My two cents on Stardock.............
Friday, July 6, 2007 by CATMANDU21 | Discussion: Animated Wallpapers
In my opinion, Stardock's out of control on the Premium Dream pricing scheme. The real reason this site is hot is because of the free submissions made by aspiring artists who frequent this site like TheMasterBaron, AzDude and others who have really brought Stardock's Dream Site area all of the hype it has and have also saved Microsoft's butts. Stardock's Premium Dreams have had little impact on the overall success of Dreamscene's, if anything Stardock and Microsoft are riding the coattails of all of Stardock's free submitters. Also realize that if the free users stopped submitting, Stardock would be dead in the water on Dreamscenes. Stardock shouldn't have any premium Dreamscenes, they should be free contributions for all the hits and revenue their users produce. They can charge for Object Desktop, Windowsblinds and the rest of their 100+ other products they have for sale on their site. Just to add, my opinion on why Stardock is charging is because Microsoft made things much harder for Stardock with Vista. In the XP days, Stardock brought Vista-like interface changes to the table. In that era, Stardock cornered the market on GUI customization. Today, things aren't so rosy. Vista performs many of Stardock's Object Desktop features natively, leaving Stardock to find new ways to make money. Understand Stardock's days are numbered in the GUI customiztion business. As OS's get prettier with age like Vista and MacOS, Stardock's software can now be considered "bloatware" and a waste of precious RAM and processor time.
Also, isn't Stardock getting any Microsoft kickbacks being that Dreamscenes and Deskscapes/Dreammaker are collaborative efforts as they work into one another, I mean Stardock has bailed Microsoft out on what would have been a pathetic release with only 10+ dreams available from Microsoft when Stardock currently brought over 200 more Dreams to the table? Finally, if you purchase any of these Premium Dreams, you'll have to activate this product, a little overboard for a $10 wallpaper. Even better, if your system should fail and you are reinstalling Windows and you don't take backup images like a friend of mine who purchased one, then chances are your going to have to call/e-mail Stardock to reactivate your Premium Dream as this activation is paying attention to your SID's when activated to prevent piracy so a reinstall or sysprep would force reactivation, yuck! Saddest part, after the paying customer has all these hoops to jump through, I can guarantee crackers have already infiltrated the activation so in the end the guy paying the $10 feels like, um..........
Hopefully, Stardock's work in the GUI business will not be in vain, leading to a buyout or takeover by Microsoft being that your GUI enhancement's have influenced Vista greatly. In the end Stardock could take over the GUI development portion of the next Windows OS after Vista, which would buy Stardock more time in the game. Some may say it's crazy, but look at the Winternals acquisition. Winternals showed Microsoft how to use System Restore and make it work. They also introduced Microsoft as well as BartPE, UBCD and Reatogo to the bootable Windows environment, which changed the face of Vista as alot of Winternals ERCD's features are integrated into Vista's install DVD. Business constantly changes and evolves, eventually Stardock's position in the market will change drastically, hopefully for the better!!
Also, isn't Stardock getting any Microsoft kickbacks being that Dreamscenes and Deskscapes/Dreammaker are collaborative efforts as they work into one another, I mean Stardock has bailed Microsoft out on what would have been a pathetic release with only 10+ dreams available from Microsoft when Stardock currently brought over 200 more Dreams to the table? Finally, if you purchase any of these Premium Dreams, you'll have to activate this product, a little overboard for a $10 wallpaper. Even better, if your system should fail and you are reinstalling Windows and you don't take backup images like a friend of mine who purchased one, then chances are your going to have to call/e-mail Stardock to reactivate your Premium Dream as this activation is paying attention to your SID's when activated to prevent piracy so a reinstall or sysprep would force reactivation, yuck! Saddest part, after the paying customer has all these hoops to jump through, I can guarantee crackers have already infiltrated the activation so in the end the guy paying the $10 feels like, um..........
Hopefully, Stardock's work in the GUI business will not be in vain, leading to a buyout or takeover by Microsoft being that your GUI enhancement's have influenced Vista greatly. In the end Stardock could take over the GUI development portion of the next Windows OS after Vista, which would buy Stardock more time in the game. Some may say it's crazy, but look at the Winternals acquisition. Winternals showed Microsoft how to use System Restore and make it work. They also introduced Microsoft as well as BartPE, UBCD and Reatogo to the bootable Windows environment, which changed the face of Vista as alot of Winternals ERCD's features are integrated into Vista's install DVD. Business constantly changes and evolves, eventually Stardock's position in the market will change drastically, hopefully for the better!!
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messiah1
Reply #2 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:23 PM
Jafo cuts to the quick...hehe.
Reply #2 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:23 PM
Ah....with a budget of 2 cents and a research time of 4 weeks we have an in-depth expose of the life and times of Stardock, Animated wallpapers, website dynamics/viability and Market costings....
Just imagine what could be achieved with twice the budget
Just imagine what could be achieved with twice the budget
Jafo cuts to the quick...hehe.
HG_Eliminator
Reply #3 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:40 PM
Reply #3 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:40 PM
I know the common misconception is that $10 they got for that dream was like lottery winnnings and now their totally wealthy beyond belief.(I want a Porsche Brad) 
..reality is the $10 bought the dream but after splitting it with the employees and the mortgage co. and the elec co. and the guys who supply the servers, and the bandwith costs from an isp,etc. the $10 dont go very far...I pay more than that on lunch...
yes yes free is great and all but good will and great intention's dont pay the light bill....
NOT to mention many of the Artists who delve out that free stuff you like so much, are employed by SD....
..reality is the $10 bought the dream but after splitting it with the employees and the mortgage co. and the elec co. and the guys who supply the servers, and the bandwith costs from an isp,etc. the $10 dont go very far...I pay more than that on lunch...yes yes free is great and all but good will and great intention's dont pay the light bill....
NOT to mention many of the Artists who delve out that free stuff you like so much, are employed by SD....
c242
Reply #4 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:42 PM
Best joke I read for a while. You definately have no clue what Stardock soft can do.
Aero is nice for a while, but even with the styles engine cracked again (there is a patch that works) I still fail to see any styles for it that don't look like aero... Looking at the WindowBlinds styles fo WB, well I am free to have a lot of different styles.
Switched off the sidebar also because it is a resource hog after a while compared to DesktopX gadgets and although there are some nice gadgets for the sidebar, they miserably fail if something is not exactly like expected (Mail gadgets for example crash the whole sidebar when You are not connected to the internet...)
I don't see something like ObjectDock in the native system nor something to change my whole icons systemwide like with IconPackager.
Dreamscenes for example even makes the beta MS gave us more usable than the final will ever be... Also I fail to see any free available interactive dreams in the quality the purchase ones are.
Should I go on ???
Reply #4 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:42 PM
Vista performs many of Stardock's Object Desktop features natively
Best joke I read for a while. You definately have no clue what Stardock soft can do.Aero is nice for a while, but even with the styles engine cracked again (there is a patch that works) I still fail to see any styles for it that don't look like aero... Looking at the WindowBlinds styles fo WB, well I am free to have a lot of different styles.
Switched off the sidebar also because it is a resource hog after a while compared to DesktopX gadgets and although there are some nice gadgets for the sidebar, they miserably fail if something is not exactly like expected (Mail gadgets for example crash the whole sidebar when You are not connected to the internet...)
I don't see something like ObjectDock in the native system nor something to change my whole icons systemwide like with IconPackager.
Dreamscenes for example even makes the beta MS gave us more usable than the final will ever be... Also I fail to see any free available interactive dreams in the quality the purchase ones are.
Should I go on ???
HG_Eliminator
Reply #6 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:57 PM
Reply #6 Friday, July 6, 2007 12:57 PM
you will find the Computer customization world is a pretty tight group.(expecially here at WC) we are like family and we support each other on many levels. SD has since the beginning treated the artist's and customers like family and in that have won our respect and loyalty. The mere pittance they ask for on only a few dreams is nothing toward the mass costs of running a site that offers huge amounts of free skins.
just my 2 cents worth.....
just my 2 cents worth.....
Philly0381
Reply #7 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:08 PM
Reply #7 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:08 PM
Someone has a whole lot of time on their hands, and maybe running low on meds, and is probably retired! Wait a minute, I'm retired, strike that last part. 
Wait a minute, I'm retired, strike that last part. 
GH33DA
Reply #8 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:13 PM
Reply #8 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:13 PM
Don't we have a tons of these threads already?
Maybe we should just merge them all together?
Maybe we should just merge them all together?
HG_Eliminator
Reply #9 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:24 PM
Reply #9 Friday, July 6, 2007 1:24 PM
yes but " the end is near" threads are the most fun...well at least we got our monthly end of days prediction out of the way early...
Snowman
Reply #10 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:15 PM
Reply #10 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:15 PM
Stardock's software can now be considered "bloatware" and a waste of precious RAM and processor time.
I honestly think it's time for you to upgrade from that VIC-20 thingy of yours.....
ZubaZ
Reply #11 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:16 PM
Snowy!!!!
Reply #11 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:16 PM
I honestly think it's time for you to upgrade from that VIC-20 thingy of yours.....
Snowy!!!!
NightTrainthedark
Reply #12 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:19 PM
Prove to me that subby isn't really an alias of someone called out in the article and I'll get you that Porsche.
wrong...next?
the guy paying $10 feels like, um...... A satisfied customer in most cases... a great supporter of a hobby that MANY find quite enjoying........like he feels whenever he pays for something...pooorer.......oh, you meant feels like an idiot. I guess your an idiot if you ever pay for something.
nm me..recovering from surgery and the meds are fantastic.
Reply #12 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:19 PM
(I want a Porsche Brad)
Prove to me that subby isn't really an alias of someone called out in the article and I'll get you that Porsche.
Stardock's software can now be considered "bloatware" and a waste of precious RAM and processor time.
wrong...next?
I can guarantee crackers have already infiltrated the activation so in the end the guy paying the $10 feels like, um..........
the guy paying $10 feels like, um...... A satisfied customer in most cases... a great supporter of a hobby that MANY find quite enjoying........like he feels whenever he pays for something...pooorer.......oh, you meant feels like an idiot. I guess your an idiot if you ever pay for something.
nm me..recovering from surgery and the meds are fantastic.
Fuzzy Logic
Reply #13 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:19 PM
Reply #13 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:19 PM
Well, guess that's it then. Better go out and slash my wrists now (you'll be getting a bill for my carpets cleaning).
MSethWeisberg
Reply #15 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:42 PM
Reply #15 Friday, July 6, 2007 2:42 PM
Well,
Since I have been using stardock products for almost 6 years now, things have only gotten better. WB 5 on vista is great, I can't wait for version 6. As for ram/cpu useage, I say 650K/o% isn't much. As for everything else, well there is objectdock, logonvista, dx3.5, iconpackager, and a couple of others. None of which can be done out of the box with vista.
Say what you want but things are moving along nicely. Plus from the leaks that Brad has given us, OD 2008 will be a huge step up on vista.
Since I have been using stardock products for almost 6 years now, things have only gotten better. WB 5 on vista is great, I can't wait for version 6. As for ram/cpu useage, I say 650K/o% isn't much. As for everything else, well there is objectdock, logonvista, dx3.5, iconpackager, and a couple of others. None of which can be done out of the box with vista.
Say what you want but things are moving along nicely. Plus from the leaks that Brad has given us, OD 2008 will be a huge step up on vista.
Skinhit
Reply #16 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:10 PM
Reply #16 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:10 PM
Sheez people.....why dont we just take him outside and beat the shit out of him
BigDogBigFeet
Reply #17 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:15 PM
Reply #17 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:15 PM
Um, If you don't want to pay for something then don't buy it and don't steal it. The free market economy will prevail just like it always does.
ZubaZ
Reply #18 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:20 PM
We may have been a little rough, but look.:
Live and learn.
Reap what you sow,
The post could have generated some open, interesting discussion if not presented the way it was. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Reply #18 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:20 PM
Sheez people.....why dont we just take him outside and beat the shit out of him
are we allowed to do that?We may have been a little rough, but look.:
- The account was only created a month ago.
- The poster criticized with very little knowledge.
- Zoomba is on vacation and can't make us stop.
Live and learn.
Reap what you sow,
The post could have generated some open, interesting discussion if not presented the way it was. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Skinhit
Reply #19 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:27 PM
i still like this idea
Reply #19 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:27 PM
why dont we just take him outside and beat the shit out of him
i still like this idea
ZubaZ
Reply #20 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:31 PM
Reply #20 Friday, July 6, 2007 3:31 PM
EDIT: Please inser winks and smiles where you think appropriate in reply #18. I couldn't decide where I was being funny or sarcastic. I trust you all to use your own judgment.
Extra points for finding the secret
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Extra points for finding the secret
location.
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Reply #1 Friday, July 6, 2007 11:58 AM
Ah....with a budget of 2 cents and a research time of 4 weeks we have an in-depth expose of the life and times of Stardock, Animated wallpapers, website dynamics/viability and Market costings....
Just imagine what could be achieved with twice the budget....