like Excel, but I love the fact that I can change the default background color in Excel spreadsheets. Below, you can see how I modified the "Modern" theme to suit my taste:
Thank you to the devs for making this possible, and please keep people like me in mind during future devleopment!
Regards,
--Lenny
I took it as such PhoenixRising1.
As we are using both Win10 and Win11, we must be Uber Cool then mate and that is good too, cool for having Win10, and Ahead Of The Curve for using Win11 daily.
Considering how long Windowblinds has been around perhaps Microsoft should cut Stardock some slack and send them some code they can include so the application that has been purchased worldwide by many users works as it always was intended.
What would I like to see? That. Simply, that MS comes to the party and helps their third-party developers and users, remembering that they serve the clients who buy their products, not the other way around. They are the vendor, not GOD.
That's the truth. A good operating system should make things easy to mod. Windows 11 really does benefit from having Stardock products. Having things like an alternative start menu and changeable skin absolutely draws people Windows 11, there is a group of people that probably wouldn't even be using Windows 11 at the moment if it weren't for things like start 11. A really good Windows operating system would fully embrace that idea.
im not even upgrading to windows 11 on any of my pc's untill windowblinds comes out for it..
Just wondering if older skins will work with win11? I have a windowblinds skin that worked on WB10
I get that sometimes it is a pain in the rear to read longer threads or search even when there are masses under the same topic. We'd all like to be doing something productive unless reading is our job as a paid moderator.
That said I believe some people have successfully implemented it by doing edits - which they really should not have to.
This is another thread (below) and there are others on this forum (Stardock) which even have displayed images of it working and how they did it. I hope that answers at least a little. If you ignore the personal taste comments on some of the users' creations which were only for demonstration that it does work, hopefully, it might assist.
https://forums.stardock.com/509478/windowblinds-in-windows-11-explorer
If you have caught up with the links posted, you will see i have tested out many older skins using the ExplorerPatcher method using WB10 on a fully Updated Win11, so even loads of older skins work well but with the well documented transparency line , but they do work and it is stable with no explorer crashes.
I hope Windowblinds 11 won't be like Curtains, if it does, I won't be skinning anymore, I'll completely go Mac OS, just my two cents worth.
I tried Curtains, and didn't like it either, and never will, I thought skinning in Skin Studio was hard to learn, but Curtains is way worse to learn, that's my opinion, I can't/don't speak for others. It's just a waiting game right now.
That may be so, but we have no idea what path Stardock choose to go down. My two cents is that there will be a totally new program. Something like an enhanced version of Curtains or a mix of the two.
I have not made any comment to which path Stardock will take JanOscar as none of us knows anything really solid beyond the a vague date. I was simply responding to PapaBravo and advising that WB10 used on Win11 with Explorerpatcher will work with older skins.
Do not like or use Curtains, so can not offer anything on this subject. I came into this asking about Windowblinds as that is my go to Program for customisations, or was until i expanded my Horizons about other methods, now, my Windows 10 SSD is almost never used except to keep it up to date. Right now i am Windows 11 all the way as i have to be and the wait for WB11 is now a curiosity, seeing more and more activity in the forum with members having issues with compatibility for Stardock Programs not working well with Windows11.
I do hope the team can bring out these Win11 upgrades, either they be WB, Iconpackager or other programs the membership are having problems with. The wait really does go on.
Based on the fact that I can get Windowblinds 10 to run on Windows 11 via explorerpatcher or reg editing I do not think an overhaul is necessary.
I would imagine that WindowBlinds 11 would want to make all the Windows 10 era skins easy to transfer over since there is already a lot of artwork available. My bet is that start 11 taskbar changes are being made to help with this transition. Other then the taskbar, the other main issue is getting the command bar working rather then having to use the old ribbon. A couple of smaller issue is that the Microsoft store apps full-screen button still needs to be incorporated in and also a transparency issue needs to be addressed. The needs are too few for a major overhaul.
As far as curtains is concerned.. There definitely is demand for that, but it seems that program would need a major overhaul so it is hard to say if it has a future or not.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
Sign in or Create Account
