DesktopX 3 is coming!
And a new website is on the horizon...
Monday, February 7, 2005 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Stardock, the world's leading developer of OS enhancement utilities, announced DesktopX 3 and DesktopX 3 Pro today which will be released on March 1st.
DesktopX is the program that helped introduce the concept of desktop content that does more than icons but aren't traditional applications (what later became known as "widgets"). With DesktopX, users could design their own mini-applets or entire desktops and export them for others to use. First released in 2000, DesktopX has received millions of downloads, including over 2.5 million downloads on CNET's Download.com alone making it one of the most popular OS enhancement programs of all time.
DesktopX 3 includes a host of new features over DesktopX 2. But most importantly, it is being presented in a whole new way. In DesktopX 3, the development environment is separate from the user portion. In previous versions of DesktopX, the content creation aspects were integrated with the end user portions. With DesktopX 3, users who just want to use widgets and desktops created by others can do so without interacting with the development environment.
"The entire presentation of DesktopX is being streamlined and simplified," said Alberto Riccio, Project Manager of DesktopX. "The people who want to add calendars or media players or stock tickers to their desktop can do that without ever having to deal with the full DesktopX configuration interface as they did before."
The part that Stardock expects to make the most waves is the release of DesktopX Pro at $69.95. DesktopX Pro allows users to take their widgets (exported content that requires DesktopX to be installed) and turn them into gadgets (stand alone programs that can be sent to any Win2K/XP user without additional downloading).
DesktopX Pro opens the door for ambitious software developers to create new, innovative software at a fraction of the time.
Shae Petersen, founder of Dmense Solutions and known widely for his efforts at 545 Studios (developer of Aimutation, Greybook, and countless other programs) sees DesktopX Pro as a way to create small, high quality programs quickly and easily. "DesktopX Pro will let Dmense to create slick, highly functional mini-programs that we can then provide to our customers in a timely manner."
To facilitate developers and customers, Stardock is also announcing a new website called DesktopGadgets.com. This new site will enable developers to upload their gadgets, set their price, and if they pass moderation become available for sale with the revenue split evenly between the author and the site. DesktopGadgets.com is expected to launch in April.
For widget/gadget developers and users, DesktopX 3 has a significant advantage over other widget enabling programs in that ActiveX controls and WMI features are directly accessible from DesktopX enabling a much wider range of widgets to be developed (i.e. a whole world beyond clocks, weather widgets, and RSS feeds). For example, where other widget enablers might have to include explicit support for developers to create battery meters, DesktopX provides direct WMI access to the complete WMI interface for battery information. In other words, developers aren't limited to what Stardock thought of for creating content.
DesktopX 3 will be available in three forms on March 1, 2005:
- A DesktopX run-time for $14.95 for those who just want to run objects, widgets, and desktops created by others.
- DesktopX Standard for $24.95 which will allow users to design their own desktops, widgets, and objects for personal use or for sharing with others.
- DesktopX Pro for $69.95 which allows for objects and widgets to be exported as gadgets (Stand-alone programs) that anyone can use.
The home page for DesktopX is http://www.desktopx.net. DesktopX 3 standard will also be part of Stardock's Object Desktop suite of desktop enhancements (www.objectdesktop.com).
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Reply #5 Monday, February 7, 2005 3:10 PM
Dont get me wrong I think the price is right but I am a penny pincher as well.
--Clayton
Reply #6 Monday, February 7, 2005 3:38 PM
To be able to utilise objects, widgets and desktops created by other people costs $14.95... so far, so good.
BUT, for the privilege of working on widgets for countless hours (sometimes weeks or even months) to provide the content for the people who are paying $14.95.... is going to cost $24.95? I can't help thinking that this can only slow down widget creation/innovation.
Don't get me wrong, I am hopelessly addicted and will continue to make widgets. I am also excited by the possibilities of DesktopX pro and DesktopGadgets.com. I just don't understand the pricing policy for DesktopX run-time and DesktopX Standard.
Reply #7 Monday, February 7, 2005 4:23 PM
Tiggz: I think many people want to be able to customize their own desktops and widgets/objects. Moreover, competing programs cost $25 "for the same priviledge" and don't offer a $15 option.
Reply #9 Monday, February 7, 2005 4:37 PM
Reply #10 Monday, February 7, 2005 4:43 PM
Personally, I imagine I will be saving up for DesktopX Pro and possibly submitting a widget or two to DesktopGadgets.com. I presume that widgets created with the pro version can also be submitted to the regular wc widget library?
Reply #11 Monday, February 7, 2005 4:48 PM
The Object Desktop Network (ObjectDesktop.net)
When you purchase Object Desktop, you automatically get a 1 year subscription to ObjectDesktop.net, You not only get all of the features Object Desktop has today, but all of the features for the next year. This means all updates and new programs added to it you automatically get during that year.
And what you download is yours forever. At the end of the year, you can continue your subscription or stick with what you already have.
(Since DesktopX ODNT spawned the DesktopX PRO version, then why isn't the Parent/Child Spawning included into the Subscription, owing to the fact that it is a direct linear decendent of the DesktopX Product. Next we will be told that there is a PRO version of Windowblinds, that we are unable to get with our subscription.)
https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/odnt-info.asp [Object Desktop Information Page]
Q: What do I get when I purchase Object Desktop?
A: Object Desktop includes all its components, plus a full year of updates, along with any new programs added to Object Desktop during that year. At the end of the year, users can renew their access to new updates and new components at a discounted price of $34.95.
(A lot of ODNT Subscribers are actually resubscribers. They have all entered into the subscription process under older white paper descriptions of their purchased products. Those White Papers have been vanished, and have been replaced with the current ODNT Description. You would think that they are Grandfathered into their subscription terms, owing to the fact that there is no notification of the changing nature of their Subscription.)
https://www.stardock.com/support/support.asp?product=prod1 [Stardock ODNT Support Page]
What about updates – do I have to pay for them, or are they free?
Updates are usually free. Customers who purchase standalone components like WindowBlinds are generally entitled to all releases in with the same major version number (so if you bought 3.0 you would be able to get 3.2 and 3.5 later, but not 4.0). For those who have bought a Object Desktop Network subscription, updates to all components are free throughout the period of your subscription.
(How can this not be any clearer? I quote. "updates to all components are free" How is $40 increase in the price of DesktopX FREE?)
https://www.stardock.com/support/support.asp?product=prod1 [Stardock ODNT Support Page]
How much does DesktopX cost?
DesktopX is $19.95, or $49.95 as part of an Object Desktop subscription.
(This is the Crux of my Argument, and this is taken from the Object Desktop Network Subscription page, there is no distinction, other than the Stand Alone and the Subscriber based versions of DesktopX. )
There is only the distinction between DesktopX Stand Alone, and ODNT Version. In every verifiable source (except the recently modified DesktopX Page) DesktopX was scheduled to this type of pricing and inclusion into the ODNT. Why suddenly are we seeing the reemergence of the "PRO" version? I ask these questions again, as I am sure you remember that we have had this discussion before. If the development of a "PRO" version was inteneded why wasn't it excluded from the product subscription refferences? I know we are going to cover the same old arguments.
Argument number One: Stardock offers so much for the value of the ODNT Subscription, DesktopX Pro was never suposed to be included
(hence my initial question as to why it wasn't excluded Specifically.)
Argument number Two: The old White paper description is no longer valid, to be a description of the ODNT.
(hence my inclusion of readily verifiable existing Stardock dektopX links.)
Argument number Three: You are expecting too much for your subscription than you have paid. (the you are very greedy for wanting the PRO version argument)
The DesktopX PRO is a relatively recent development, and it's exclusion (from the ODNT Descriptions) could be an oversight, if it is then there is a lot of reversionary editing that needs to be done.) I am aware of all the FLAK I am going to draw because of my thoughts about this topic. I will never be convinced that DesktopX comes in any other version other than Stand Alone or Subscription based. I do not feel I am wrong in asking for what it is I feel I have paid to subscribe.
Reply #12 Monday, February 7, 2005 4:58 PM
Reply #13 Monday, February 7, 2005 5:12 PM
| The DesktopX PRO is a relatively recent development |
It's not new, it's been around for a while and used to cost $499.
Reply #14 Monday, February 7, 2005 5:22 PM
Reply #15 Monday, February 7, 2005 5:58 PM
| It's not new, it's been around for a while and used to cost $499. |
As you can see I stated 'relatively new.'
| Why suddenly are we seeing the reemergence of the "PRO" version? I ask these questions again, as I am sure you remember that we have had this discussion before. |
This just seems to me to be a Product Fork, that is designed to generate additional revenue at the subscribers expense. I have no problems with the Development of 'Think Desk' as a new Product line for Stardock (at the expense of ODNTs' dilution) but this just smacks of intentional dilution of a Product. Many users have Subscribed to ODNT believing that they were going to be able to upgrade it no matter the descriptive semantics. This to me is a disagreeable scenario. Stardock looses nothing by grandfathering the PRO Version to current subscribers, and stands to gain tremendous goodwill by doing as I suggest.
The problem is that no matter how right I am, I will be deemed wrong in that it will be assumed that I do not 'understand' or that I have 'mistaken the subscription parameters.' How is windowblinds going to be forked into a new product, and further dilute ODNT? Take any of the ODNT products and add them to the "PRO" catagory, and we will find ourselves asking these same questions over and over.
This brings to mind a poem, that spans any topic like this...
First They Came for the Jews
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
Just Insert any part of the ODNT into this poem, when replacing the "they came for's."
Also please let's not go down the road where, the subscribers are offered some kind of discount, to rightly receive what they have already paid for.
Reply #16 Monday, February 7, 2005 6:29 PM
Reply #17 Monday, February 7, 2005 6:30 PM
Reply #18 Monday, February 7, 2005 6:50 PM
Reply #19 Monday, February 7, 2005 7:02 PM
I am trying to be straight forward and clear headed, and logical about this. I know the price has dropped.
If Brad wants to fix all the Documentation to reflect the differences, fine by me. I just want to make sure that, it gets done. I didn't buy into ODNT with the understanding that I had to decide if I was going to be a developer, or that I had to draw any distinctions about my Subscription. I 'Subscribed.' Plain and Simplen. Now I and anyone else that want the PRO Version are being told, "Now there is a distinction, and you have to pay additionally."
Riddle me this? Why wasn't this (the Doc Reff's)fixed and clearly defined after the (same) previous discussions? When the Price for PRO was $499.
I'll tell ya why. Because the ambiguity works in Stardocks favour, and the few of us that cry 'foul' are not enough to matter. It's an odds game. That's what irks me the most. Along with the fact, here we are again. Same Bat Channel, same Bat Time.
Reply #20 Monday, February 7, 2005 7:23 PM
I am actually surprised that Stardock is releasing this product so cheap and wonder it the low price will be enough to compensate with the eventual loss of sales for Desktop X.
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Reply #1 Monday, February 7, 2005 1:28 PM