3 Stardock Apps for a Productive Office Desktop
Friday, July 18, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
Whether you work in a traditional office environment or have your own home office setup, having your Windows desktop working at maximum efficiency is a key step in being as productive as possible. Stardock makes a bunch of great desktop customization and enhancement apps, and while they all offer a benefit to the desktop, I wanted to write about the ones I think are a huge benefit to your productivity as well.
I have used these applications in my home office for years, and I can say without a doubt they help keep my desktop organized and keep my workflow going.
Fences®
Fences is really one of those must-have tools for your desktop. It’s been very popular since it was first introduced and millions of users use it to keep their desktop icons clean and organized. Fences gives you the ability to create shaded areas on your desktop that hold your icons so you can keep them organized and your desktop clutter-free. Multiple fences can be created and their size and shape can be adjust to fit on your desktop just how you like them.
ObjectDock™
ObjectDock puts an animated dock on your desktop where you can launch applications, file shortcuts, folders, and more. The dock can be customized with custom backgrounds and icons, the size and position can be changed, and effects can also be applied. In addition, ObjectDock also supports docklets which are mini-apps that can display information like the weather, calendar, clocks, and more. ObjectDock also has tabbed docks which makes it easy to organize apps and shortcuts by using sorting them into different tabs. It’s a fantastic way to have quick access to frequently used items.
Tiles™
If you have lots of running applications on your Windows desktop then Tiles is an app that can help you greatly. Tiles puts a customizable sidebar on your desktop which contains multiple pages that let you manage your running tasks and application windows. You can switch between pages by swiping your mouse or using the keyboard, and Tiles even supports multi-touch displays.
$5 Stardock Apps for Windows 8
Monday, July 7, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
Stardock has several apps under $5 that are designed to make Windows 8/Windows 8.1 easier to use and to restore lost features such as the Start menu. Below is a quick overview of each app and what it can do to enhance your Windows 8 experience.
Start8®
The start menu in Windows 8 was removed, and in the 8.1 update, Microsoft brought the start button back. Unfortunately, their start button DOES NOT bring the Start Menu with it, it launches the Windows 8 Menu. Start8 returns the missing Windows 8 start menu and brings additional features like customization, pinning of desktop and Metro apps, unified search, and more.
Start8 was listed in the "PCWorld Top 100 BEST" list, covered by USA Today, Forbes, CBS News, the Wall Street Journal and more!
ModernMix™
There are some cool and useful Modern UI apps available for Windows 8. The problem is, these apps take up the entire screen when opened, which is annoying when running an app like the weather app. ModernMix takes those apps using the Modern UI (Metro) and puts them in desktop windows so you can easily re-size, switch back and forth through running applications, and easily close out of them.
Decor8™
Windows 8 limits your start screen customization options to only a few provided background images and a few pre-defined color schemes. Decor8 removes these limitations and provides the freedom to personalize your start screen with your own images and colors.
Launch8™
Launch8 is an application for the Windows 8 Start screen which places a stationary dock on the Start screen. The Launch8 dock stays in place while you scroll through the Start screen and lets you quickly launch applications right from the dock. You can add apps to the dock by dragging and dropping so you’ll always have quick access regardless of where you have swiped through your Start screen.
Using Object Desktop Manager
Thursday, May 1, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
If you are a subscriber to Object Desktop, it gives you a bunch of great applications like WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, Start8, ModernMix, and more. We also make a download and update manager specifically for Object Desktop users so you can easily manage the apps available to you with your subscription. I wanted to give you a look at Object Desktop Manager, and how you can take full advantage of it.
Learn more about Object Desktop
Purchase Object Desktop for just $49.99
Downloading ODM
You can find the download to Object Desktop Manager in your Stardock account. Here you can also download your apps individually if you need to do so. Just download and install the app and enter your Stardock account credentials.
Installing and Updating Apps
Installing and updating your Object Desktop apps is the main focus of Object Desktop Manager. Once ODM is setup you will see a list of all the applications available for you to download and install. All you have to do now is check which apps you want and click the install button. The installation will proceed and you’ll just follow a few prompts, and soon you will have all these cool apps ready for your desktop.
Updating app is very similar. As you can see in the screenshot below there’s an update for ModernMix, so I just need to check the box on that and install. When a new update is available Object Desktop Manager can notify you via the system tray, and you can even configure ODM to download the updates.
Managing Your Object Desktop Apps and Subscriptions
Not sure if you have a particular app installed? Need to uninstall it for some reason? No problem. Just click ‘Installed’ at the top of the ODM app and you’ll see a list of all the apps you currently have installed. You can even launch the software from here or uninstall apps from here as well.
Clicking the ‘Subscriptions’ link you can see your Object Desktop subscription information like your expiration date and product key. If you have a subscription to WinCustomize.com, you can also see the expiration date for that too. From here you can press the Extend button and be taken to our store to renew/extend your subscription.
Additional Settings
The default settings in Object Desktop Manager will work for most users, but if you need to change some of the configuration you can do that in the settings window. Just click the gear icon in the upper-right of ODM and click Settings. Here you can configure a variety of other settings like showing beta versions of app, launching ODM at Windows start, update check time and auto-downloading of updates, file locations, and more.
3 Tips for Using Stardock's Fences
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
Fences has been one of the most popular desktop organization apps since its introduction several years ago. It has nearly 5 million downloads on Download.com alone and has been recommended by many publications including Lifehacker, PCWorld, and more.
If you aren’t familiar with what Fences does, let me give a brief explanation. If you have a desktop full of icons they can quickly add up and become an unorganized mess in a hurry. Fences lets users create shaded areas on the desktop which contain groups of icons which you can organize inside these areas.
There’s lots of other cool features in Fences that can help you to keep your desktop organized, and here are 3 of my favorite tips to get the most out of using Stardock’s Fences.
Use Rules for Sorting
This is an awesome feature that I think some users might overlook when setting up Fences. You can setup rules in Fences which will help you with sorting and auto-organizing icons. By default, any new icons appearing on your desktop just go right to the desktop. By using a rule, you can set it up to where a certain type of icon will be placed in a fence that you define.
For instance, you can create a rule that will place all new image icons into a fence you have created just for that purpose. You can choose from a variety of types for your rules such as images, documents, folders, web links, and more. You can also set name-based and time-based rules as well.
Customize the Appearance
We like customization, and there’s quite a few ways you can customize your fences. My personal favorite ability is being able to adjust the transparency of a fence. This works great when trying to blend in with a desktop wallpaper I might be using. Fences also allows you to adjust the color by using sliders, and you can also adjust the label text, size, and font used.
Another cool trick is that you can hide a fence by right-clicking the fence, and setting it’s opacity to 0. With that set, the fence and its icons will be hidden until you mouseover the fence.
Create Folder Portals
Do you have a favorite folder you access al the time and want an easier way to interact with it? With Fences you can create a Folder Portal that you can access the contents of any folder right on your desktop. Setting up a portal is nearly the same as setting up a regular fence, but you’ll just need to select the folder to you want to access.
Customize Your Windows Desktop With These $10 Apps
Friday, March 14, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization
The ability to customize your Windows desktop has been around for quite some time now, and there's never been a better time to jump in and start making Windows look and work how you want it to. We've previously talked about how Stardock has several $5 apps to make Windows 8 more usable, and today we're going to take it a step further with some other customization and enhancement apps that are just $10.
Lets take a look at some of the best and most popular desktop customization apps that you can use to completely change the look and feel of Windows 8 and Windows 7.
WindowBlinds
WindowBlinds is the flagship application in the Object Desktop suite, and has been downloaded more than 18 million times on Download.com alone. WindowBlinds lets Windows users change the entire look of Windows by applying skins to the user interface. There are thousands available for download on sites like WinCustomize.com which offers a huge variety of skins in just about every color and design you could possibly imagine.
Users can even customize skins further by applying colors, textures, and by adjusting the transparency of different parts of the user interface. If you are using Windows 8 and the popular Start8 application to bring back the start menu, then WindowBlinds will also skin the start menu to match the rest of the skin.
TIP: Object Desktop includes all the apps we talked about today.
Get WindowBlinds for just $9.99.
DeskScapes
DeskScapes is another popular app, and it also goes along perfectly with other apps such as WindowBlinds. DeskScapes brings animation to your desktop by using videos and animated pictures as your desktop background. You can also customize your own background wallpaper with effects, and also includes support for multiple monitors.
TIP: Create your own animated wallpapers with the DreamMaker app included with DeskScapes.
WindowFX
WindowFX is a another cool product that really enhances your desktop experience by adding over 30 animated effects to your desktop windows and over 20 that can be added to your start menu. Animations can be applied to such things like open and closing windows, moving windows, and more.
Other features including the ability to automatically resize windows, hide labels on desktop icons, and use a focus feature to highlight open windows.
TIP: Many of the animations can be configured with different animation styles
Reminder: Backup Your Object Desktop Apps!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
This is something I’ve talked about many times before, but it always deserves repeating and a reminder every once in a while. When you purchase a subscription to Object Desktop you get a great deal on a whole suite of the best desktop enhancement and skinning applications available.
Included with your subscription is:
- WindowBlinds
- DeskScapes
- Fences
- Start8
- ModernMix
- Tiles
- and more!
As long as your subscription is active, you will always get updates to the latest versions and any new apps that are added during that time. While most people renew for many years, some also let their subscriptions lapse or just subscribe for one year at a time. When your subscription is no longer active, you will no longer have access to new updates, but you will still have the apps you had during your subscription to use.
However, it is very important that you backup and archive those apps for future use. If you are using the Object Desktop Manager app, it will save your downloaded files to a folder on your hard drive.
Typically, they will be here: C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\Stardock
You can specify that location in the ODM preferences.
Even if you have the Object Desktop Manager installed and use it, I also recommend downloading the individual files from your Stardock account and making a second backup with those. You can access your downloads here.
Premium Themes Gives Your Desktop a Custom Look and Feel
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization
There are a lot of Object Desktop users out there, and while there are some great resources available for skins and themes like WinCustomize.com, but some people just want a custom theme pack that can give them a new desktop look. We have a bunch of premium themes designed and built by the top skin artists available, and they include a premium WindowBlinds skin, icon package, wallpapers, and useful desktop gadget. When you purchase a premium theme, you will receive a .zip file that contains all related files you will need.
As mentioned, you will need Object Desktop or at least the major components like WindowBlinds and IconPackager which is needed to apply skins and icon packs. The description of each theme will let you know exactly what you need, and these premium themes are designed for Windows 7/Vista/XP.
While you can browse through all the great premium themes at the link above, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites that I think you will also like.
Pirate Theme
This is one of my favorites. I mean who doesn’t like pirates, right? This theme includes a pirate-themed visual style complete with a pirate flag, matching wallpapers and pirate icons which will give your boring desktop a completely new look.
Spring Theme
As the name implies, this theme is all about the Spring season with vibrant colors that is sure to get your out of the Winter rut and ready for a warmer season. This theme includes a WindowBlinds skin, icon pack, custom wallpaper, and a desktop gadget.
Dragon Theme
This has been one of the more popular premium themes over the years. One of the reasons could be the awesome animated start menu with a fire-breathing dragon on top! Like the others, this theme comes with all the components you need to makeover your desktop with the likeness of a mythical creature.
3 Tips for Using Stardock's Start8
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
Start8 from Stardock has made computing life much easier for users of Windows 8 since it was first released. Start8 brings back the start menu to Windows 8 along with other functionality that gives users a more familiar and enjoyable user experience.
Start8 is very easy to use, but I always like to write about tips that maybe some people might not know about, but should.
Start8 Works with WindowBlinds
WindowBlinds is another application from Stardock that most will probably be familiar with. It gives users the ability to apply one of thousands of skins available that change the look and feel of your Windows desktop. The topic of Start8 and WindowBlinds working together has come up several times recently, so I wanted to detail how they work well together.
A WindowBlinds skin will typically include a skinned start menu and start button to match the overall skin. Using both of these apps you can have a completely skinned and customized desktop with a full start menu on Windows 8. You can also choose in the WB settings to either use the start button provided with the WindowBlinds skin, or use the buttons in Start8. Either way, you have control over the look.
Use a Custom Start Button
As I mentioned above, Start8 has the ability to use custom start buttons. There are several already included, and there are many available to download from the Start8 gallery on WinCustomize.com. In the Start8 configuration, under Style, just click the ‘Custom Image’ box and you can select your custom image to use.
Creating your own start button is super simple. We even have a free tool available to easily create them. Download it here.
Use Advanced Tweaks in Start8
This is probably something a little less known, but Start8 also has an Advanced Tweaks setting which gives you some additional features. Some of these include enabling/disabling for different users, showing hidden items in the Programs list, limited the scope of search results, and more.
You can access these by opening Start8Tweak.exe which is in your Start8 application directory.
Get a Holiday Desktop with Stardock Apps and WinCustomize Skins
Tuesday, December 3, 2013 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization
The holiday season is here! Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, or just like to give your desktop a winter inspired look, I wanted to give some tips on how to achieve a festive look. There are thousands and thousands of skins and themes available here on WinCustomize, and the holiday season is one that has a lot of skins available. Whether you want just a festive wallpaper, or a complete theme for your desktop, we have it covered.
Holiday WindowBlinds Skins
If you want a complete change to the way Windows looks, then look no further than WindowBlinds. There are lots of holiday themes available and they also serve as a great base for other customization tools.
TIP: New to WindowBlinds? Here's an informative walkthrough.
Here are some recommended holiday-inspired skins:
ObjectDock Backgrounds and Icons
ObjectDock is one of the best desktop tools to organize your frequently used app shortcuts, site urls, and more. It’s also customizable by changing the background and adding custom icons to the dock.
TIP: Learn how to change the ObjectDock Background theme here.
Cool holiday themes for ObjectDock:
Animated Holiday Wallpapers with DeskScapes
DeskScapes gives users the ability to have animated wallpapers on their desktop. There is something really cool and fun with having an animated holiday display right on your Windows desktop. On WinCustomize there are animated wallpapers of lighted Christmas trees and an animated fireplace that you can use.
TIP: Learn more about using DeskScapes here.
Some animated wallpapers to try out:
Change Your Cursor to a Holiday theme with CursorFX
You follow the cursor around on your desktop all day, so why not change it to a custom animated theme? CursorFX lets Windows users change their cursor to one of thousands available. Many of these have some fantastic animations and many are made to match several popular WindowBlinds skins so you can get the complete look you are after.
Holiday CursorFX themes to check out:
The Most Popular WindowBlinds Skin of All Time!
Thursday, November 21, 2013 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization
Since we’re spending this month celebrating 15 years of skinning WindowBlinds, I wanted to find out what was the most popular download on WinCustomize.com. From the best I can tell and confirm, Vista Plus Version 3 comes in with over 900,000 downloads since it was released in 2006.
Vista Plus Version 3 by adni18
It’s a little funny a Vista skin has been one of the most downloaded, but as some of you might remember the glassy look was really popular and many skinners created a bunch of skins with that look during that time. This was a skin that was designed to be used on XP to get that look, and as with all of adni18’s skins, he did a remarkable job at creating this style.