WindowBlinds 4 features
Sunday, November 17, 2002 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
One of the debates we regularly have with regard to WindowBlinds is a classic argument:
Are we better off throwing in more features into the base product or breaking out new features into new programs?
Here's a good example: We can change IE toolbar icons and the throbber. You can do that with WebBlinds. But few people seem to use WebBlinds even though you could just use it to change the toolbar buttons and nothing else (with minimal system impact).
I tend to come from the school of thought of having more programs that do fewer things each to keep each one as small and tight as possible.
But that also opens up the door for the guy who says "Well, my program does X, Y, and Z in a single program."
So with WindowBlinds 4, we have ideas such as having the ability to skin the toolbar icons in IE and explorer and changing error messages and progress dialog animations and all sorts of pieces of Windows that many people take for granted as being unchangable.
But would we be better off breaking that sort of thing off into a seperate program (part of Object Desktop still of course) that does that and let WindowBlinds call that program to do its thing rather than have it integrated into WindowBlinds itself?
I could go either way on this. We really want to see toolbar icon changing in Windows become much more popular than it already has. That's the larger goal here.
Which path would you suggest?
Are we better off throwing in more features into the base product or breaking out new features into new programs?
Here's a good example: We can change IE toolbar icons and the throbber. You can do that with WebBlinds. But few people seem to use WebBlinds even though you could just use it to change the toolbar buttons and nothing else (with minimal system impact).
I tend to come from the school of thought of having more programs that do fewer things each to keep each one as small and tight as possible.
But that also opens up the door for the guy who says "Well, my program does X, Y, and Z in a single program."
So with WindowBlinds 4, we have ideas such as having the ability to skin the toolbar icons in IE and explorer and changing error messages and progress dialog animations and all sorts of pieces of Windows that many people take for granted as being unchangable.
But would we be better off breaking that sort of thing off into a seperate program (part of Object Desktop still of course) that does that and let WindowBlinds call that program to do its thing rather than have it integrated into WindowBlinds itself?
I could go either way on this. We really want to see toolbar icon changing in Windows become much more popular than it already has. That's the larger goal here.
Which path would you suggest?
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sig101
Reply #42 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:39 PM
Reply #42 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:39 PM
But guess what? There are many more W98sig101 boxes and users out there than W2K/XP. That's still a market for Stardock that generates income. Not from you, perhaps, but from others. And Stardock IMO has done an excellent job on making its apps compatible for a variety of MS OS's and hardware.
So Stardock evidently has decided to retain that market a while longer which is just smart business IMO. Lack of MS "support" for an OS really doesn't mean squat. The OS still functions and apps still run. Eventually those machines will be in the minority and phased out and apps are no longer designed for those OS's. But not quite just yet.
So Stardock evidently has decided to retain that market a while longer which is just smart business IMO. Lack of MS "support" for an OS really doesn't mean squat. The OS still functions and apps still run. Eventually those machines will be in the minority and phased out and apps are no longer designed for those OS's. But not quite just yet.
sig101
Reply #43 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:42 PM
Reply #43 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:42 PM
Now if I could only figure out how to get a colored font when I actually want to. 
Jafo
Reply #44 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:46 PM
Reply #44 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:46 PM
sig101....'/ me' without the space and quotes....hence your reference to what I would end up with....win98Jafo is going to do this...
sig101
Reply #47 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:00 PM
Reply #47 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:00 PM
sig101 Hmnnn. I wouldn't have guessed that. Thought it was some html thingy. Let's see.
sig101
Reply #48 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:02 PM
Reply #48 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:02 PM
sig101 wonders can we color the font without including our nic?
honz12
Reply #50 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:50 PM
Reply #50 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 6:50 PM
I'd have to say agree with Dangeruss on this one.
Seperate app, so that we can use the same icons set (our fav) with all types of skins, but still have the option to change the icons to suit the skin better.
Seperate app, so that we can use the same icons set (our fav) with all types of skins, but still have the option to change the icons to suit the skin better.
bakerstreet
Reply #52 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 7:09 PM
Reply #52 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 7:09 PM
Jafo sez "Your first language is 'English'"
ummmmm, I missed the first 99% of the babya thing, but i had just assumed... well... forget it.
ummmmm, I missed the first 99% of the babya thing, but i had just assumed... well... forget it.
Aqua.
Reply #53 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 7:14 PM
Reply #53 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 7:14 PM
Aqua. whee! Ok ok 
About the question of the thread, keep em separate. Keep the programs KISS & separate, use WinStyles to bring everything together instead of cramming everything together.
About the question of the thread, keep em separate. Keep the programs KISS & separate, use WinStyles to bring everything together instead of cramming everything together.
deleted
Reply #54 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 1:32 AM
Reply #54 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 1:32 AM
I wouldn't mind it being packaged with windowblinds, but i'm afraid it may discourage new skinners because they may want to skin for fun, but when they start figuring out what to do, they are intimidated by all of the options. Just my thoughts.
aafuss
Reply #55 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 2:15 AM
Reply #55 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 2:15 AM
Well, I think it's btter at least to do like-OD (objectdock)-do a 2000/xp release fiest, then a nt 4.0/88/9.x relewasse soon after.
sig101
Reply #56 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:25 AM
Reply #56 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:25 AM
Object Dock is free and was created long ago as more of a POC app, according to SD/FB. Not in the same class as WindowBlinds. WB is perhaps SD's bread and butter app (as a stand alone app, that is) and SD has already indicated that SB 4 supports W98.
Bit tkn u fpr yre onwalubul npt.
Bit tkn u fpr yre onwalubul npt.
aafuss
Reply #58 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:39 AM
Reply #58 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:39 AM
Yiou'll know that soon MSwon't have offive 98(work suyre-has word t-so next no more for 98)-many developers wilstartr bto support the klat4st
Jafo
Reply #59 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:43 AM
Reply #59 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:43 AM
What is a 'klat4st'?
And what do you do with one?
And what do you do with one?
JamMeister33
Reply #60 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:47 AM
Reply #60 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:47 AM
Skooky wacka nof in zopple distort na willy wonka pop goes the weasel, na?
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Reply #41 Tuesday, November 19, 2002 5:30 PM
Your first language is 'English'. Could you 'try' to minimize the faults in your typing so that its meaning gets through?
Communication is what raises man above the animal.
Think, or thwim...