Never have I actually received any formal written confirmation of this requirement.

Let me put forth this scenario: Master skinner X submits a skin. It's rejected as a Masterskin because it does not support one of the 3 current OS. Now this skinner does not have the means to obtain a computer with said OS on for financial reasons. It's almost a catch 22 here. He cannot afford to buy the computer unless he sells some skins. But is unable to sell the skins without the OS.

No 'almost' about it....;)

Yossarian can work it out....;)

I run windows7 x64.

There's not a lot I'd like to see other than RightClick with x64 bit support, stability and being saveable.

It would also be nice to see SkinStudio7 display the capability to fully skin the operating system it is perported to skin.

Let's make a list... checking it twice...Clic

• RightClick gets a Vista/7-ONLY update.... throw XP under the bus!
• Any chance for making folder, theme and color changes as easy as editing..... CSS?
• VirtualDesktops needs to be in the System Tray, instead of lurking as a toobar...
• More subtle enhancements are needed for objects like Contextual Menus.... if I can edit a DIV element in CSS to make it look like it has raised edges, then why not enable the same for Windows 7?
• Fences needs a serious front-end rewrite...
• Make subelements (like CM from Desktop) open to granular skinning... like having different entrees from A-B-C choices, then add a drink and lunch is served. Yes, I do know that functionality exists. But again, some form of CSS tag embedding to make accessing it easier would be a true joy....
• Add a "format painter" to OD elements, across the board
• Take a good, hard look at themes in window managers like GNOME.
• Petition Microsoft to allow them to pass responsibility for GUI enhancements to SD; be their subcontractor
• Sell skinning "kits"... for $24.95, a user gets themes for all the major applications, with instructions and guides on how to edit them for use, and sale.
• Allow for different levels of functionality that are tied directly to whatever video/graphics components are installed on a user's system.

Dr, XP clock is ticking...let it rest.

Lets move the OS discussion over to here - https://forums.wincustomize.com/396584

But please leave your thoughts here in regards to Object Desktop 2011.

If you have no free box to put your old XP on, you could do what I do and run it on Virtualbox (although it will be nice when I don't have to skin it!)

As for OD - I think as other people have mentioned, full 64bit support must be the top target. Other than that... just keep on keepin on.

That looks great, Tim. I just downloaded it to try out

I prefer VMWare Player. That one now can create Virtual Machines also. And has decent graphics drivers,

I just reinstalled AveThumbnailResizer.  Something like that should be included in ODNT (perhaps in WindowsFX).

Focus only on Windows Vista & 7. I'd also like a complete backup app included in OD or Impulse that would back up everything skin installed or perhaps just the themes that can be restored after reinstalling OD. I get tired of reinstalling all my favorite themes after a reformat which I do every 4 to 6 months.

 A single place for content. Put everything in Documents, or Public Documents, or Program Files, or somewhere else....... but keep them all together!

 As-is, It makes backing up everything a major pain.

Oh man, so say we all to THAT.

With deference and gratitude to the single individual most responsible for my interest in skinning (Jafo), abandoning XP support would likely result in a lot of folks, such as me, abandoning Object Desktop.  There would be no reason to renew - W7 is not in my future for at least another year, probably two.  The market base for Master Skinners would likely contract considerably, too.

Perhaps there will be enough W7 users to replace us, perhaps not.  0.02

Exactly.  

No one was talking about abandoning XP. Everything that works on XP now, would continue to work on XP. And continue to be available.

Just any future development would, and should, be geared towards 7 and eventually 8.

Looking backwards just isn't cutting edge, as Stardock used to be known for.

Just a redneck opinion.

OD does create backups of the various themes you have to do it manually,as for reformat issue one assumes it's not major hardware changes like mobo,then macrium reflect is free or any of the other two commercial imaging progs should suffice reinstall issue solved. (create one time images at various stages of OS reinstall,at the 2nd or 3rd stage install most used apps or favourite apps like od etc with little or no other software apart from updated OS use that as your base to reinstall from) ?

ps: doesn't matter if you change graphic card or other such smaller hardware, drivers & software for them can be uninstalle once image applied

RD -

Point being there'd be no incentive for XP users to renew, just keep the existing XP-compatible apps since they wouldn't be further updated (for XP) anyway.  Why would we pay for app improvements that wouldn't apply to us?  I mean, aside from making what amounts to a donation, something some might consider simply to support SD I suppose (doubtful).

Perhaps we deserve to be left behind; I just don't feel so warm & fuzzy about it having supported SD with my subscriptions for a fairly long time.  Brad's a straightforward businessman, something I respect; he'll do what the numbers tell him makes business sense & I don't expect sentimentality to play much of a role in his decision-making.  If XP users are no longer his customers come OD 2011, c'est la vie.

OK, I see your point, but you do realize that sooner  or later, XP WILL be left behind, right. I'm mean surely you don't expect XP to be supported forever?

Of course not.  But it will be left behind sooner than it needs to be - it's a perfectly functional OS.  However, that's a whole different discussion.

There will remain a large base of XP users for at least the next couple of years, despite MS pulling the plug and despite SD moving on, should they stop development for it.  I'm not in begging mode here; I just think it would be a shame if they did so.  Should that be the case, I'll be back when I ultimately get a new machine with W7 (or W8).  There would be no point in renewing until then is all I'm saying.

WindowFX was supposed to get some "major effort" put toward it this year...I'd love to see it released as well as the rewrite of RightClick.

Can't You people read ? I thought it was clear we do OS-wars in another thread...

  from the other thread: https://forums.wincustomize.com/396584

Oops... Okay. I apologize.