What Skins are the Perfect Skins?

and who made them?

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 by Chasbo | Discussion: WindowBlinds

Not the most popular skins or most downloaded skins but the most perfect. What do I mean by perfect? The skin first and foremost must work perfectly, that means when using the skin it is useable no matter what you are doing on the computer. Whatever browser you are using, whatever game you are playing, whatever app you are running - the skin works. Everything is readable and everything is visable. How many times have we used skins that although they are true works of art can't be used "every day". There are certain skinners who have climbed the heights of perfection! Who are they? Here are my top five picks and I'd like to see what other people think.
1. Night Train - Nemo - as far as I can see, this skin is perfect and it BLOWS MY MIND.
2. Tiggz - GT3 - Could be the best skin ever made.
3. MikeB314 - StealthOS - There isn't anything about this skin that isn't great!
4. adni18 - (Your pick goes here) - Perhaps the greatest skinner. His body of work is uncomparable!
5. Treetog - Artwork - What else can I say but: PERFECTION.
12 Reply 7 Referrals
Corky_O
Reply #1 Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:08 AM

StealthOS is the closest to a fully compatible skin that I have used.

The fact that WB has changed over the past two years (sometimes in big ways, and sometimes in small ways) does not seem to affect this skin from performing on a consistent basis.

Due to my now using the Adobe CS2 series of programs, I have seen some small issues with the WB5 program and these programs, but it appears to be linked to either the handling of the shell frame components and/or the use of video resources to accomplish performance. For instance, when multiple files are open and I mouse over the control buttons of a file behind the foremost file, the control button becomes active, yet the window does not move forward. The workaround I found for this was to click the file titlebar to bring it to the front and make it active, then click the file that was in front to reset. A bit of extra work, but not enough to condemn anything.

There are other small issues like this one, which I will assume that Stardock will correct in the upcoming builds.

This makes it a bit more difficult to assess the performance of the skin(s) vs. the performance of the WB5 program - IMO.

All in all, for anyone wanting to have control of the GUI shell look and feel, WB5 is still the best bet, and StealthOS is still the standard that I measure all skins by.

No highjacking intended, just some additional comment content.


Corky_O
Reply #2 Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:12 AM

Note - for any tech support readers, the issue above is not that the control button lights up in the example above, it is that it stay lit on mouse-away state. Therefore, the reset procedure.

Found using Vista v2 by Kol, which is not currently available due to MS restrictions.


Robbie_Boy
Reply #3 Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:11 AM
For me it's

1 Stealthos by Mike

2 DogmaX4 by Brewman

3 Vista by Kol



liquidguru
Reply #4 Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:12 AM
great choices Chasbo,

i would also add danilloOc WB skins as examples of perfection...all very functional and very beautifully themed...

-scion- skins are fantastic too, with his Aten skin being one of my all time favourites


Lantec
Reply #5 Thursday, May 11, 2006 3:13 PM
To me, a perfect skin must skin all the components. That's why I'd have to forgo Stealth. The menu mouseover's are not skinned unless flat blue counts.

Some of the more recent ones I'd consider perfect are
DogmaX4 by Brewman
Tronnix by Mike Bryant
5imple Alpha by DanilloOc
Thallos & Kuantam by Kol
Artwork by Treetog
Mirage, Fogger, Nemo & Badlands by Night Train
Candy Coated & GUI Magic by GUI Magic (whoever that is... )

I hate to have to single any out (or forget to include)but I think all the above pass the test.

Z71
Reply #6 Thursday, May 11, 2006 3:42 PM
Candy Coated & GUI Magic by GUI Magic (whoever that is...)

That would be me, Sir Lantec. It's the name of my website.
That's just sad.

Lantec
Reply #7 Thursday, May 11, 2006 8:00 PM
That would be me, Sir Lantec. It's the name of my website.
That's just sad.


I knew that. I was pokin fun because it IS the name of a website instead of the skinner. No harm intended. I'm a big fan of your work. I think Virtuality & Greeneyes would qualify also although they're not WB5 skins. They've both managed to stay on my machine for more than 3 years. Love to see both "updated"

Threi
Reply #8 Thursday, May 11, 2006 8:28 PM
azenis gets my vote for most functional skin.
stealthOS gets second place.

the rest i cant really use for long

Keikonium
Reply #9 Thursday, May 11, 2006 8:47 PM
Favourite

Aura - Mike B (if it were darker, less white, and a diff start button, I'd use it more).

VistaXP - KoL_ (I just love this skin ... it doesn't work with PJ64 tho ! Even excluding the program wont let it run.)

Most Funcational

StealthOS - Mike B (amazing... just amazing)

Artwork - Treetog (looks great once I made it not look blue lol. Really awesome skin)

TheGuyPC
Reply #10 Friday, May 12, 2006 5:41 PM
Pix Office and Blue Swirl are usually loaded on my computer.

Blue Swirl is my personal favorite.

Sea Hourse
Reply #11 Sunday, May 21, 2006 1:36 AM
It's really hard to pick one skin out of so many excellent ones. I find myself using a skin for a week or so and then changing it for another just to give everyone a chance. My favorite artist has to be Sabine Gessner. His works are just the opposite of so many dark WBs on this site. Lots of color, sometimes soft and other times not, and always a beautifully done start menu. His Puzzle WB is a classic example of a theme that brings a feeling of warmth and a smile. It's a 50/50 ice cream bar cut into pieces and reassembled. Blue Metallic is layers of movements and textures that merge into one another without losing substance. The guy (?) has great control of color, form, and functionality. I would love to see what he could do with a fireworks theme as we approach the 4th.

HunterKiller_
Reply #12 Sunday, May 21, 2006 2:19 AM
I've only used one and that's VistaXP by Kol. Great skin.
Too bad i can't see the full potential on trial.

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