Downsize Brad!

The Magic Suite!

Friday, October 12, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News

I should be downsized. Those bastards at Stardock should downsize me.  When I was in my 20s, I was able to get so much done it was crazy.

Some people spend hours a day playing World of Warcraft or other such things.  That's the kind of person I am.  Ever see the South Park episode of World of Warcraft where the kids are playing against this griefer who lives on his computer?  That was me in my 20s and early 30s. Except I wasn't playing games.  I was writing them and skinning and working to create desktop enhancement software.

But now I'm 36 and have 3 kids.  You should see my 1 year old girl. She's so cute.  She owns me and my two sons.  And my wife and I find ourselves spending increasing amounts of time being parents.  Which has slowed my work time down considerably. 

Where I used to be able to do 84 hours a week easily (and it's really not hard to do that - it's just 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don't scoff, think of all the MMO players who do that sort of thing and pay for the privilege to do it).  Now, I'm lucky to do 60 hours a week.  That's a net loss of 14 hours each week

Needless to say, it greatly reduces my productivity. So I'm in the process of bringing my successors up to speed. People who can pick up some of the things I used to do.  You already see Zoomba and Island Dog all over.  They have taken over a lot of the stuff I used to do on WinCustomize and elsewhere. 

One of the places my reduced productivity has affected people is in the Magic Suite.  It's a premium suite we're giving away to Object Desktop users who have renewed until past January 1, 2009.

Here's some screenshots of it running on my desktop:

Like it? I sure do. But the gadgets are missing. Why? Because on Windows Vista, the UAC causes problems for gadget deployment from a suite. We're working on it but it's going to require an update in one of our programs. It's a pain in the butt.

So as you can see, it's almost done. But it's not quite there yet.  But it will totally rock when it's done.  Our ETA is about another week.

But much of the hold up has been my fault because there's a lot of coordination in this particular suite and I am the one doing the coordination and I budgeted my time based on what I've historically worked.  So we're on it. It's coming.  It totally rocks. Stay tuned!

First Previous Page 2 of 2 Next Last
AzDude
Reply #21 Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:33 AM
I renewed ! sooooo it's FREE , oh my   

this is a Suite just beggin' for a Screenie !!   
PhrozenMenace
Reply #22 Saturday, October 13, 2007 12:50 PM
That's not fair, I just updated OD and it'd only until Oct 2008.

will you give a 3 month grace period?
thats the same situation with me dwax

Frogboy
Reply #23 Saturday, October 13, 2007 2:34 PM
You can renew your Object Desktop subscription as many times as you want. It adds a year to the end date.
dwax
Reply #24 Saturday, October 13, 2007 4:55 PM
Frogboy said.

You can renew your Object Desktop subscription as many times as you want. It adds a year to the end date.


But I can't afford another update,sure there are others like me too.

ZubaZ
Reply #25 Saturday, October 13, 2007 4:59 PM
Stardockians have to eat too. 
CerebroJD
Reply #26 Saturday, October 13, 2007 5:59 PM
Brad doesnt... work, play with kids, sleep.
PhrozenMenace
Reply #27 Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:57 PM
You can renew your Object Desktop subscription as many times as you want. It adds a year to the end date.
not really about extending it as many times as you want..its about extending it at a certain time and then something like this happens

DieHard4
Reply #28 Sunday, October 14, 2007 7:35 PM
My OD account will be epxired in Oct 2008. If I renew it now and past Oct 2009, will I become a Elite member of OD and get the Magic Suite, won't I?  
HG_Eliminator
Reply #29 Monday, October 15, 2007 12:17 AM
I eat while workin and while at play,,,now if i could just master the "while sleeping" thing .. il really be productive...or just fat...
ZubaZ
Reply #30 Monday, October 15, 2007 8:24 AM
If I renew it now and past Oct 2009, will I become a Elite member of OD and get the Magic Suite, won't I?
Yes
Kroogz
Reply #31 Monday, October 15, 2007 4:06 PM
Oh man!!! Mine expires 12-28-2008!!!!
I missed this by 4 DAYS!!!!!!!
Bummer!
Kroogz
Reply #32 Monday, October 15, 2007 4:07 PM
LOL I guess I will have to extend it!!!
PuterDudeJim
Reply #33 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:23 PM
gots to spend time with the kids..but i regret renewing my subscription


I am, as Mike at Stardock Support knows all too well, very impatient about most things...lol. This includes the upcoming Magic Suite. But I would have renewed later anyway, why not do so sooner to get the freebie? How could anyone regret renewing? I don't own a computer, I own a Stardock Box! ( For lack of a better title...suggestions welcome...lol. ) I seriously don't know what I'd do without my Stardock Programs. Stardock Rocks!!! ( So do Frogboys! )   
PuterDudeJim
Reply #34 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:26 PM
I say go spend time with the young'uns Brad. I lost my kids at less than 1 year old and there's not a day that passes that I don't regret not having spent more time with them.
Jafo
Reply #35 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 6:34 PM

One thing I always knew about Frogboy was he always had a squillion irons in the fire....running around like a headless chook.... and several other metaphors.....

It's the number one reason I try my bestest not to pester/annoy him with trivialities re happenings on Wincustomize.

Ergo....

We 'never' speak....

It'd be great if there were more hours in a day.  Hitting the hay often at 3.am only to be up again and 'at it' by 7-8 ....it's a killa....

 

PuterDudeJim
Reply #36 Thursday, October 18, 2007 1:44 PM
this is a Suite just beggin' for a Screenie !!


Beggin' for a DX Theme!!! LOL   
satanness
Reply #37 Friday, January 4, 2008 8:54 AM
Er...a little disappointed...
ZubaZ
Reply #38 Friday, January 4, 2008 9:13 AM
Er...a little disappointed...
In Brad or something else?
cyt622
Reply #39 Thursday, January 10, 2008 8:21 AM
LOVE iT........

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