ObjectDock Plus arrives on Friday!

Thursday, July 8, 2004 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News

ObjectDock is a freeware program that gives users the ability to easily manage their tasks and programs in a very slick way. It also supports plugins in the form of "docklets".

But...

Stardock has also been working on ObjectDock PLUS! The plus version features a ton of new features based off of our own use of ObjectDock and feedback from the thousands of ObjectDock users out there. Things that make ObjectDock Plus a very powerful yet simple program for turbo-charging your Windows desktop. 

Check out this preview to get an idea of what's coming.  ObjectDock Plus should be available in BETA form quite soon.  It will cost $19.95 for new users or $14.95 for current Object Desktop users.

 

ObjectDock Plus supports multiple docks on the desktop of different styles (tabbed and untabbed)

Tabbed docks can have the system tray in them. Hold down the left mouse button on a system tray item and you can change its image.

Taskbar items can be grouped together like the default Windows taskbar.

Docks can be moved to the edge and then docked where only the tabs show until the mouse goes over them. The size of tabs and docks are controlled from the easy to use configuration dialog.

Example of having multiple tabbed docks with just the tabs showing. 

Docks can be set up so that they're always on top (such as where the tabs show up on top of windows) or behave like normal windows that show up on top when you move your mouse to a specific position.

The tabs and dock backgrounds are skinnable. Use the ones in there or download more made by others. Change the color to any color you choose.

Organize your work as you like.

ObjectDock Plus supports Stardock fly-out menus (you have to see it in action to appreciate how cool this is). A great way to zip through graphic files drives, etc.

 

Manage your various docks through the ObjectDock Plus system tray item. Very straight forward to create and modify

131 Reply 8 Referrals
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Frogboy
Reply #21 Thursday, July 8, 2004 7:46 PM

The beta SHOULD be up tomorrow.  Anyone who purchases it will have access to it.


It should be pretty solid. We've been running it here for weeks on our office computers.


Frogboy
Reply #22 Thursday, July 8, 2004 7:48 PM
Oh and we have a ton of new features that will be part of the 1.x product that will come out over the coming months.  Some really cool stuff such as monkeying with workspaces, folder cabinets, more plugins, system tray fly out, etc.

GreySim
Reply #23 Thursday, July 8, 2004 7:57 PM
Folder cabinets?

(BTW, I'm buying this the MOMENT I have access to a friend's credit card tomorrow. GOOD STUFF.)

TaoX
Reply #24 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:02 PM
we can buy OD+? guess I stroll on over to the OD homepage and see whats up!

lsirrah
Reply #25 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:02 PM
I think that a Object Dock upgrade would be great! Whats $15? chump-change. I love Stardock but it really does cater to some complaining babies now and then. I enjoy those who can be a part of a solution rather than find something to wine about. Go Stardock! Go Object Dock Plus.

Intensityx
Reply #26 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:05 PM
Looks awesome Brad, I can't wait to replace my objectdock with this.

Just one request though... Please, Please, Please concider some how making the popup & context menus skinnable. I hate the old boring windows menus.


HermDog
Reply #27 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:06 PM
Check out https://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/ it's been updated, but the purchase link is not active yet!

smoke-tetsu
Reply #28 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:12 PM
Frogboy: Oh hey I just noticed you are using Royale. I thought you hated that skin.

Garoo
Reply #29 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:23 PM
Heh. I remember when Stardock bought CursorXP['s developer] and the excuse was "First, this is not software that was developed in-house Second, it's only eye-candy, ObjectDesktop is about helping productivity".

I guess Stardock got used to it, and now it's just "ODNT is a suite of _specific_ desktop enhancement utilities". Yeah, you might want to tell that to your webmaster, because objectdesktop.com says an ODNT subscription includes "all updates and new programs added to it you automatically get during that year". I know it doesn't say, and never said, "everything Stardock ever releases", but it's a far cry from "a suite of specific utilities".

Stardock had made up interesting excuses for CursorXP. They don't even bother now. No matter how good of a bargain ODNT is indeed, this feels greedy.



I wonder... If I bothered to look through Google and web-archive, maybe I could even find Frogboy stating that all productivity enhancement software Stardock would ever release (as opposed to games and eye-candy-only CursorXP) would be included in ODNT. Because that's really how I remember it.

Frogboy
Reply #30 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:29 PM

Last year Object Desktop added Keyboard LaunchPad and IconDeveloper both as totally new components.  If ObjectDock were to be part of Object Desktop we simply wouldn't have made it at all. We wouldn't have been able to afford it.


Attila
Reply #31 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:31 PM
So, to keep Stardock a profitable company and to justify charging for software, releasing desktop goodies outside of the ObjectDesktop realm is the modus operandi?

culverSE
Reply #32 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:35 PM
I'm sorry but I have to agree with what all Frogboy has said.

And at least as far as I've been around I've always understood that Object Desktop covered a specific set of components. The website (on the Information tab) clearly states the components that are part of the subscription. About the "all updates and new programs added to it" quote, well, it answers its own question. New programs added to it would have included IconDeveloper, because it was specifically added to Object Desktop, but the point here is Object Dock is not. It has never been hinted that it would be or that there would even be a Plus version until recently.

Some of you really need to understand this thing from a developers side of it. This is not greed, this is trying to recoup cost. (BTW I am not affiliated with Stardock this is just my ideas from a struggling student)

Keep up the good work Stardock and don't let things like this discourage future products.

And come on people, you don't have to buy it if you don't want to. You will still get FREE access to the plain version, which is still a GREAT piece of software.

Frogboy
Reply #33 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:36 PM

Yes.  (i.e. we have never implied that Object Desktop = everything Stardock makes). If a program fits into our Object Desktop vision and it's economcially viable to be part of it it'll be part of Object Desktop, otherwise it'll be on its own.


smoke-tetsu
Reply #34 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:40 PM
I really don't think a developer making a business of products should discontinue future products just because a couple of users. When I said I wis it could be added to Object Desktop it wasn't a demand or anything just like someone saying, "I wish for world peace". One can still dream right?

That being said I'll be here tomorrow to get this and I have been a subscriber to ODNT for a long time so I'm a supporter.

TaoX
Reply #35 Thursday, July 8, 2004 8:59 PM
lol.. this is all funny. Being an ex-developer myself, I know what kind of work goes into something like these products, especially to make them so compatible on so many different platforms. I hate paying for stuff as much as the next guy, but thats kind of how things work. Stardock makes a program, they choose to sell it, you choose the buy it. Pretty simple. I could also say its pretty greedy to say everything Stardock makes should be under ODNT. with so many killer apps in ODNT already, I've scratched my head at the price for years now. It IS the best deal in software.

GhoS
Reply #36 Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:03 PM
In my view OD+ adds significant features that warrant an added charge. I am amazed by some of the features added. I am eager to use the product as well. I used the freeware version but always found it limiting.
The price is in line for what I would expect, and certainly the increase in productivity is worth it as well.

CygnusXII
Reply #37 Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:06 PM
I think Attila has a point, and this News, Item is a perfect place for Him/Her to express H/H views. I have repurchased, Object Desktop, this is my second, Subscription. Sometimes, I feel like this is Gracenote all over again. Don't get me wrong, in the end it is Brads', Company and He is free to do what he wants, and will do so, and if you want the Plus Version, you can Pony up to the Bar, and puchase it, or Not. You can exercise your ideals by using your $$$ as your influence. I am sure, if that enough revenue is not garnered, by selling OD+ as a standalone, some other arrangement will have to be made, to make it a productive IP Item. It's a shame, that the Object Desktop, users' are made to feel like they are getting niggled, to death. Oh, Well!
That's the way the Cookie Crumbles.

Frogboy
Reply #38 Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:22 PM
Perhaps there's an opportunity here.  For instance, we could come up with a PowerUser package where for $99.95 the user does get all of our non-game software?

Frogboy
Reply #39 Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:23 PM

BTW, here's a blog I wrote on this issue that gives the developer side of this:


http://draginol.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=20541


 


8-bitBear
Reply #40 Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:37 PM
Will this have a trial version, much like windowblinds & iconpackager do? I think it would help to promote the item for those of us who may be interested in objectdock plus, but who are unsure of it's preformance and features. I know for a fact that had windowblinds not had a trial version, I would still be using the uxtheme patcher to use msstyles instead.

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