ObjectDock 0.99 released

Sunday, August 24, 2003 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News

Stardock has released an update to its popular freeware dock program -- ObjectDock.

ObjectDock 0.99 (still in beta) is a program that combines task managing and program launching into a single "dock" that can be placed anywhere on the screen and customized to look and feel very differently from system to system.

Docks are a powerful UI convention made popular first on NeXTStep and later found on other OSes such as OS/2 and more recently MacOS X.

ObjectDock 0.99 is a significant departure from past versions as Stardock has begun to try to take the dock on its own path.  Apple recently shut down development of a popular dock program called y'Z dock which closely emulated the MacOS X "Aqua" dock.  Stardock intends ObjectDock to stand on its own with the goal of being the most versatile and customizeable dock available to meet a wide variety of user goals.

New in version 0.99 is:

+ Docklets. Users can now create their own docklets to put on the dock. Docklets are basically plugins that can display informatiom (weather, time, disk space, RSS feeds, etc.).

+ Dock item backgrounds. You can now control what the background of a dock item looks like.

+ A host of new effects for the attention animation (i.e. say an instant message has arrived, the IM icon can bounce or spin or rock).

+ Suport for attention items. When a running task is on, a graphic shows up under the icon letting you know it's in use.

+ Control of whether a new instance or existing instance of a program should be launched when a program is clicked on.

+ Lots of polish and performance tweaks to make it faster and easier to use.

+ Reduced memory usage

Stardock expects to release ObjectDock 1.0 in September as a freeware program. Stardock also makes the popular desktop extension suite, Object Desktop which can be found here: (www.objectdesktop.com).

You can download ObjectDock at www.objectdock.com.

27 Reply 6 Referrals
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LStatie
Reply #1 Sunday, August 24, 2003 3:26 PM
This version of OD is amazing, thank you for the nice features and improvements. Only 2 things left to make this program perfect. The program somethimes looses it's Z-order and other programs will show on top of it even though it is configured to be "Always-On Top". The program does not detect the command prompt being launched, although it will detect the command prompt being closed. But even with these issues, OD really helps out with my productivity and need for eye candy in my daily work. Thank you for this great program

sig101
Reply #2 Sunday, August 24, 2003 4:11 PM
I've rarely used this program but I think it's great that Stardock is still working on improving it and providing it to anyone who wants it. I'll check it out. Anyway, kudos to SD!

raphael_boneli
Reply #3 Sunday, August 24, 2003 5:39 PM
Great... but YZ stills better...

Something to improve, and then, maybe, i will change for ObjectDock:

- Option to open "minimized" or "maximized". I hate to have to maximize my Corel every time i open it.
- Someway to put the dock "always on bottom"... but it come to top when you hit the botton of the screen (just like YZ does) without the "Out hide";
- "Add Separator" option.

Grfx Guru
Reply #4 Sunday, August 24, 2003 7:59 PM
Great update, but can anyone tell me how to remove an animation object from the bar? I put the sample one on the bar and cannot find a way to remove it. When I choose dock item properties it just gives me the option to choose another image

Still great progression on this little app I think!

ALMonty
Reply #5 Sunday, August 24, 2003 8:12 PM
Grfx Guru I did the same thing. Just drag it off your dock and drop it on your desktop.

The animated object is cool,so is there a way to link to a program?

emtp563
Reply #6 Sunday, August 24, 2003 9:44 PM
Great update Jeff. However, I agree with one of the comments below: "Someway to put the dock "always on bottom"... but it come to top when you hit the botton of the screen (just like YZ does) without the "Out hide"" Add this option and you will have me using OD over Y'z. This is the only thing that annoys me with OD.

nottie_
Reply #7 Sunday, August 24, 2003 9:54 PM
Is anyone only being able to download the old version? well i assume its the old version at stardock it says file size 4.67MB but the file it downloads is only 3.66MB and after i install it it still appears to be the old version 0.95 build 215 and there is no new features in the options window so i assume its the old version i have cleared my internet cache in case that is the problem but still no go and at download.com it only lists the old version aswell when i do a search for it. any got a idea how to get the new version cos i love this program and want the new version

MDonoughe
Reply #8 Monday, August 25, 2003 12:17 AM
Try downloading from the link on Wincustomize. Stardock Central still has the old version.

nottie_
Reply #9 Monday, August 25, 2003 12:26 AM
I tryed from both but stardock has got new one up now so all is good me have it now thankyou and must say like the new features.

Grfx Guru
Reply #10 Monday, August 25, 2003 12:45 AM
MontyXP..........now why didn't I think of that *doh*

Thanks.

Urban1
Reply #11 Monday, August 25, 2003 8:25 AM
great, it is bad only that i can't make the weather work where i live

AmericanCbass
Reply #12 Monday, August 25, 2003 8:50 AM
Grfx Guru, to remove that animation icon, just simply click and drag it off of the ObjectDock. It should poof! and disappear. Otherwise, I would like to thank Stardock for the great improvements in this version of the program..

Mordalo
Reply #13 Monday, August 25, 2003 10:21 AM
Why is it, when I try to download OD 0.99, it keeps telling me it's version 0.95?

PixelPirate
Reply #14 Monday, August 25, 2003 10:21 AM
New features added, some new compared to the other two docks - Y'z and Moby. The new effects when you click an icon are great. Hopefully more will be developed for 1.0, like a twirl-spin or something. The magnification mode is now OK, I've had my difficulties with it in 0.90 and 0.95, but they work for me now. Docklets aren't new to those who use Y'z or Moby, but now it's implemented. I hope (and guess) we'll have a new section here at WinCustomize: ObjectDock docklets, that the users create themselves. There's still no support of adding several separators on the dock. Y'z have that feature. I have an idea that expands the eyecandy: how about a poof menu? I've remade the poof in Y'z dock to ObjectDock, you'll have to call it poof.png, and put it in the ObjectDock folder OVERWRITING the existing file. It could be fun with different poofs... I don't dig the panther that comes with ObjectDock. Another thing that really bugs me is when you click an icon and you move your mouse away from the dock, the dock hides immediately. In Y'z dock you can set a disappear delay time 0 - 10 seconds i think, that enables the user to see the bounce animation when you click the icon and move the cursor away. My minor complaints ARE THE ONLY THING that still keeps me away from using ObjectDock. Y'z is still my fav because of better features. One small thing though - ObjectDock supports system shortcuts i.e. to the properties of the mouse (right click in control panel and create shortcut), Y'z don't and on top of it, it has been discontinued (thanks Apple). ObjectDock is the future, do you agree?

Mordalo
Reply #15 Monday, August 25, 2003 10:59 AM
Oops. Sorry. Didn't see the build info at first. My bad.

nocool
Reply #16 Monday, August 25, 2003 4:39 PM
I've been messing with this version and it's great, but bits of it show up in my OpenGL games and flicker on my screen.

John Hamp
Reply #17 Monday, August 25, 2003 6:26 PM
Y'z doesn't even support task lists. Does it even support icons? Last time I checked it only supported PNG which cuts you off from 99% of the good images out there. And Y'z is a total pig if you use more than a dozen icons. Y'z is just a program launcher.

ObjectDock has a ton more features than Y'z dock. ObjectDock ins't a 100% superset of the Y'z features but until Y'z dock has a bloody taskbar don't talk to me about how Y'z has more features.

DJ Joeymad
Reply #18 Monday, August 25, 2003 9:13 PM
I really hate how people have to say things like that Sir Hamster. No one is talking to you about how Y'z dock has more features. People are simply stating the things that they wish would be in OD, to others who want to read what they say. If you don't like it, don't read what they have to say. ObjectDock is a good program... same for Y'z dock and Moby Dock. If all features of all programs were put into one, no one would have a problem. That is still in progress, because one group can't simply copy the feature from one, and put it into the other. There is a process there, where they have to program it, and hope that they don't get sued for "copying the idea". And about how "Y'z is just a program launcher", isn't ObjectDock a program launcher too?!?!?! I quote from the ObjectDock website, "In short, it's a task bar and program launcher that does it with style."

Bushman
Reply #19 Monday, August 25, 2003 10:49 PM
Is any body else having problems like your system slowing down? I know it's OD because while I had it running everthing slowed down. Now I have a gig of memory so that's not a problem. When I shutdown OD the problem stopped. Is there any way of getting the last OD? I looked at the site but they only have the 99a version. Man it's always something.

jark
Reply #20 Tuesday, August 26, 2003 12:09 AM
need applet that will perform the same functions as kkmenu. that would rock. =D

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