Retirement of Several Stardock Applications
Friday, August 2, 2013 by Island Dog | Discussion: Stardock Support General
Today we're announcing the retirement of DesktopX, Natural Desktop, and Aquarium Desktop 2009. They will no longer be available for purchase or trial download (in the case of DesktopX).
Existing customers of the individual products and current Object Desktop subscribers (where appropriate for DesktopX) will continue to have access to their registered downloads via their Stardock account. The apps will install and function as normal.
DesktopX themes will continue to be available from the gallery on WinCustomize.
Reply #3 Friday, August 2, 2013 8:26 AM
Worst summer ever. Now DX has up and died on me too.
R.I.P. DesktopX
Reply #4 Friday, August 2, 2013 8:29 AM
That's a shame, Natural Desktop I didn't know but DX...yeah. Even wanted to play with it....eventually. Ah well....nothing lasts forever. R.I.P DX. [e digicons]:'([/e]
Reply #5 Friday, August 2, 2013 9:19 AM
Anyone know which version of DX works the best right now? (I have access to all of them, including Pro.) I'm on windows 8, but have a system with 7 on it too. Thanks. ![]()
Reply #6 Friday, August 2, 2013 9:33 AM
I'm using 3.96 beta. In Config it will show as DX 4.0, in the About it will say Version 3.96. I use it for testing on XP, (remember XP?) 7,and 8. Avoid 3.5 and 4.01, They both have issues. Not sure about Pro, RnD would know for sure.
(I hear he's pretty smart for a Redneck)
Reply #7 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:02 AM
Thanks Wiz!, I'll wait for RnD's verdict on Pro before I install anything.![]()
Reply #8 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:09 AM
Oh well, had to happen at sometime. Would have been nice though to hear if any new applicatioins are being worked on, other than those trying to make Windows 8 look like Windows 7. I wonder if the community has Microsoft and Windows 8 to thank for this?
So Stardock, are we on the down escalator as far as desktop customizing is concerned? Just asking.
Reply #9 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:18 AM
I think, just like Windows, skinning is evolving, John. Adapt or die and all that.
Reply #10 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:31 AM
Quoting Philly0381, reply 8are we on the down escalator as far as desktop customizing is concerned? More like an elevator, it's going to have its ups and downs.
I think, just like Windows, skinning is evolving, John. Adapt or die and all that.
I could live with that approach Wizard if that indeed was the case. Like most folks I'm just hanging around to hear some encouraging news from Stardock.
Reply #11 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:44 AM
The ultimate in desktop skinning is WindowBlinds, and continues to keep going with the recent WindowBlinds 8.
DesktopX was mainly popular with widgets and such, and that market really disappeared when XP became legacy.
Reply #12 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:46 AM
Anyone know which version of DX works the best right now? (I have access to all of them, including Pro.) I'm on windows 8, but have a system with 7 on it too. Thanks.
I use DesktopX 4 Pro beta (3.96). It works pretty much flawlessly for me, Bryan.
Reply #13 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:52 AM

Reply #14 Friday, August 2, 2013 10:58 AM
WB skinning has slowed to a crawl, icon packages, suites, logons, etc.
As far as I know, we can't skin Start8's start menu, short of making a full fledged WB, what's gonna happen to skinning?
It looks like nearing the end of the skinning era. I thought 8 would revive skinning. Guess not.
Reply #15 Friday, August 2, 2013 11:05 AM
Reply #17 Friday, August 2, 2013 11:26 AM
Makes no sense to make anything other than gadgets now.
Reply #20 Friday, August 2, 2013 9:30 PM
I wish I had known ahead of time!
I would have purchased DesktopX Pro so I could make gadgets!
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Reply #1 Friday, August 2, 2013 8:10 AM
The only "intelligent" apps Stardock ever had were Desktop X and Natural Desktop. Nobody cared enough to update them. Why? They are not children's games.