Island Dog Island Dog

MyColors Ankh Desktop – Free for Object Desktop Subscribers

MyColors Ankh Desktop – Free for Object Desktop Subscribers

https://www.stardock.com/products/mycolors/gallery.asp?p=ankh

Current Object Desktop subscribers now have access to the latest MyColors premium skin called ‘Ankh’.   This smooth theme includes a complete visual style for Windows XP and Vista with a real “ancient” Egyptian feel.  Also included is a pack of icons that have some amazing detail.

If you are an Object Desktop subscriber, you will find this MyColors theme available in the My Software area of Impulse.  If you don’t have Impulse installed already, you can get it from here.

https://www.stardock.com/media/mailers/Ankh_vista.jpg

283,319 views 95 replies
Reply #26 Top

Quoting TheSkinsFactory, reply 24
Like i said "design mistakes" are a relative thing.

I wouldn't say relative, more like subjective. Your opinion on the choice of color doesn't make the skin flawed, neither does your opinion on the quality of the ankh symbols. You write like you're the final authority on what makes a "perfect" skin. I've seen the creations you've come up with... It all looks good, but they certainly do not contain less "design mistakes" (I mean that they contain bits and pieces which I'd rather see made different) than this skin do.

You really should take the same care in how you voice your opinions on Stardock releases, as your posts around the forums clearly state you expect from them concerning your own products.

 

 

Reply #27 Top

It's called an opinion and this is a forum and i don't have to justify my opinions to you.  And I am an authority as i have done this professionally for 10 years. If you want to play by your own rules then you have no right to call me out anymore than i can call out things i see as 'mistakes'. So which is it? Are we allowed to make comments on our forum or should we all sit back like little sheep and say nothing.

And since when is making suggestions wrong? WTF?

 

And yes it's "subjective" not "relative".

Reply #28 Top
Well with everything said I think it looks great. Thank you for the free skin. While I'm at it I would like to thank everyone for the free skins they provide.
Reply #29 Top

Quoting TheSkinsFactory, reply 8
Same color scheme as our 7 year old Age of Mythology theme. Which means our WMP skin would work quite well with this.


You're absolutely right!  I checked it out, and it would make an awesome accompaniment to this skin.  I have one question before I download it (because I have precious little space on my harddrive of late), does your Age of Mythology WMP have a taskbar player with it?  I like to listen to music softly in the background when I'm working, but I have to constantly fiddle with the volume settings, depending on what ELSE I'm listening to (doctors dictating reports that I'm suppose to be transcribing...the quality of audio of which fluctuates constantly between doctors).  If the player doesn't have a taskbar player, then it's too cumbersome for me to use and not worth the drive space. 

Reply #30 Top

I'm using it right now so I can answer that for you. Yes,it does minimize to the taskbar. It looks perfect with this theme btw. Like all the TSF WMP skins,the quality and detail is excellent.

The file size for the skin is 1,566 kb so don't worry about the drive space being used.

Reply #31 Top

Thanks, Wiz!  Off to download...:)

Reply #32 Top
I absolutely love this theme its perfect. The detail and colors are great. Are you planning on doing a widget pack also? I'm currently using the RB_Clock_beta but it won't skin with this theme. In the meantime, the rockstar, aeroexecutive,plasfan skins work ok with it, mostly with the stretched version
Reply #33 Top
Wow, what a debate, i like the color scheme a lot, and this egyptian theme is just a breath of fresh air, so what if there is a little this or little that, it still looks pretty darn good to me,nit picking, this is supposed to be fun
Reply #36 Top
Great theme!! I can't get the folder icons to work. The empty folders are showing correctly, but the icons for the other folders, which have contents, are showing a black front. I have tried the usual things, rebooted, re-applied the theme and rebooted, 'rebuild icon cache', 'repair icon images', etc. Nothing is working. I've even used the customize icon function from the 'properties' context menu to change one individual icon. Thanks for the theme.
Reply #37 Top
This is easily the nicest theme available with My Colors for free and tops many of the premium skins in my Opinion. Well done! :CONGRAT: :CONGRAT: :CONGRAT:
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Reply #38 Top

Quoting TheSkinsFactory, reply 2

And since when is making suggestions wrong? WTF?

When formulated in a way that looks to discredit the designer. I've seen posts against your creations that is as clearly an attack on you the same way this is clearly an attack on the stardock team.

Even if you don't agree with me, and don't feel that you've been overly subjectively aggressive. I think we all (including me) need to start expressing ourself more objectively, could we agree to try it anyway? (Not just you and me, but the entire community. I think we can all benefit from it)

Reply #39 Top

Quoting jackyjoe, reply 10
still not available to me yet. anyone have an answer for this? I am a subscriber

Make sure you're logged on correctly to Impulse, and that your MyColors is updated.

Click on the lightning orb....and select the "change Logon" thing and put in your email and password and click ok...that should get you into Impulse...then check to see if your MyColors is installed correctly and updated.

If everything is kosher, you should be able to update and Ankh should show up.

Reply #40 Top

Nice skin, thanks!  Love the way you did the light reflections on the min/max/close buttons and the start button (love the start button period for that matter).  Love the bouncing deally-bop-thingie in the start menu (dazzle you with my technical terms? XD )

Reply #41 Top

1. The Ankh symbol needs some work. Seriously. I mean the theme is names Ankh, you could at least create the most beautiful and accurate design of one. 2. Next/Previous Arrow buttons: arrows are too dark if its in idle state. If its in disabled then its ok. 3. The green taskbar button looks out of place. Should have carried over the blue from the start menu to tie in the windows, icons and start menu with taskbar.

When I pass a skin sround for testing and such, this is the type of critique I want. Honest and to the point. 

There is only a couple of you out there that will tell it like it is. The rest don't want to hurt your feelings. Friends can be your worst critics in that they won't tell you the truth. A true friend will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They will skate around the point allowing room for confusion. It's a tough world, learn to handle the fat raw or get walked on your entire life. Accept that people can be rude. That doesn't make them wrong or less knowledgable.

 

Reply #42 Top

Quoting Night, reply 16

Honest and to the point.
 

Yes, I agree. It's a good thing to be honest and to the point. My problem is not the content of the post, it's that TSF has written posts on how wrong it is when people do posts similar to this one about his skins, specially if it's a moderator/stardock employee that has an opinion.

Reply #43 Top

Quoting Night, reply 16
1. The Ankh symbol needs some work. Seriously. I mean the theme is names Ankh, you could at least create the most beautiful and accurate design of one. 2. Next/Previous Arrow buttons: arrows are too dark if its in idle state. If its in disabled then its ok. 3. The green taskbar button looks out of place. Should have carried over the blue from the start menu to tie in the windows, icons and start menu with taskbar.

When I pass a skin sround for testing and such, this is the type of critique I want. Honest and to the point. 

There is only a couple of you out there that will tell it like it is. The rest don't want to hurt your feelings. Friends can be your worst critics in that they won't tell you the truth. A true friend will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They will skate around the point allowing room for confusion. It's a tough world, learn to handle the fat raw or get walked on your entire life. Accept that people can be rude. That doesn't make them wrong or less knowledgable.

 

That's very true, with respect to technical issues. When it comes to color, and more subjective items, the issues tend to revolve around personal taste. In another thread, a comment was made and I responded, in retrospect (always 20/20) more emotionally than I thought at the time.

I think that in public threads this is problematic. "Honest" answers should be made in pm to avoid needless, often misunderstood, and poorly thought out exchanges. Often, quick responses are problematic, and we become victims of what we wrote and how it's taken vs. what we meant and didn't say or tried, but didn't succeed in saying correctly.

On the other hand, I believe that open honest criticism should be encouraged....really a very difficult thing to balance, especially when cultural and language difficulties are present (we are international, here).

Wish there was an easy answer to all this, but there really isn't.

Reply #44 Top

I gave the artist (who i assumed was Pixel Pirate) some professional advice which he can take or leave. My choice of words may be a little harsh, i called them "design mistakes" because that what they are to me, but i was very clear that this was my opinion and one person's flaws is another person's uber idea. I probably should have said "design choices". I apologize to Lasse for not wording it better and more accurately.

We did that color scheme for an egyptian theme for Microsoft Game Studio 7 years ago and our wmp skin fits perfect with it which was the original reason i posted. To say "hey we have something that goes with this you can use forum people". As i was looking the art director in me starts nit picking. It's what i do for a living, so naturally i made some comments. The difference is its just me making them. It's not me, Billy, Kol, Roman, Tony all coming in and bashing it which happens to us here. Albeit much less lately. Just one person who does it for a living's personal opinion. I wasn't even bashing it. I just saw some things that could improve it imho.

 

Reply #45 Top

Quoting TheSkinsFactory, reply 19

Wonder Twin Powers Activate! Shape of... Arrogant Prick... Now i don't know why mickeko you think you can keep calling me out, we're not in the same league. I've been art directing skins for 10 years. 10. For Fortune 100 companies. You seem to think you're some wise skinning forum sage. You've been a member for less than a year. So don't act like we're peers. We're not. Now that's not to say you don't have a right to speak your mind. I'm just saying it doesn't mean s**t to me.

I'm not calling you out. I don't give a damn even if you'd be Michelangelo reincarnated, and currently restore the paintings in the sistine chapel, you still wouldn't have the definitive answer to what's wrong or not in making a theme. A flaw would be something that is clearly broken, not a choice of a color (which actually (in my opinion) is a color that is very "egyptiesque", and as such (logically) is not out of place in a theme like this, regardless of being used elsewhere or not).

Your attempt to apply a "rulebook" on how to color a theme is nothing but elitist bulls**t.

You are ofcourse entitled to your own opinion. The above is mine.

Reply #46 Top

There's nothing "elitist" about my opinion. I do this for a living you noob. I gave him my professional opinion. I never said i was right. My "so-called rulebook" has lead the world's top entertainment, technology and media companies to my door for 10 years. Wtf have you accomplished?

You take a good long look at my company's client list and you tell me i don't know what the f**k i'm talking about: http://www.theskinsfactory.com/skinsfactory/?page=clients

I edited my other comment in an effort to keep the peace. But i stand by it.

Reply #47 Top
I get the registration in Impulse, but can I see the theme in "My Software"! Am I doing something wrong as my subscription is valid until the end of next year?
Reply #48 Top

As always this denigrates to something hostile which was not my intention. My intention was if you're going to use this theme you should check out a Windows Media Player skin that fits with it perfectly. You can find it here: http://www.theskinsfactory.com/skinsfactory/?page=view&portID=93&portPage=6

 

Just credit us if you use it in a screenshot.

 

I'm not commenting on anything not pertaining to the theme any longer.

Reply #49 Top
I see the point regarding the taskbar button color, like I said above. It's something I could "fix", if Stardock decides so. I just wanted the selected state to really stand out next to the others, and I tried different colors all along the building process. I see the point regarding the start button too. I think Jeff might have an idea there. We don't agree on the ankh symbol though, which is fine. It's all just a matter of opinion, and no one have pissed me of here. To each their own. :)
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Reply #50 Top

Mebion,you might try clicking on the Impulse orb and selecting Preferences,then click on Reset Data and close Impulse.Reopen Impulse and see if the theme shows up then.