premium skins poll - my answer
Tuesday, June 10, 2003 by feline | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
this is the second poll in a row i cannot really vote on, since none of the available answers are my answer. since this is getting to me (i like to participate, and voting is part of that) i decided to just give my answer this way instead 
taking the options in turn:
* icons - i mainly see icons via powerdesk pro 5 under winXP. due to acts of Microsoft i get the standard yellow folder icons, regardless of the icon pack i have installed. so, this significantly reduces the visual impact of icon sets. also, after a while i stop noticing the icons *shrug*
so, i am quite unlikely to purchase premium icons.
* themes - i presume this means a set of matching skins across several programs.
well, on this machine (work) i have:
+ coolplayer skinned with the outstanding sputnik skin
+ IE and notepad skinned with via WB with XP Jeans UIS1
+ textpad skinned via WB with devoir
+ tera term pro skinned via WB with XPForest
these are the main programs i use on this machine, and if you know (or look up) these skins you will see this isn't exactly an integrated look
* a pack of cool skins / visual styles - this is unlikely simply because so very few WB skins really speak to me. i have certain practical requirements for my main skin on my work machine, which further limit the skins i use long term. so, i would do this, but the odds are very long, since i am unlikely to be that impressed by any premium skins
this is nothing against the premium skins. the same can (and is) said about the WB skins here. of the over 2000, there are only a handful i use at all regularly
* media player skins - i only ever use media player for viewing video clips. my experience is most skins aren't really that good for that.
* wallpaper - the wallpaper on this machine is buried under approx 14 open windows (average to below average number!), and not even 1 pixel of it is showing.
* no interest - that isn't really the answer either. i am quite happy to support the outstanding skinners, but if i am going to pay for it, it has to be something i both like and will use.
so, what is my answer? CursorXP!
since when i use my mouse (i am keyboard orientated by nature) i am very aware of where my cursor is and what it is doing, this is the area where skins have the best chance of really impressing me.
also, percentage wise, there are far more CursorXP skins i really like than in any other category at this site. that means there is at least a fighting chance of me being really impressed with premium cursors
taking the options in turn:
* icons - i mainly see icons via powerdesk pro 5 under winXP. due to acts of Microsoft i get the standard yellow folder icons, regardless of the icon pack i have installed. so, this significantly reduces the visual impact of icon sets. also, after a while i stop noticing the icons *shrug*
so, i am quite unlikely to purchase premium icons.
* themes - i presume this means a set of matching skins across several programs.
well, on this machine (work) i have:
+ coolplayer skinned with the outstanding sputnik skin
+ IE and notepad skinned with via WB with XP Jeans UIS1
+ textpad skinned via WB with devoir
+ tera term pro skinned via WB with XPForest
these are the main programs i use on this machine, and if you know (or look up) these skins you will see this isn't exactly an integrated look
* a pack of cool skins / visual styles - this is unlikely simply because so very few WB skins really speak to me. i have certain practical requirements for my main skin on my work machine, which further limit the skins i use long term. so, i would do this, but the odds are very long, since i am unlikely to be that impressed by any premium skins
this is nothing against the premium skins. the same can (and is) said about the WB skins here. of the over 2000, there are only a handful i use at all regularly
* media player skins - i only ever use media player for viewing video clips. my experience is most skins aren't really that good for that.
* wallpaper - the wallpaper on this machine is buried under approx 14 open windows (average to below average number!), and not even 1 pixel of it is showing.
* no interest - that isn't really the answer either. i am quite happy to support the outstanding skinners, but if i am going to pay for it, it has to be something i both like and will use.
so, what is my answer? CursorXP!
since when i use my mouse (i am keyboard orientated by nature) i am very aware of where my cursor is and what it is doing, this is the area where skins have the best chance of really impressing me.
also, percentage wise, there are far more CursorXP skins i really like than in any other category at this site. that means there is at least a fighting chance of me being really impressed with premium cursors
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feline
Reply #22 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:13 AM
using the purchased (full) version of cursorXP 1.3
options -> preferences -> "mirror cursors"
Reply #22 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:13 AM
| wulfn1 - (but ya need a lefty one in there... I haven't seen many) |
using the purchased (full) version of cursorXP 1.3
options -> preferences -> "mirror cursors"
feline
Reply #23 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:16 AM
it is a matter of perspective and money.
cash isnt unlimited, and if the only part of a suite i am interested in is the cursors then i am not going to be keen to pay full price, knowing i have no interest in 90% of it.
Reply #23 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:16 AM
| joetheblow - wouldn't Cursor XP be included in a skin suite feline? or even a cool pack of visual syles? That's how I took it to mean. |
it is a matter of perspective and money.
cash isnt unlimited, and if the only part of a suite i am interested in is the cursors then i am not going to be keen to pay full price, knowing i have no interest in 90% of it.
Jafo
Reply #24 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:31 AM
Reply #24 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:31 AM
I bought the latest 'Premium Pack'....installed them and admired their work,....then promptly went back to my own skins.....the value to me was my support for the community/site/skinners....not whether I'd actually 'USE' the skins...
werewolf
Reply #25 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 7:48 AM
Reply #25 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 7:48 AM
I'm with Jafo on this. I buy the premium packs (when I have the money to do so) to support the artists. pixOS is the only one I use regularly. What I want to see in a premium pack is a *LOT* more apps skinned. NextSTART/Workshelf, winamp, color pad, beatnik...all that stuff
Aqua.
Reply #26 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 7:57 AM
Reply #26 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 7:57 AM
Perhaps there could be two levels of sales? Sell the individual components of suites at low prices, and sell the entire packaged suite at a higher price, but at a lower price than buying all of the components individually.
Jafo, you used to be the rule, but are now the exception. The vast majority of the people coming here now don't give a whit about the community, they only care about getting high quality skins and leaving. This means that to get more people to buy the suites, you have to make ones that more people would actually want to use and are signifigantly better than anything else out there.
Jafo, you used to be the rule, but are now the exception. The vast majority of the people coming here now don't give a whit about the community, they only care about getting high quality skins and leaving. This means that to get more people to buy the suites, you have to make ones that more people would actually want to use and are signifigantly better than anything else out there.
The DJ
Reply #27 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:42 AM
Reply #27 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:42 AM
On another note, I was really feelin that Carbonix skin and was gonna buy the pack just for that, but WHY is the minimize button on the left?!?
That stopped me from buyin it.
[Message Edited]
That stopped me from buyin it.
[Message Edited]
joetheblow
Reply #28 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:52 AM
Reply #28 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:52 AM
what about Toon XP? I thought that was really good.
but I get the point of not being about to use it at work. That is why I like the skin that Mike did (I think) called Grayce.
I do admit that some skin suites are gaudy (but I like that ) and not everyone is going to like it, but someone will for many reasons (from likeing it, to having the lastest thing, to supporting the artist) will get them.
at any rate, polls always miss something, but I think this poll is pretty on point. the only problem I do see is what feline mentioned about not seeing the desktop so the options don't exactly fit her choices (or anyone in that same position for that matter)
but I get the point of not being about to use it at work. That is why I like the skin that Mike did (I think) called Grayce.
I do admit that some skin suites are gaudy (but I like that
) and not everyone is going to like it, but someone will for many reasons (from likeing it, to having the lastest thing, to supporting the artist) will get them.at any rate, polls always miss something, but I think this poll is pretty on point. the only problem I do see is what feline mentioned about not seeing the desktop so the options don't exactly fit her choices (or anyone in that same position for that matter)
joetheblow
Reply #29 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:11 AM
Reply #29 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:11 AM
yeah I guess 2 types of sales would be better.
that's worth putting on the poll.
that's worth putting on the poll.
c242
Reply #30 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:21 AM
Reply #30 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:21 AM
Hmm, yes I didn't mention the support effect. But I hope that was clear.
Jafo
Reply #32 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 3:45 PM
Reply #32 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 3:45 PM
Aqua...I don't really think I was ever the 'rule', but it certainly would be nice if I were not the 'exception'.
The skinners, and supporters of the skinning sites [who contribute via subscriptions/purchases/input/feedback] are 'carrying the can' for all those whose sole interface with our 'community' is to breeze in and grab some hip skin and disappear again.
Sure, it sounds a great concept to have 'Premium skins' available at $1 instead of $10, but the casual visitor is unlikely to go through the complexity of online purchase, etc for something of such little 'cost' [not 'value'].
Also.....to anyone who actually creates skins, $10 is NOT an unreasonable price for the creative input and effort involved. In my case I know how to skin so am not confined to purchase, OR DL free ones...I can make my own...but as I said before, the real benefit to me is the support I give to the community of which I am a member...in other words, I ultimately am paying myself...
Hus
Reply #33 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 4:06 PM
Reply #33 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 4:06 PM
I recently bought PixOS, I friggin' love it! 
I looked at every premium suite available extensively, none of them seemed 'gaudy' except for that Cardz skin in the Carbonix pack. Also, when you got the same people who make the 'premium' suites also making 'free' suites, you tend to have a double-standard. Why buy PixOS when XP Corona is free? Why buy Solara when Avenger and Prometheus are free? You buy it because they are all at that top-level. It's merely just another style which you can't download. With the quality of skins being published now-a-days, it's hard to sell a 'premium' skin. Skinners will need to find a way to put that 'premium' one level beyond anything available for download. Easier said than done. In my opinion, PixOS does a nice job of that! Truely excellent in every which way!
I looked at every premium suite available extensively, none of them seemed 'gaudy' except for that Cardz skin in the Carbonix pack. Also, when you got the same people who make the 'premium' suites also making 'free' suites, you tend to have a double-standard. Why buy PixOS when XP Corona is free? Why buy Solara when Avenger and Prometheus are free? You buy it because they are all at that top-level. It's merely just another style which you can't download. With the quality of skins being published now-a-days, it's hard to sell a 'premium' skin. Skinners will need to find a way to put that 'premium' one level beyond anything available for download. Easier said than done. In my opinion, PixOS does a nice job of that! Truely excellent in every which way!
kona0197
Reply #34 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:07 PM
Reply #34 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:07 PM
I am not going to pay for any thing I know I can do myself. decides, I hate dark themes and walls. Every wall I am working on is based on the color white!
grayhaze
Reply #35 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:19 PM
Reply #35 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:19 PM
It's a shame that charging for skins is seen by the casual visitor as a rip-off or unreasonable thing. From past experience, creating a full WindowBlinds skin takes a lot more time and effort than creating a web site design, and in my freelance days I charged £40 an hour for that work. Is a one-off fee of $10 (around £6) really that much to ask for when skinners are devoting the majority of their free time to creating freebies for a public who can be at best complimenting, and at worse downright insulting about their work?
Skinning can be a thankless task a large amount of the time, and I don't consider it that unreasonable that certain hard working skinners charge a small fee to fund their hobby. The majority of people who say skins should be free have never even attempted to skin themselves.
Sorry for the mini rant, but this subject really bugs me. As Jafo has said, it's not so much about paying for a particular skin because it's supposed to be the best there is, but more about supporting all the work that particular skinner does.
Skinning can be a thankless task a large amount of the time, and I don't consider it that unreasonable that certain hard working skinners charge a small fee to fund their hobby. The majority of people who say skins should be free have never even attempted to skin themselves.
Sorry for the mini rant, but this subject really bugs me. As Jafo has said, it's not so much about paying for a particular skin because it's supposed to be the best there is, but more about supporting all the work that particular skinner does.
kona0197
Reply #36 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:24 PM
Reply #36 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 5:24 PM
Greyhaze...
I understand the sacrafices you guys do to do this skinng stuff.
I wouldn't do it unless it was a outfit like Microsoft who called me up and asked for a skin. Time is money. If I am going to devote that much time to skinning I want to be WELL compensated.
I have to many other things like ebay to do and it gets hard to finish my walls. But I understand your statement.
I understand the sacrafices you guys do to do this skinng stuff.
I wouldn't do it unless it was a outfit like Microsoft who called me up and asked for a skin. Time is money. If I am going to devote that much time to skinning I want to be WELL compensated.
I have to many other things like ebay to do and it gets hard to finish my walls. But I understand your statement.
Jafo
Reply #38 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 8:51 PM
Reply #38 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 8:51 PM
kona....'by WELL I mean six figures'....yet people balk at two figures....go figure...
goodmorphing
Reply #39 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:47 PM
Reply #39 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:47 PM
The new cursor pack is out and it is FANTASTIC! ... 
[Message Edited]
[Message Edited]
kona0197
Reply #40 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:01 PM
Reply #40 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:01 PM
Jafo I was just trying to point out that you skinners deserve to get paid more for what you do thats all.
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Reply #21 Wednesday, June 11, 2003 2:45 AM