WindowBlinds 5 Beta: Next Tuesday
It's coming..
Monday, September 26, 2005 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
The first public beta of WindowBlinds 5 is almost here. Stardock released the alpha this week to its internal QA team to put the program through its compatibility testing before sending it out. WindowBlinds 5's most notable new feature is the ability to support "glass" and full alpha blending of the title bar and border (no more jaggy borders). The critical step has been to deliver this functionality without affecting performance for reasonably modern video cards.
In addiion, WindowBlinds 5 no longer has a "wbload.exe" and instead extends the painting of the Windows GUI in a more "native" way. Or put another way, it has "zero foot print" in the same manner that the default bundled Windows themes (msstyles) use.
Users who have Object Desktop will be able to try out the beta next Tuesday (Oct 4). Users of WindowBlinds 4 will be able to upgrade to Object Desktop at a reduced price. Moreover, users who purchased WindowBlinds 4 after September 1 will receive WindowBlinds 5 for free.
WindowBlinds 5 will also be designed to run on Windows Vista natively by the time Windows Vista ships (the beta of WindowBlinds 5 should run on the beta of Windows Vista though the Windows Vista GUI is still in a state of flux obviously).
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Reply #22 Monday, September 26, 2005 8:19 PM
Reply #24 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:03 PM
Reply #25 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:04 PM
The zero footprint, will it require the "Themes" service to be turned back on?
Reply #26 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:13 PM
| So, I bought Object Desktop in June, and now you're telling me I have to buy it again. |
Reply #27 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:14 PM
Reply #28 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:32 PM
Reply #29 Monday, September 26, 2005 9:47 PM
Reply #30 Monday, September 26, 2005 10:08 PM
Reply #31 Monday, September 26, 2005 10:18 PM
Reply #32 Monday, September 26, 2005 10:52 PM
| *whew* glad my subscription expires in the next few weeks so i can still get this beat lol but i'll def. be renewing my OD subscription for sure |
You'll still be stuck with the beta though...
Reply #33 Monday, September 26, 2005 11:48 PM
| It is so cool that you guys have been able to figure this out. Not only the transparency, but also no wbload.exe as well. I remember hearing, awhile ago for sure, that transparency in the title bars wasn't possible. Yet here it is as well as transparency in the task bar. You guys rock!! Engineering geniuses.!! hhmm, can't find a brown nosing emoticon |
Reply #34 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 12:00 AM
| Users of WindowBlinds 4 will be able to upgrade to Object Desktop at a reduced price. |
Is this price different than the upgrade option already in place?
Reply #36 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:10 AM
| ... deliver this functionality without affecting performance for reasonably modern video cards |
Could you expand on how modern? or even what the video card would need to support?
Just wondering'.
Cant wait!
Reply #37 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:45 AM
Reply #38 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:54 AM
Also can anyone help me to find a nice and cool Vista Icons, I found some but the Icon P won't work with them (3.0) Thanks!!!
Reply #39 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 3:03 AM
Reply #40 Tuesday, September 27, 2005 4:26 AM
| *whew* glad my subscription expires in the next few weeks so i can still get this beat lol but i'll def. be renewing my OD subscription for sure You'll still be stuck with the beta though... |
i won't be stuck with beta - i said i was gonna be renewing
i have no problem spending money on something i absolutely use every single day i don't want to be missing out on all the exciting stuff going on herePlease login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
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Reply #21 Monday, September 26, 2005 8:11 PM
That just total transparency. It's not alpha blending.