Looking at the sales of DesktopX over the past 3 years for the month of August (first 23 days anyway of it) shows an interesting trend.  Historically, it was pretty flat, sales were decent but not great.  But in August, sales took a big jump over the same period in the previous years.  Sales of Stardock's customization programs have all increased each year over the past 3 years but DesktopX has seen the biggest jump in recent times.

Very shortly Longhorn Beta 1 will be coming out.  The current expected date is August 3, 2005.  So what's in it? What can we expect?  Microsoft was kind to inform a group of us what beta 1 would be like.  Because of our NDA, I can only recap what is already known with a bit more detail.  Once beta 1 ships, we'll be free to write more. And hopefully I'll be able to show some cool screenshots.

First off, as many already have heard, Longhorn has been christened "Windows Vista".  It will probably come out in August 2006.  In my view, Windows Vista has 3 goals:

1) Security.  Microsoft wants to make sure Windows Vista is very secure. It will hopefully bring an end spy ware and malware and the like.

2) Developer Flexibility.  A great deal of work in Windows Vista appears to be setting the stage for the future.  Long ago, there was a second Microsoft OS code-named "Blackcomb" which was to be the follow-on to Longhorn.  In my opinion, Longhorn is setting the stage for what comes next.  It is doing this through the creation of several new, and more effective ways of creating content and software.  For example, Avalon is a development platform that is designed to make it much easier to create visually exciting applications.  It's a whole new presentation sub-system. Avalon applications are typically written in a new mark-up language called XAML.  There is another mode called Avalon-Express applications which I think are particularly exciting -- Avalon apps can be run as part of a web page.  Naturally,  some Macintosh users will claim that this is like "Dashboard".  And indeed there are similarities here.  But Microsoft has been working on Avalon a lot longer than Apple was working on Dashboard.  And Avalon Express applications are designed to be very secure from day 1.  Another new development platform is called Indigo.  It's .NET based and is designed to make it much easer to create network-based programs.  And then there's the integration of RSS into the OS.  Microsoft seems to believe that RSS is going to be a dominant way of making use of data in all kinds of interesting applications.  We think the same thing.  For example, when IE 7 starts coming close to release, we plan to make WinCustomize's skin galleries support RSS.

3) Polish.  Microsoft had little more than a year to take Windows 2000 and turn it into Windows XP.  This time, Microsoft has put a lot of effort into figuring out how to make Windows easier to use and have better "fit and finish" to it.   Much of this is provided by the new user experience called Aero.  And it really kicks ass.  Early on, there were screenshots of concepts for Aero. They were bulky, ugly, and over-kill.  Aero has come a long way though and Microsoft seems to be intent on making this version of Windows the most polished, cleanest, best OS they've made yet.   We're not just talking about being pretty, which it is.  But also being far more responsive to user input, booting up faster, better memory management. 

When beta 1 comes out, bear in mind that the "good" stuff won't really show up until beta 2  Beta 1, I believe, is primarily designed to knock out compatibility bugs and put what's there through the ringer to make sure they've got a solid foundation in which to take care of the rest.

When you put all the pieces together, you have a pretty significant improvement over Windows XP.  It should be a secure, fast, visually appealing OS that lends itself to new and innovative software development opportunities.

When Beta 1 is released, I can go into much more detail and with a lot more specifics.  Stay tuned.

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Stardock & Windows Vista

Windows Vista may be the most extensible version of Windows yet.  With its rich new set of APIs that allow users to create unique applications quickly and that the interface has been moved away from GDI (the old drawing method) to a whole presentation system that makes use of 3D hardware acceleration, developers will be able to make Longhorn shine very so brightly.

Stardock's goal on Windows Vista will be much the same as it was on Windows XP -- to enhance and expand the feature set of the OS.  The difference this time is that Microsoft is giving us a lot more tools to play with.

Object Desktop, Stardock's premier suite of desktop enhancement programs will be getting a host of new features in order to enhance the Windows Vista experience through customization and new abilities.  At the same time, Stardock will continue to enhance its support for Windows XP users as well. 

For example, WindowBlinds 5, which goes into beta this Fall, can support Aero-Glass type effects on Windows XP (see screenshot, that's Windows XP).  DesktopX will take widget and gadget making to the next level on Windows Vista.  DesktopX allows users to visually create mini-applications using an object-oriented interface.  But under the covers, DesktopX creates XML and Javascript/VB Script files.  In Windows Vista, our goal will be have DesktopX generate XAML code and hence, on a Avalon-enabled system to make use of everything Avalon has to offer.  And on systems in which Avalon isn't, on, DesktopX can use its own internal DirectGUI engine.

Windows Vista, so far, looks to have more potential for enhancement and extension by third-parties than any Microsoft OS before it.  It's built on a solid foundation and Microsoft really does seem to have taken the view of trying to create the OS as a platform as opposed to the OS as a application bundling opportunity (ala Apple).  We'll keep you posted.

Warning! Typos abound, or should I say hand writing mistakes, If you are eseyly offended Boy bat grammar and spelling, please move on to some one eleses Blog.

So I am writing this with a stylus on a tablet PC. I am amazed by How well The Hand writing Recognition seams to work. I am also amazed By How strange the errors are, when it dose not. I am not a very fast Typist. Nore a very gifted speller, and my penmanship seams To be equally sad. In Short, I should not Be allowed near a tablet PC.

Without, a keyboard, or a spellchecker, I am  pretty much lost, But That is not what I am for in a tablet. I want it to Draw. ever since I saw a pre-tabet Computer called a Q De, way Back in 2000 at Comdex, I have Dremt of having one. My dream as always been to Have a kind of everlasting sketchbook, ant virtual Canvas, all the Freedom of carrying around a pat of paper, with all The power of all The best computer design programs. I often Thought how I would Sit outside ant Sketch Then be able to turn that sketch into a painting, or save it forever, or email it to a friend, (Yes I have once). well have been playing with This one for a few hours now ant, I can safely Say That My Incan is still a ways off.

My first-impressions were Leuc warm, but I have to admit that there is alot to be impressed by as I move on through The Learning curve. As a sketchbook it is not perfect. There is a good 1/4 inch cf pavalax Between were the tip of The pen It its The glass, cut were the "Ink" appears. I have Sean newer mobiles of tablets that have shrunk this to 1/8. But on This particular tablet (a Fujitsu stylistic) The gap is quite Large. There is even a wacom 21" Tablet That only has a gap of around 1/16. But Thats another bog entirely. what this gap means is That it dose not "feel" quite right. however, I did manage to find a enhanced Pen Driver from wacom. That dose make it Pressure sensitive, and allows for a much more natural feeling Than I would have thought.

As for painting, I am a bit Disappointed in The Computer itself. Sadly The Pentiums 3M, and 512megs of ram, are not Hacking it when it comes to Photoshop. Once I get a 8.511 x 11" image at 300 dpi, add in a few layers, and It comes to a crawl. but, It is still pretty cool, As long as I keep the files small.

the last Real problem is The size of The screen cut, resolution. The screen is only 11 ish inches, and running at 1024 x 768.  which, is at the same time, to Small, and to large. the text is very small but, there is not enough screen real estate to fit The Photoshop Pallites. So the working area is very small.

So in Short I will keep dreaming of The perfect tablet PC. At the rate The technology is growing I will Be able to get my Dream one of these says.

P.S. This has taken about 10 times as Long to write, then it would have taken to type.

PSS. I Think this Tablet needs a skin. must ad that to my list.

So what exactly is Multiplicity and why should you use it?  Multiplicity is a program that allows users to take multiple computers in a given room and use them together as if they were one mega-computer.  It's not quite "distributed" computing but in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, it can come pretty darn close.

The idea behind Multiplicity is that each computer in the room still has a monitor hooked up to it.  But only a single "master" computer needs to have a keyboard and mouse.  The computers are connected together via a network connection (wireless, direct ethernet, firewire, whatever).  Multiplicity can detect other computers that have it installed and allow the user to choose the physical location of the other computer (to the left or right of the master computer for example).  When the user moves their mouse cursor onto a screen connected to another computer, the user is then controlling that computer.  It's not remote control.  The monitors are still connected to their respective computers. You're just using one keyboard and mouse to handle your various computers. Multiplicity then sets up a universal clipboard between the machines which helps them work together as one. 

What makes Multiplicity special is its reliability and ease of setup and management.  It's incredibly easy to set up and manage and has a lot of usability options that can help make people highly productive.

Multiplicity is used by all kinds of people.  We've sold copies to test centers where a single person might want to be using several computers at once.  We've sold it to IT departments where the IT administrator might want to clear off their desks of various keyboards and mice and use just one set to control the various computers under or on their desks.  We've sold copies to graphics designers, 3D modelers, software developers, and power users.  We even have a lot of people using it to help them play games.

So how is Multiplicity used? Here are some specific examples:

For those of you who have Multiplicity, let us know how you use it.