That's what I'm waiting to see and I hope it does deliver.

Hi Bill,

I certainly wish you guys luck. My skepticism isn't based on some sort of deep seated issue with The Skins Factory.  My skepticism is based on a pretty considerable level of experience with the capabilities of uxtheme patching and its repricussions.

 

Teddy got a job?

Would take an arm and a leg to get me skinning or using anything other than WB now that i've seen its vast advantages and capabilities and i've skinned both very extensively.

Its not a skinning platform John...its a delivery method for their own original suites.They wont be accepting uploads.  (tho they might ask you to make some)

Looks good but nothing over the top spectacular. From what you can see anyways.



WWW Link

Yeah saw that on dA, my response was *yawn.*

Awesome icon work.

Looks pretty nice. It says the cost is free and that will interest a lot of people   

Will it work with windowblinds.No,ahh well save my money for more windowblinds skins

I agree, I'm not going to downgrade to use a skin which utilizes an 8 year old patch to apply it.

BTW zakai1369, that is the *slowest* loading image ever. Not once in viewing this thread has the entire image loaded.

How do you know it won't work with Windowblinds?



That is not going to matter to the mass market that it out there.
What will matter is
- Does it work
- Does it work without problems
- Does it look cool
- and what will it cost

Why should anyone bother if it's fifty year old technology or todays technology - if it gets the four things I mentioned it could be hugely popular. As has been said before it's a direct competitor to MyColors and the market out there for 'Press and Go' skinning is enormous. Thousands and thosands times larger than those of us who are Object Desktop subscribers. These people don't give a toss about technology and the intricacies of skinning and customization. If it looks great and appeals to them, they'll go for it.   

Jesh has stated that he won't use any stardock technology.  Period.

What does it matter about the age of the technology?  Because times have changed and the rest of the world is moving on.  WB skins more elements and skins Vista.  Those are two big issues.  If you have XP today and buy a MyColors theme you know it will work through your upgrade.  With a patched solution you don't know for sure if it will even work after a MS update not to mention a different OS.

Marketing might be critical here.

SkinStudio5 MSStyles converter

The icons in the preview look rather nice but knowing the limitations of patched visual styles there really isn't a hell of a lot that can be done that hasn't been done before.. several times over.

Its one thing to make a snazzy iconset and a cool wall..although this one isn't that snazzy (sorta gives off a rehashed mac swirl look with some gridlines) :NOTSURE: .. but when paired with bitmapped, rough edged visual style frames, no dropshadows and the other limitations of the format I'd be surprised to see much that will bring something new to the genre.

Lastly.. 6 themes? If im not mistaken.. Isn't it.. one theme.. recolored 5 times? :p 

Anyway.. I could be WAY off... who knows.   

I obviously misread the initial comment and I took it that the writer meant compatibility with WB, in that both could work albeit, separately, on the same machine.



Those issues are minor, the patches and fixes can always be updated quickly. They won't put off the vast majority of people from trying Hyperdesk especially if TSF come up with a few cool looking free themes to start off their product launch. It's going to be an interesting few weeks and months. Competition will be good for Stardock and it's customers.

Time to upset you guys... you're all ASSUMING Hyperdesk is uxTheme based, but do you KNOW for certain, no, you don't. Even if it is a uxtheme patch, the system has in the past and still continues to function adequately for a good many people that use StyleXP and TuneUp Utilities, (take a look at the volume of content on DeviantART (for one) to see that), and I would venture to say that HyperDesk will find a niche in the customisation world, if the software works and "does what it says on the box".

SO, why do you feel the need to denegrate software and authors PRIOR to the release of any details about, or indeed, the release of the software ??? Messiah started this thread to discuss Hyperdesk, not to launch a platform for you all to have a go at TSF and their Software, what's wrong?, do you feel that the success of the highly inadequate (in the respect of x64 support, which is non-existant) MyColors will in some way be threatened??? I got news for you people, competition is good !!!

As to so-called "Master" Skinners, and others saying that they will not skin for aging technology, again, I got news for you.... you already are doing by refusing to accept that XP is now over 5 years old in its x32 form and only 2 years+ old in its x64 incarnation and clinging to this technolgy because you don't want to use MS Vista, either in x32 or x64, and state that you'll wait for the next OS version. You may have a long wait, MS, like StarDock, is in business to make money and they won't release a new OS until they recoup at least a major part of their development costs for Vista. So what you gonna do when MS release the new OS and you find it's only x64, (have you tried to buy any x32 Hardware components recently???), stop skinning and producing software ? .... I think not! It's time you all took a good, long look at the way technology is advancing and get onboard sooner rather than later, (the IconPackager fiasco being a good point to make here as all request in the forums have been met with delaying tactics (it's be released at the end of the week), or by StarDock and WinCustomize Staff just totally ignoring requests for information and x64 users have only been waiting for an update since the release of v3.00 which was included in the IPv3.20 update)).

The Forums were a good platform for discussion, information and help on many subjects but, in my opinion they have degenerated into the source of mis-information, or worse, the lack of information, which I and the other subscribers of Object Desktop are entitled to, and where, if you don't subscribe to person A's point of view or you ask what person A believes to be an unreasonable question, you are often verbally attacked or dismissed out-of-hand for having the audacity to make your post.

Oh! and I DO read the Forum Posts at least twice daily to try to keep abreast of developments.

I DO expect to be "flamed" for my comments, it's what I see for less contentious posts made here in the Forums and expect to be treated with the same disrespect as my peers, BUT, unless the situation improves and people are treated with respect and (even negative) answers are given to questions asked, we may as well just give you our £35-£40 and not expect any support WHEN WE NEED IT.

Finhbar, there's lots of information scattered around other skinning forums regarding the technology under hyperdesk.

I'm not arguing about whether the technology is good or bad or whether the art is good or bad.  But posting about one skinning company in another skinning companies forum is going to generate these types of discussions.

Me, I want a complete skinning experience.  ODNT does that more than any other service.  I expect it will continue to skin more elements better than any other product.  That does not mean I will exclude trying other product though and evaluating them fairly.

And as has been said previously . . the WMP skins and icons that TSF produces are extraordinary.  Those may get more use than the skins (especially since I use Vista  )

Why flame.. when u can be cool?  :HOT: 

Like I said.. I could be way off.. no one is denegrating anything. I'm basing my comments on skinning Visual styles for years.. I worked for StyleXP\TGTsoft. I do have some working background knowledge.. If somehow TSF has added antialiased frames, transparency, dropshadows, extra buttons, etc to the format..everything WB offers above and beyond VS... then good for them.   

As far as Vista goes, I personally use it, skin it...have been for many months and have a 64 bit machine.

Regards,

So-called Master Skinner.  

Many thanks for taking the time to comment John, interesting AND valid points that you make, which will ensure that your art will be enjoyed by many for a good while to come I hope.   :LOL: 

I apologise if you were offended by the "so-called" reference, it was not intended personally but in a more generalistic context with regards to issues I have here with the awarding of grading "Stars" awarded to submissions at WC, namely that only Apprentices and above (Skinners, right??) get to vote, when it is surely more accurate for the end-user to vote, and as it stands at the moment, they can only do that by downloading an item and increasing its' popularity. So I hope you will forgive me, it was not my intention to malign or attack you by inference.

Its all good my friend.

Any subscriber can rate.  If you cannot, please log out, clean your cookies, and log back in.

Thank for the info Zubaz, will try that but last time I mouse-hovered over the ratings it came up with "Only Apprentice and above are allowed to rate, etc".

I havent been able to rate for over a month, logged in, cookies or not.

ditto