One of the benefits of being a member of WinCustomize is the ability to create your own personal site.  Your site will have its own address such as http://islanddog.wincustomize.com.  I put this url in my signatures on e-mail, online forums, etc.  It directs people to my site where they can view my gallery, articles, and my photo album, which we will talk about more.

Your personal site includes a photo gallery where you can upload photos for you to share.  I used it this weekend and realized some people might not be aware of this feature. 

Here is my photo gallery on my personal site at WinCustomize.  Please note that my site is currently switched to the wc2k7 test site, so yours might look different, but should operate in the same fashion. 

Once your personal site is setup, you need to go to the "Photo Management" page in your photo gallery.  From there click "Add Album", and now you will be able to create your photo albums where you can organize your images.  Enter the title and description of your new album, and click the "Add Album" button.

Now you should be ready to add some photos to the album you just created.  Click "add photos", and you will be taken to the photo upload screen.

Just browse to the location of the photos you want to upload, select the photos, and click "send" to transfer them to your WinCustomize photo album. 

Now your new photo album with your images will be shown on your WinCustomize site.  I can just send the the url to anyone I want so they can view my pictures.  It's a great way to share your pictures!

This is just one many benefits of subscribing to WinCustomize.  You will get your own personal site, no ads, no download limits, and much more!

Holy cow what a year it has been at Stardock.  10 years ago, Stardock was an OS/2 developer.  If you were with us from the OS/2 days, comment below. We'd love to hear what some of your favorite OS/2 experiences were.  If 10 years ago someone had told us that we'd be helping Microsoft on Windows Vista projects and have top-rated turn based strategy game of the year we would have never believed it.

So what were some of the highlights of last year?

February: Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords

Stardock released Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords in February of 2006.  This turn-based strategy game put the player in the role of the leader of an interstellar empire at the dawn of the 23rd century.  Set in a galaxy where the Terran Alliance, based on Earth, had set up a coalition to fight against the evil Drengin Empire and their vile allies, the stage was set for an epic battle.  The game received incredibly positive reviews in the press and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide this year so far (and remains a strong seller in the Christmas season in part because of constantly free updates that add new features). The reviews included: Gamespot: 9.0 GameSpy: 4.5 stars IGN: 8.7 CGM: 4.5 stars 1up: 9 G4TV: Perfect 5 out of 5 SciFi Channel: Perfect 5 out of 5 While Stardock has made other PC games in the past, none have approached the success of Galactic Civilizations II.  One of the things that helped make it a success we believe was the absence of CD copy protection. People could install it and toss their CD if they wanted. And even if they someday lose their CD when they go and get a new machine, no problem, they could (even if you buy it at a store in another country) simply re-download the entire game from TotalGaming.net (via Stardock Central) for free. Want to try it for yourself? It's at your local retailer or you can order and download it immediately while waiting for your box to arrive at www.galciv2.com.

April: KeepSafe

For beta testers of the ThinkDesk suite, KeepSafe isn't new.  But it was this year that it was finally completed. I can honestly say that of all of Stardock's products (and we make a lot) that KeepSafe is the one that I consider a universal must-have.  You should have KeepSafe.  KeepSafe integrated file archiving and revisioning into the file system. What this means is that when you make a change to a file type that you've decided to "keep safe", that file is then backed up as a revision automatically in real-time. The number of disasters a year that KeepSafe users avoid each year is countless. Ever been working on a document for hours and for whatever reason the file gets corrupted, lost, deleted, mangled, etc.?  With KeepSafe, you can quickly go back to the last revision of the file. What I think KeepSafe compelling is how easy it is to recover. I've used a lot of backup packages in the past and they usually make it painful to get the file back.  In KeepSafe you can get to it either by right-clicking on the file in explorer and choosing which revision you want to get or going to the KeepSafe dialog and typing in the name of the file and it will go through its entire archive database instantly. Just this past week it saved several hours of work for me. I was updating the Galactic Civilizations II manual, which is a huge file. I was working on it over the network and for whatever reason, our network connection hic-upped when I was getting ready to print a copy. I had to kill Word and when I came back, I was left with a 0 byte .doc file. I do regularly backups so I had a traditional backup from the day before. But what about what I'd been working on all day? Because I had KeepSafe, I was able to go back to the version from 16 minutes earlier. Like I said, KeepSafe is a must-have. Every time we post about it users will come on and relate their positive experiences with it.  PC Magazine recommended it shortly after it came out.  Get it here: KeepSafe home page

Summer 2006: Object Desktop 2007

This past summer Stardock released Object Desktop 2007. This was the annual snapshot of the major components of Object Desktop put together as a single package.  This year is a turning-point in desktop enhancement technology because next year, the cutting edge will be on Windows Vista.  Object Desktop 2007 was timed so that Windows XP users could get the programs at their prime while also gaining access to the new Windows Vista content. A user with Object Desktop can completely control how Windows functions. There's no product, at any price, the comes remotely close to what Object Desktop can do.  And with Windows Vista coming, the power of Object Desktop will only grow with the cool new features in Microsoft's next-generation OS. Object Desktop includes WindowBlinds, DesktopX, IconPackager, ObjectBar, RightClick, WindowFX, and much more! You can read more on what Stardock has planned for Windows Vista here. Get it here: Object Desktop.com

Summer 2006: ObjectBar 2.0

Long ago, there was a thriving category of desktop enhancement called the GUI extender. These were programs that were largely built around the idea of creating your own shell environment.  The popularity of these has waned a bit as the Windows shell itself has gotten more powerful. ObjectBar 2.0 was designed to evolve with the changing use.  Rather than being used to completely replace the shell, it has been designed to enhance it.  It will use your existing WindowBlinds skin and it is much much easier to use than these kinds of programs tend to be. ObjectBar remains a very compelling and easy way to give your desktop its own look and feel.   It is also one of the programs that makes up Object Desktop. Get it here: ObjectBar.net

Summer 2006: DesktopX 3.2

Where ObjectBar makes it so that you can extend your desktop. DesktopX turns your desktop environment into clay for you to mold any way you like. What DesktopX is allow Windows to have objects on the desktop. These objects can do anything you might want them to be. Some can be just eye candy that are short-cuts like this snow globe that you can shake (and doubles as a desktop short-cut that you can set): Or you can build an entire desktop with it: Or create a mini-application: You can then export your creations for others to use.  What's amazing about DesktopX is the relative ease of creating this stuff.  There's literally a cottage industry of tutorials and content out there. A number of people sell their creations on-line. You can get some Christmas desktop objects here. DesktopX, like ObjectBar, is also part of the Object Desktop suite. Get it here: DesktopX.net

Summer 2006: WindowFX 3.0!

Fall 2006: ObjectDock 1.5

The fall got started with a bang with the release of ObjectDock 1.5. This new version of ObjectDock added a ton of new features, improved performance, and Windows Vista support. ObjectDock is a program that enables users to organize their programs and running tasks into a dock. ObjectDock enables users to have more control over how they organize their desktop. Rather than have a bunch of icons on the desktop, these icons can be put into docks. ObjectDock can also be used to replace the Windows Start bar entirely freeing up valuable screen real-estate. The program comes in two forms -- a freeware version and a Plus version which adds tabbed docks and additional functionality. ObjectDock Freeware ObjectDock Plus adds tabbed dock support too For a full list of what was new in 1.5 you can go here. Get it here: ObjectDock.com

Fall 2006: WindowBlinds Vista Beta

WindowBlinds for Windows Vista has long been in development.  Windows Vista has a fresh cool new look called Aero.  And as good as Aero is, if you want to have your own look, you're out of luck -- unless you have WindowBlinds 5.5 Beta that is. WindowBlinds 5.5 Beta is currently only available on Object Desktop so you'll need to get Object Desktop to use it. WindowBlinds on Vista makes use of the new 3D desktop compositor that is the backbone of the Windows Vista display technology.   You can read a preview of it here. Get Object Desktop here:  Object Desktop Homepage

Fall 2006: The Dark Avatar Beta

With the popularity of Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, it was inevitable that there would be an expansion pack.  And this expansion pack goes way way beyond what most expansion packs deliver in terms of new features. The expansion pack adds customizable opponents, two new civilizations, planet environments, enemy agents, asteroid fields that can be mined, and much more. It's currently in beta and anyone who pre-orders before December 15th gets access to the beta. Here are some screenshots from the beta: You can get Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar at: www.galciv2.com/darkavatar

Of course, this is not a complete list by any means. But these are some of the highlights fo what has been going on this year at Stardock.  Please visit us at https://www.stardock.com to keep up with the latest goings on in what we do.  What is it we do? We listen to what you guys want and try to create cool stuff with those ideas!

Another Friday, another list of some of the themes and skins that I thought should be highlighted.  Remember that I always appreciate suggestions on skins that should be included.  If you see something out there, always feel free to e-mail me the link and I will consider putting it on this weekly feature.

Holiday Star for DesktopX
by adni18

Falling snowflakes on the desktop with music to go along.  Great addition for your holiday desktop.

Download

Holiday Spirit for Logons
by skinz2nice

This logon is made from a wallpaper made my DP Studios.  The wallpaper is great, and skinz2nice has made a fantastic logon out of it.  Great job!

Download

SE Files in Misc. Icons
by mrSkope

Well mrSkope says this is his first attempt at icons, and I have to say he is off to a great start.  Keep up the good work and I hope to see more of these in the near future.

Download

Merry Christmas Multi Display in Wallpapers
by DP Studios

Many of us use dual-monitor setups and sometimes it's hard to find wallpapers designed for just that.  This is a great design and DP Studios has included a variety of sizes of this wallpaper also.

Download

Ceirous SX for Windowblinds
by patrick24

Ceirous was one of my personal favorite entries in the GUI Champs, simply because it was minimal and very usable for me.  I was glad to see patrick24 make a darker version of this skin.

Download

Great job to all the artists, and I look forward to more submissions by all of them.  Keep up the great work!

Ah yes, the first day of December and what a perfect day to highlight some of the "greats" in skinning this week.  As usual this is a weekly feature here on Wincustomize that highlights some of the skins that have caught my eyes, and some of your eyes this week. 

Enough of the small talk, lets get to it!

Christmas Snow Globe Countdown in DesktopX
by RomanDA

This came in just as I sat down to write this weeks article, and without a doubt it caught my eye.  This is the perfect compliment to your holiday desktops especially the Christmas Time WB by mormegil.  RomanDA created this with DesktopX but exported it as a Gadget, so you don't even need DesktopX to use this Gadget.

Download

VXP_Logon for Logons
by neophil78

The VXP Windowblind is one I have featured before, and neophil78 has delivered a logon to match.  Be sure to visit his gallery on Wincustomize for more great works.

Download

X-2 Docks for ObjectDock
by messiah1

I always look forward to seeing some new dock backgrounds created by messiah1, and he comes through again.  If you are looking for some dock backgrounds you can find a great collection at his personal gallery on Wincustomize.

Download

Edisso Rainy for Rainlendar
by lovely62

Edisso was a popular Windowblinds skin at the GUI Championships this year, and lovely62 made a great skin for Rainlendar to go with it.

Download

Christmas Eve no text in Wallpapers
by clwoods

I didn't want to feature too many Christmas skins because of an upcoming article, but this wallpaper has been very popular the last couple of days, so I couldn't let it go.  Once again clwoods has created a beautiful wallpaper for the holiday season.  Visit her gallery for more great works.

Download

A little short this week because I am preparing a Holiday Skin Guide that hopefully I will have up in the next couple of days.  So in the mean time if you see any holiday related skins that you would like to see included, please e-mail me at sscott [at] stardock.com.

As always, thanks to all the artists for their submissions and hard work.  Be sure to stop by their galleries and check out the other great works they have created, and be sure to leave comments letting them know what you think of their work.

If you have nothing to do, or are just bored out of your mind, then here's a solution.  Read the Windows Vista Product guide and learn everything you ever wanted to know about Vista.

The product guide is available as a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document (65MB) or XPS (25MB). In order to view the XPS doument, you will need to install the reader (included in Windows Vista).

Another week, another feature of some skins that might have been overlooked, so I'm here to show you a few that you shouldn't miss.  It was kind of a slow week because of the holidays, but there is still a few things I wanted to feature this week.

Sliced for CursorXP
by Artur Berk

This cursor flew under my radar earlier this week, and was brought to my attention by a couple of people.  This metallic-like
cursor has some great animations that you have to see for yourself.  This is a great set and I hope Artur will make some
color packs for it.

Download

Clearly (search) for DesktopX
by Richard Mohler

One of the reasons I have always like Richards "Clear" series is that they go great with so many themes, and also goes perfect with a minimalist desktop.  Be sure to visit his gallery on Wincustomize to see the rest of the Clear series.

Download

First Noel Christmas Tree for DesktopX
by clwoods

I have said it before, I'm very exited about what skinners are going to come up with for the holiday season.  I was pleased to see clwoods submit this beautiful Christmas tree that plays "The First Noel".  Be sure to visit her gallery at Wincustomize and at Skinnalicious for more great works.

Download

Google Earth for ObjectDock Icons
by Havell

Google Earth is very popular, so Havell has submitted a fantastic icon for your ObjectDock setup.  Havell has a gallery full of icons and the list keeps growing.  Also, congratulations to Havell on his promotion to Apprentice!  Well deserved!

Download

Holiday Chrome Reindeer in Wallpapers
by William-Quist

Well the holiday wallpapers are coming in, and seems to be too many to feature.  However, this one has a unique take to it, and I think many of you will like it. 

Download

As usual, if you see any skin you think should be featured drop me an e-mail with the link and tell me why you think it should be featured.

Well another week has passed and a busy week it has been.  Despite all the big news this week I still wanted to drop by and give you an update of some skins that caught my eye this week. 

If there is any skin you would like to see featured here, feel free to e-mail me the link and let me know why you think it should be included in this weekly roundup.

 

Winter Clear for Logons
by Boss0190

Boss 0190 has a fine collection of logons and wallpapers in his gallery on Wincustomize.com.  Winter Clear is a very nice, clean logon that will
soon make its way to my computer. 

Download

Frois-01 for ObjectDock backgrounds
by messiah1

Messiah1 has produced a great pack of backgrounds for use with ObjectDock.  The docks are made to go with the Frois-01 Windowblind skin
found in the GUI Championships. 

Download

VXP2 Tabs & Side Docks for ObjectDock backgrounds
by WebGizmos

There are some great dock backgrounds out this week.  This is for the VXP Windowblind skin that was in last weeks article.  These docks are a perfect compliment to that skin.

Download

Country Cottage LT for RightClick
by Fairry~

Rightclick has always been one of my favorite programs, and I'm happy to see more skins being developed for it.  Fairry~ made this to match the Windowblind skin "Country Cottage".

Download

Deck the Halls for Windowblinds
by jazzymir

It's not a secret here that Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I'm always happy to see some seasonal skins coming in.  A very beautiful skin that I'm sure will be the focus of many desktops this coming holiday season. 

Download

As always, be sure to click the artists name and visit their personal gallery here on Wincustomize.  I want to thank all the artists for another week of great submissions. 

Don't forget to send any skins you think should be included in future articles, and since next week is Thanksgiving, try to find some Thanksgiving inspired skins!

Vista Preview

In 1999, software developer Stardock released a program called WindowBlinds 1.0. It allowed users of Windows 95, 98, and NT to "skin" the way Windows looked and behaved. It not only could make Windows look better, it could make it more functional by adding more buttons and controls to the Windows GUI.

The screenshots below may cause pain. But back in 1999, it was this or the default Windows look.

In 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP which had "Luna".

Microsoft applied the "Luna" skin using a built in engine called uxtheme. Some users figured out how to crack the digital signing protection in uxtheme to allow for other skins to be applied (some companies actually charge money for this).

Stardock followed up with a new version of WindowBlinds (version 4.0 by this point) which continued to add new things that it could skin.

WindowBlinds 4.0 had significant advantages in features over the built in skinning system in Windows XP such as the ability to skin non-theme aware applications (most programs even now aren't fully theme aware so you get a mish-mash of "classic" and Luna in them) and WindowBlinds could add more controls to the UI, have irregularly borders, independently sized frames and title bars, animation, etc. 

But the downside was that all those goodies came with a price in performance.  While WindowBlinds was the same speed as the Windows XP engine while running the same skin, most WindowBlinds skins tended to skin more things. WindowBlinds 4 and the XP engine were, from an architectural point of view, nearly identical.

That changed with WindowBlinds 5.

WindowBlinds 5 - faster faster faster

WindowBlinds 5 was a major departure in that it was the first version to truly make use of hardware acceleration. WindowBlinds 4 and the XP skinning system both did everything in software using GDI calls.  WindowBlinds 5 made use of DirectX to begin leveraging the performance of 3D cards which in turn allowed WindowBlinds skins to run faster than classic could in many cases (let alone Luna).

Moreover, this 3D acceleration allowed WindowBlinds 5 to have alpha blended borders -- glass.

But now there is a whole new Microsoft OS with a whole new system. And the new look on Vista (the default look) is VERY good -- Aero.

Version 5.5 of WindowBlinds has been designed to enable Windows Vista to become skinnable.  This is no easy task for a number of reasons. The biggest reason has to do with the new Desktop Window Manager (DWM).  While technically WindowBlinds could have hacked its way to work on Vista, it was important that WindowBlinds work natively on Vista and that means using the new 3D composited desktop. By using the DWM you get hardware acceleration and a ton of other possible effects. 

The second challenge was making visual styles (skins) made for Windows XP work on Windows Vista without parts missing.  So Stardock developed "Smart Skinning" in which graphical elements in XP skins are translated to take care of new parts in Windows Vista.

The new configuration window

The new configuration dialog has been designed to be easier to use and adhere to the new Windows Vista UI guidelines. 

Performance

WindowBlinds 5.5 should run as fast or faster than the default "Aero" skin thanks to using some of the caching features of the DWM that Aero currently doesn't use. This should be particularly noticeable when moving windows around.  Aero is already plenty fast and at this point, where everything is accelerated, performance is no longer really a factor in skinning. But it is worth noting that the days of "slowing your system to a crawl" that was so common in the earliest days of skinning should be long gone at this point.

Compatibility

Compatibility is still being worked on in this beta. This has mostly to do with the sheer number of different skins that have to be tested.  WindowBlinds supports 3 different skin formats with thousands of different skins.  And many new applications, like the new Office, do some pretty..unusual things (if there ever was a program not designed to be skinned it would be the new Office apps but as you can see in the screenshot, we're doing it). 

Since this is being ready more so by technical users than most things we release, let's be specific: Compatibility has to do with the skins. For example, what if a given skin's title bar is really thin. How will it be handled by the new Office which assumes title bars of a certain height?  What if they made their start menu in such a way that it gets in the way of the new search field or the new buttons Microsoft added?While most experienced users would simply choose a different skin, we feel it important to make sure that skins, even ones made years ago, function properly on Vista or at least don't cause any problems.

A new life for visual styles

Thousands of WindowBlinds visual styles exist and work on Windows Vista.  However, thousands of msstyles were made too. They won't work on Windows Vista. The good news is that they can work vai WindowBlinds after being converted by SkinStudio (a free download). Once SkinStudio has been installed and associated with .msstyles, users can double click on one and convert it over.

Windows Vista includes Aero, a bold new look.  But for users feeling a little retro, they can still make Vista resemble great designs of the past.  OS/2, MacOS, Msstyles, and of course the Windows XP look itself.

Question: Will WindowBlinds 5.5 support the new blur effects?

Answer: The goal of WindowBlinds 5.5 is primarily to get skinning working on Windows Vista and support existing XP skins.  It is adding new features to the skinning format to support Windows Vista elements. Subsequent versions will begin to add support for different kinds of 3D effects such as blurring that skinners can make use of. 

Question: What versions of Windows Vista will WindowBlinds work on?

Answer: All of them. Even ones that don't include Aero. As long as your video card supports the DWM (any reasonably decent video card) you'll be able to get the full power of WindowBlinds 5.5.

Question: Will WindowBlinds 5.5 support Windows XP?

Answer: Yes. Stardock will be continuing to make new versions of WindowBlinds for XP users for a very long time.

Question: I've tried WindowBlinds and I don't like the visual styles for it. Are you going to make better skins?

Answer: We don't make the skins. We make the software. At least, historically. That is changing though. Recently we launched a new group called Stardock Design whose job is to create phenomenal looking skin suites.  There are thousands of different WindowBlinds skins out there plus there are thousands of msstyles out there that can be used with WindowBlinds. Just look for ones that suit your tastes.

Right now, the only way to get WindowBlinds on Windows Vista is to have Stardock Object Desktop.  You can get that at www.objectdesktop.com. Object Desktop includes over a dozen different programs that improve the user experience of Windows.  In January, Stardock expects to make WindowBlinds 5.5 available as a stand-alone download.  Current owners of WindowBlinds 5 can upgrade to Object Desktop here.

Get it now at...

Website: www.objectdock.com

ObjectDock is a program that enables users to organize their programs and running tasks into a dock. ObjectDock enables users to have more control over how they organize their desktop. Rather than have a bunch of icons on the desktop, these icons can be put into docks. ObjectDock can also be used to replace the Windows Start bar entirely freeing up valuable screen real-estate.

ObjectDock comes in two forms:

1. ObjectDock Freeware, which is a free download for all users.
2. ObjectDock Plus, which adds additional features such as tabbed docks, system tray support, taskbar grouping, multiple dock support, multiplemonitor support, fly-out menus and more. ObjectDock Plus is $19.95.

ObjectDock Freeware

ObjectDock Plus adds tabbed dock support too

Users can download ObjectDock at http://www.objectdock.com.

ObjectDock 1.5: What's new

A ton of new features have been added to ObjectDock 1.5. This includes:

• Windows Vista support
• Vista-like searching in the image browser
• Users can reserve the edge of the screen for ObjectDock
• BRAND NEW zooming algorithm that is faster and smoother than before!
• Smarter resizing of docks
• .DockZip support
• All kinds of new window dragging features
• Users can now drag and drop data onto programs in a dock
• Tabbed docks will now auto-rotate when you drag them to a different edge of the screen!
• Smarter acquisition of images from short cuts (shortcuts won't have ugly icons anymore)
• Auto-hidden docks show themselves for a specified time when they're loaded in order for users not to forget they exist
• The config dialog for applications (taskbar items) now allow you to drop an image file onto them to set their image, like the rest of the config dialogs in the program.
• Always on bottom docks will now come to the front when click-activated.
• Always on bottom docks will now no longer steal focus from the foreground application unless clicked on.
• Fixed issue where if user put a registry path (e.g. ".html") as a shortcut link the link wouldn't work properly when some browsers e.g. firefox were set as the default.
•  Fixed issue where separators on tabbed docks could not be dragged (and thus moved or removed)
• Fixed major issue involving dragging existing items, in which animations would begin to heavily lag and ObjectDock would become temporarily unresponsive on drag and drop operations that are not completely quickly.
• Fixed issue with the top 64 pixels of fully-zoomed icons not being clickable when zoomed to a full 192 pixels.
• Fixed issue with Always-On-Bottom zooming docks, where the dock would flicker some when moving to the front and back again.
• The Calendar docklet for ObjectDock has a grey outline around it (as if the bounding box of the docklet were not transparentized)
• Fixed issue where some rare tray icons who have active popups as their main window, would become inaccessible when you open them via the tray.
• Fixed issue with always on bottom docks where configuring some items would be a challenge as the dialogs would keep going into the background once the mouse left the dock. Instead, the dock is not allowed to move to the back when config dialogs are open.
• Fixed issue with the background-skinning of zooming docks attached to the left or right side of the screen. The caps on the top and bottom would not always be the proper size.
• Fixed issue where if there were no items on a zooming dock, its background would have a strange behavior and not display properly
• Fixed dock issue where if it were set to be always-on-bottom, when you did a drag-and-drop it would snap back to the background on release.
• Fixed issue of authiding zooming docks not immediately re-hiding after you configure them and close the config dialog.
• Fixed issue where systray would exhibit a "shift right" graphical glitch when a program is exited that existed in the tray.
• Fixed rock/swing/glow alternate mouseover effects not working properly when no background is in use by the dock
• Fixed issue where if you were using a tile background and using a rock/swing/glow effect, the tiles could sometimes quickly disappear during a mouse-over
• Modified some option text for hopefully improved clarity

Full list can be found here.

ObjectDock Features: Standard Dock

ObjectDock has two types of docks. The standard dock is essentially a single "tray" or "wharf" that can hold short-cuts, running tasks, docklets, and system tray items.  The other type of dock, the "Plus" type, is the tabbed dock. The following section discusses the standard dock.

Highly flexible visual appearance

At a basic level, ObjectDock is simply a container for desktop items. It's been designed to be as flexible as possible to enable users to easily drag and drop their programs and documents onto it. It is also very flexible in enabling users customize the way it looks and feels.

ObjectDock supports more than just programs and running tasks, it also supports "docklets". These are mini-applications that reside on the dock and are created by third parties. There are docklets for telling you the weather, your email status, network traffic, CPU usage, memory usage, clock, Wi-Fi connection strength, calendar, and much more.  Docklets let users add useful information to their docks.

Docks can be vertical (such as in this screenshot) or horizontal, on the top or bottom of the screen. They can be aligned to the middle of the screen or to the left or right. Version 1.3 also adds the ability to have the dock offset from the edge of the screen (both free and Plus versions). The background (skin) of the dock can easily be changed with hundreds of additional skins available on-line to make your dock appear as anything you'd like it to be.

Mouse-Over Zoom effects

Another popular feature of ObjectDock is the ability to have the icons grow on mouse-over.  When the mouse is moved over a given icon on the dock, it starts to grow.

This effect can be a "narrow" effect or a "wide" effect to determine how many near-by icons are affected by the mouse over.

Easy replacement of icon images

A minor but key feature of ObjectDock is its ability to allow you to change the icons of items on the dock. Since many icons don't look good when enlarged, ObjectDock enables users to replace those icons with either other icon files or .PNG files. The popular customization site, WinCustomize.com, includes thousands of replacement icons for virtually every program out there.

Optional Start Bar replacement

ObjectDock can hide the Windows Start bar if the user chooses and take over all of its functionality. (ObjectDock Plus supports taskbar grouping and system tray items as well.)

ObjectDock Plus feature: System tray (see on the right of the dock). Hold down the mouse button on a system tray item for a few seconds to change the appearance of its icon.

ObjectDock Features: ObjectDock Plus

ObjectDock Plus includes all of the features of the free dock, but adds other features including the ability to have customizable tabs on your dock, which allows for even greater organization and control over your desktop.

Two customized docks

Different docks can be organized in different ways, and tabbed docks can be docked to an edge of the screen to display just the tabbed dock. When the tabs are docked to the edge you can choose to have them show up on top or activate with a hotspot. What can't be shown in a mere screenshot is just how good the usability of ObjectDock is. Drag a dock to the edge and it'll automatically dock. Move it off and it'll undock. It works intuitively and easily.

When used properly, tabbed docks can enable users to organize their desktops in truly remarkable ways.

Because the tabs can be made any size the user wants, the user could have color coded tabs that have no text. Or they could simply have hot spots that activate various docks on mouse-over.  The hot spots are intelligent enough that the user can set how long the mouse must linger on that hotspot before activating the dock. This is a major usability feature that ObjectDock Plus has going for it.

The tabbed docks are incredibly powerful when combined with the ability to have multiple docks on the desktop.

Free vs. Plus

Feature	ObjectDock Freeware	ObjectDock Plus
Standard Dock
Docklet Support
Taskbar Support
Skinning Support
Mouse-Over Zoom effect
Notification Animations
Minimized Programs displayed as thumbnail
Image short-cuts displayed as a thumbnail
Custom Graphics Engine
GDI+ Graphics Engine
Replace icons with other images
Can hide Windows Start Bar
Start menu support
Multiple Docks
Task grouping
System Tray Support
Tabbed Docks
Multiple Monitor Support
Fly-Out Menus
Tabs docked to screen edges
Control of Tab Sizes
Hot-Spot activation
Multi-Dock Manager
Cost	Free	$19.95

Screenshots

Flip3D is one of the coolest new visual features in Windows Vista.  To use it, hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and hit tab. At this point, the desktop will re-organize your running tasks into an easy to visualize system of displaying your running tasks and windows.

Flip3D also helps demonstrate the new Desktop Windows Manager (DWM) which is essentially a 3D compositor that turns the Windows Vista desktop into a 3D surface. Because of this, many expect future Vista-specific applications will be able to display data and content in truly innovative ways.

Software developer, Stardock Corporation, is arguably the world's leading developer of Windows enhancement software. It has already begun to prepare to release a series of software products that leverage the power of the VDM in many interesting ways.

Stay tuned!