Quality and Usefullness of Skins
Thursday, July 12, 2001 by tcmiller | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Lately I've been looking close at several skins because I use WindowsBlinds and Winstep at my work. I like smooth looking skins, such as those from Treetog and Essorant.
They have created very smooth looking skins.
But, I miss some additional functionality in a lot of the skins, such as a clock in the windows (see SymbiOS) etc.
Furthermore, some skins have little cosmetic problems, specialy those with rounded corners, or using them with PhotoShop Buttons.
Sometimes I feel the need of changing some of the skins, but I switch so often, it would become a daily job to do that.
My cry for help:
Could some of you excellent skinners please look at adding extra functionality to the skins, because it's no longer the home user that is interested in using skinning software.
Regards,
Kees Mulder
E-Business Manager SwetsBlackwell
(PS: can anyone make a skin based on our website?, both WB and NS)
They have created very smooth looking skins.
But, I miss some additional functionality in a lot of the skins, such as a clock in the windows (see SymbiOS) etc.
Furthermore, some skins have little cosmetic problems, specialy those with rounded corners, or using them with PhotoShop Buttons.
Sometimes I feel the need of changing some of the skins, but I switch so often, it would become a daily job to do that.
My cry for help:
Could some of you excellent skinners please look at adding extra functionality to the skins, because it's no longer the home user that is interested in using skinning software.
Regards,
Kees Mulder
E-Business Manager SwetsBlackwell
(PS: can anyone make a skin based on our website?, both WB and NS)
kenray
Reply #7 Thursday, July 12, 2001 2:39 PM
Reply #7 Thursday, July 12, 2001 2:39 PM
i think a skinset based on your website would be a wonderful advertisement and branding tool. anyone with a 3 digit IQ should be able to adequately explain that to the board members.
i would bet a nice opening offer of 2000 dollars would get you treetog or essorant, and if they wont, then you might get alex.
of course, they might want a bit more for all those extra functions, but hey, once you paid, everyone in the company would be on it, and it would pay for itself in increased productivity...
i would bet a nice opening offer of 2000 dollars would get you treetog or essorant, and if they wont, then you might get alex.
of course, they might want a bit more for all those extra functions, but hey, once you paid, everyone in the company would be on it, and it would pay for itself in increased productivity...
T-Man
Reply #8 Thursday, July 12, 2001 4:25 PM
Reply #8 Thursday, July 12, 2001 4:25 PM
T-Man thinks Kenray has been peaking at Stardock's business plans. 
thecat2000
Reply #9 Thursday, July 12, 2001 4:34 PM
Reply #9 Thursday, July 12, 2001 4:34 PM
Wow I was approched about this by some Lady a while ago, who wanted what kmulder wants. I felt it was right to point her to more experienced members in the society so asked her to contact Dangeruss. but Often wonder how she got on ! [Damn..Would have been a nce opportunty to sell my skills though I guess.] Oh well.. Some you gain some you loose 
DavidK
Reply #10 Thursday, July 12, 2001 5:27 PM
Reply #10 Thursday, July 12, 2001 5:27 PM
I've already aproached (and been approached by) companies to do just that. We were going to do an intranet browser and skin design for a company with a medium sized network.
I thought it was such a good idea I got a guy interested in backing a venture to 'brand' networks with WB, and a custom browser.
That was a year ago and we're talking about it
kmulder - I've got two skins here with the clock and winamp controls, Document and Chrometube. Maybe Document would work for you, it's pretty subdued...
I thought it was such a good idea I got a guy interested in backing a venture to 'brand' networks with WB, and a custom browser.
That was a year ago and we're talking about it
kmulder - I've got two skins here with the clock and winamp controls, Document and Chrometube. Maybe Document would work for you, it's pretty subdued...
DavidK
Reply #11 Thursday, July 12, 2001 5:31 PM
Reply #11 Thursday, July 12, 2001 5:31 PM
kmulder - you could set a skin that has all the controls you want as a pre-app on something you could leave on the desktop, and then when you change skins you'll still have the one with the controls there.
tcmiller
Reply #12 Friday, July 13, 2001 4:34 AM
Reply #12 Friday, July 13, 2001 4:34 AM
thank you all for the replies.
To recap;
First, the note on a skin based on our website was more or less a impulsive addition to the message. I understand that payment might be in order, but it not just getting a skin in, it will also implies several changes in the infrastructure of my company.
Second:
The Quality and Unsefullness.
Difficult to answer some of the remarks.
Maybe I can expand the discussion.
Take DesktopX and ObjectBar. By them selves beautiful solutions, but, getting them to work the way I (and I think many others) want them to is to hard. I have my own programs, settings etc. and the themes usually don't include those programs I use. Adding them to a theme is not easy unless you really know how to work the DesktopX and such.
Same, but easier, for WB and NS. My desktop has reservered areas at the top and bottom. The top hold the NS taskbar and the bottom contains the WS tabs and WS clock. I always change every skin with the maxbordercut settings. And sometimes the bmp for the ws clock.
So what do I realy want to say. I enjoy these products, I love the way I can change my look and feel. But as with every program/tool etc., I don't use them for fun, I need them to support my work (both professionaly and private). Therefor I prefer a bit more usefullness into these skins, such that, besides looking nice, they add that extra.
Last, but maybe for a different tread, using skins does noticably slower my computer. I sometimes disable all skinning programs because I need to have more speed.
Therefor, additional functionality may compensate the decrease in speed (I know, more functionality will also have inpact on speed).
Regards to you all, and no hard feelings. I kind of like these discussions.
Kees Mulder
To recap;
First, the note on a skin based on our website was more or less a impulsive addition to the message. I understand that payment might be in order, but it not just getting a skin in, it will also implies several changes in the infrastructure of my company.
Second:
The Quality and Unsefullness.
Difficult to answer some of the remarks.
Maybe I can expand the discussion.
Take DesktopX and ObjectBar. By them selves beautiful solutions, but, getting them to work the way I (and I think many others) want them to is to hard. I have my own programs, settings etc. and the themes usually don't include those programs I use. Adding them to a theme is not easy unless you really know how to work the DesktopX and such.
Same, but easier, for WB and NS. My desktop has reservered areas at the top and bottom. The top hold the NS taskbar and the bottom contains the WS tabs and WS clock. I always change every skin with the maxbordercut settings. And sometimes the bmp for the ws clock.
So what do I realy want to say. I enjoy these products, I love the way I can change my look and feel. But as with every program/tool etc., I don't use them for fun, I need them to support my work (both professionaly and private). Therefor I prefer a bit more usefullness into these skins, such that, besides looking nice, they add that extra.
Last, but maybe for a different tread, using skins does noticably slower my computer. I sometimes disable all skinning programs because I need to have more speed.
Therefor, additional functionality may compensate the decrease in speed (I know, more functionality will also have inpact on speed).
Regards to you all, and no hard feelings. I kind of like these discussions.
Kees Mulder
craeonics
Reply #13 Friday, July 13, 2001 6:29 AM
Reply #13 Friday, July 13, 2001 6:29 AM
I'm just an eyecandy nut. Speed penalties mean little to me. Unless ofcourse the app grinds my computer to a halt (winamp3 comes to mind), but I do not feel te need to compensate it with added functionality. Besides, I'm taking the easy going appraoch, so I'll be throwing all my clocks out of the window.
Jay-z2k
Reply #14 Friday, July 13, 2001 2:59 PM
Reply #14 Friday, July 13, 2001 2:59 PM
I would just add an important point which is the border size, I don't think a skin is really functional with 100 pixels borders because of too much features used (some of mine are a bit too big without lol), moreover when creating a skin you have to take care that windows will be resized, so you have some litmits in the available space for buttons too ! Just my opinion ...
! Just my opinion ...
thecat2000
Reply #15 Friday, July 13, 2001 4:04 PM
Reply #15 Friday, July 13, 2001 4:04 PM
Stardock has many of the programs you mentioned still in beta. this means obviously they are still under development, but I have to point out that speed issues have become better with each new beta of one of the given StarDock programs mentioned. desktop x and WindowBlinds and Objectbar have slight increases in loading speed and take less on resources. But running these programs all together wether it be a Desktop X/Windowblinds loaded toghether, or Object Desktop Running two applications etc..
All this means it will consume resources. At the end of the day Memory for your Pc does not go a miss in Windows either, as Windows enjoys huge ammounts of available memory. So get more physical memory, get your swap file tuned right too so it can 'swap Out' efficently enough and keep your PC running smoothly.
All this means it will consume resources. At the end of the day Memory for your Pc does not go a miss in Windows either, as Windows enjoys huge ammounts of available memory. So get more physical memory, get your swap file tuned right too so it can 'swap Out' efficently enough and keep your PC running smoothly.
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Reply #1 Thursday, July 12, 2001 3:50 AM