no

I suspect the performance on Windows 7 is more to do with the PCs running Windows 7 vs XP are quicker and have much more memory.  The framework is almost certainly pretty much identical.

.NET suffers terribly with fragmented HDs and those XP installs may well be a little less clean than those 7 installs (Plus SSDs really help with .NET app startup times)

Of course those PCs running Windows XP may well be slower so in general XP users may find the performance will be worse with the .NET apps than the average Windows 7 user.

Actually due to the speed of cpus and the number of threads a cpu can now process, GDI performance on Windows 7 is pretty decent and there is little need to develop two different drawing routines.  This is especially helped with Windows 7 no longer having basically a single thread for all GDI operations.

In some ways Windows 7 actually has better GDI performance than the hardware accelerated Windows XP, something that became very obvious during the development of the WindowBlinds 7 UI.

According to the Windows 7 engineering blog, they're trying to put it all into video memory and accelerate common GDI operations - so yeah, GDI is (at least partially) hardware accelerated again.

In reading all the replies I agree with the thinking that the capatibility of the software needs to move forward to Win 7.

I also understand that at some point in time XP will not longer be addressed, again no problem with that. 

I have a XP system and a Vista system which will be upgraded to Win 7 this month.  I'll keep the XP system as long as it keeps working and I'll keep updating Stardock software on it untill it stops working.  I'm not going to get another computer to be able to run Vista, that would be just silly. 

Some folks will be able to update from XP or Vista to Win 7 some won't,  Some folks will stop using Stardock software and new members will join the community.  With things like this, it always seems to even out, as long as the product keeps pace with the technology.

Well, at least it's what I think.

K, time for some tough love... THE first thing I checked on Win 7.. the Aero clones, midnight, executive etc. Look great with huge taskbar, as soon as u revert .... broke. Taskbar is too thin, start button is half submerged.

Looks to me that u can skin for either a fat or thin taskbar but not both, just one thing I have already found that needs attn in WB7 ...imo.

revert to what? thin taskbar? i doubt many people will use a thin taskbar in win7 after getting used to the 'super bar'. i was old on the new taskbar after using it for 10 minutes. john, if you skin for a thin taskbar in Win7, I'm sure all 3 people who use it will be very happy.

oh yeah!!   GO COLTS!

No offense but u really have no idea how many people will John, I might just have a little more of a finger on the pulse than u.. maybe.....?

Regardless, is that any reason to not have it work both ways? I HATE the big taskbar... why wouldn't many others? Looks like a lego taskkbar.

Very few people are even on 7 thus far so we really have no idea how popular a fat bar will be.

Whats the logic behind it?  certainly edges in on real estate, Almost every skinner , and customizer i know who has used it has reverted to the smaller normal taskbar. Customizers have complained for YEARS about how big the taskbar was, WE WANT A SLIM TASKBAR !!! WAAHHH !!! and MS pushes this on us??

The first thing I checked on Win 7 already has provided a reason to make yet another substyle.. to please everyone.

Fact is.. it doesnt work well.. both ways.. it's broke.. it needs attention.

If people werent going to use a slimmer bar, why did MS provide an option to use it?

Since when was business about pleasing those only using the latest and greatest?

and no GO JAGS !!!!!!!!!!

Well said.  I've been running Object Desktop for a LONG time now and have been skinning my OS since the days of OS/2 and Kaleidoscope for Mac OS 8.  I've heard Mac users talk about their wonderous interface since OS X showed up and to be honest I think the Windows-based PC is certainly more customizable (using WindowBlinds, Icon Packager and of coure OD,,,)

Bit we've come a long way since the days of Windows 95/98/2000 and XP.  It's time that more of the new stuff is designed for the next generations of Windows OS (Vista and now Windows 7).  There are too few skins that enhance the functionality of Windows 7 and we see too few skins that are functional and good looking.  I miss the excellent skins that people like Essorant, Andi18, Mormegil, Kol, Boxxi, MikeB and so many others developed for the earlier versions of Windows.  Now the skins are very generic and many fail to be more than something I'll choose over the standard OS interface occasionally.  Windows 7 looks GREAT and it takes a lot to switch over to something new.

Since MyColors hasn't been updated for Windows 7 and many of the current WindowBlinds/iconPackages seem to still be designed with Windows XP in mind, I'm hopeful that there will be a trend in the coming months looking to update many of the classic skins and bring a new excitement to customizing Windows 7 (which I'll have to agree with Frogboy - it's a great looking and working OS).

Thanks for making my point. They are generic because skinning them has become very restrictive.

Many of the older great skins were not designed with Win 7 in mind and therefore will require redesign into a more generic form.

Something tells me the authors aren't about to do that.

Open up Win 7 more and give us more freedom and control of every independent area and the glory days of skinning.. will return.

Once again I'm with Snowy, as long as I can skin it, add My own folders and shortcuts to it and it works, I'll be more than satisfied.

.................Forgot to ask, are any current MyColors Themes going to get a 7 version added ????

After playing around with WindowsBlinds a bit more (on my Vista system) - the transition between Windows themes and Stardock themes is still a bit rough. Sometimes Windows seems to forget about hardware acceleration and has difficulties getting Aero back.

Also, the scroll bar at the bottom of the new WindowsBlinds UI - honestly, it's a bit thin.

it's not worth having an opinion anymore.

Your minimizing a genuine concern... just because you like it, does not in any way mean others will.

just because you may have a big monitor.. doesn't mean others.. do. In addition, monitor size is not the only determining factor.

When your in business to provide a service, you have to consider as broad an audience as you can, to the extent.. it is possible for you to do so.

You say 'most' of the people you know? Check the screenshot galleries sometime and not just this site, all the custo. sites. You'll be hard pressed to find many even double taskbars. Do some research before you come telling me how many people do or don't want something.

Def. needs to be a couple to 4 pixels taller.

------------------------------------------------------

Honestly as much good feedback as I'm getting in 'support' of improving WB for the better from those that can do something about it or at least reply in this thread, starting to wonder why I bother. Sure I'm griping, trying to get some folks involved for my cause but it is for the betterment of skinning that I do so.. if everyone want's as someone already quoted, galleries full of "generic" looking themes, by all means ignore me.

An Example being ToonXP. We'll not see the likes of this again

Agreed. I like a more minimalist approach, even on 1920x1200.

John -

Have you tried a vertical taskbar setup yet on W7?  Just curious, because that's my working preference, most displays being large & landscape.

....

It's ok to take an opposing view on something John, but you have to be prepared to look at the big picture and not just the 'folks you know"

Like the D2Jbug posted, the older more extravagant themes, the reason people were attracted to skinning to begin with are unlikely to be seen again if the current level of OS control does not improve.

It just is not doable in Vista \ 7

Sure there are folks that are going crazy with the UI.. but for good, solid, bug free usable themes.. you have to adhere to a level of restriction that frankly end up with generic looking themes..once a skinner that knows what their doing weighs all the options... period.

Bring back some control, bring back more control.. everyone will benefit from it.

Daiwa, no, I haven't looked at verts yet. ( on XP right now )

bears repeating IMHO

Might I mention that moving the desktop into the future would be nice, 3D comes to mind.

I think SD should buy up 3DNA

clean it, let it integrate with ODNT

I'm excited to hear that Stardock is moving forward with Win7 and trying to mostly leave XP behind.  I think it found when Vista came out it couldn't put everything into moving forward because there was resistance to people switching to it.  Win7 is awesome in my opinion and it seems many others.  Sure it has its problems, but overall its a very capable OS.

Frankly I'm hoping Stardock gets some innovative and useful programs out for Win7.  I have debated whether to stay with OD because I found myself less and less interested in using the programs except for WB and IP.  I liked the idea of RightClick but found it not that convenient for me to setup and use.  I really like DesktopX but never found a theme worth my time to arrange to my liking.  It required too much knowledge or time to rearrange.

ThemeManager is nice for suites, but to assemble my own suite wasn't possible since OD+ for instance isn't in there.  Again it seemed too much work to bother with.

Overall I hardly change my themes anymore where I used to change them once a month or so.  Maybe there aren't that many cool themes to change to or I just don't see the point.  Only so much difference in them that there can be.  The setup I have is useful and I have little desire to change it up much except to occaisionally switch up the cursor or the WB.

So I'm curious what is coming up because when my subscription there is a possibility I may not renew.  I haven't really seen the value in it.

Let my put my opinion in on the Windows 7 tall taskbar.  YUK!  I agree with vStyler, Microsoft has ruined the ability to make quality skins in Windows 7, period.

Can't imagine why