Stardock targets this week for WindowBlinds 5.5
Vista version for registered users and Object Desktop users...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
WindowBlinds 5.5 has gone into final release candidate mode. WindowBlinds is the program that enables users to change the look and feel of the Windows GUI to whatever they'd like. Version 5.5 adds support for Windows Vista. This week, Stardock plans to release WindowBlinds 5.5 officially to Object Desktop users and registered users of WindowBlinds.
Making WindowBlinds work on Windows Vista was non-trivial. There were two challenges Stardock had to make WindowBlinds work on Vista.
The first challenge Stardock has faced with running WindowBlinds on Windows Vista is the most obvious -- there are over 5,000 skins already made for WindowBlinds. Since Windows Vista has a lot of new user interface parts, Stardock had to find a way to take skins designed for Windows XP and make them look native to Windows Vista. The result was a new technology called SmartSkinning(tm) which automatically converts pieces of a skin to be used on new controls.
The second challenge is making use of the new Desktop Window Manager (DWM) on Vista. Rather than simply "port" WindowBlinds onto Windows Vista, Stardock wanted to make sure that WindowBlinds made use of the new 3D accelerated desktop that Windows Vista users have. The result is that WindowBlinds 5.5 isn't just faster on Windows Vista (due to making use of some off-screen caching that Aero doesn't make use of) than Aero, it uses much less power. In a recent internal test involving Dell and Lenova laptops, a machine running WindowBlinds gained an extra 42 minutes in battery life over the one running Aero.
Along with working on WindowBlinds, Stardock has a new version of SkinStudio in development that makes it easier to create Windows Vista specific skins. A shareware version of WindowBlinds 5.5 will be made available later this month.
Reply #2 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:38 PM
Reply #3 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:53 PM
Reply #4 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 5:06 PM
Glad to hear it
Reply #5 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 5:08 PM
Can't wait for SkinStudio, I've got an itchy skinning finger 
Reply #7 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:42 PM
Can't wait for SkinStudio, I've got an itchy skinning finger
*warns small animals away from Fuzzy's house*
Reply #8 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:50 PM
Reply #10 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:20 PM
Reply #11 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:24 PM
Reply #12 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 11:00 PM
I imagine those two effects take up considerable resources and I think to fairly judge the performance gains that you get from using WindowBlinds you would need to use a skin that uses these, or similar, effects.
Reply #13 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 12:32 AM
Reply #15 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 5:47 AM
Good work Stardock!!
SGT
Reply #17 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 4:03 PM
Yes, the gaussian blur of things behind the glass is an awesome feature. (Thus, I'd say it's more akin to polycarbonate than glass.)
Would be wonderful if we could achieve that easily through SkinStudio.
Reply #18 Sunday, February 25, 2007 10:47 PM
Reply #19 Sunday, February 25, 2007 10:53 PM
If your a registered user of Windowblinds then go here and enter the email address you ordered under originally.
If you are not an Object Desktop Subscriber or a registered WB user, you will have to wait until the trial version is released.
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Reply #1 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:22 PM
One thing that seems to be forgotten is Font overrides.