Suites - which apps to support

from WinCustomize Forums

For a suite to be useful, it needs to support the applications people use.

But this also has to be carefully balanced -- every application that is skinned adds time and effort to the project. So what do you think would be the list of core apps that need to be skinned for something to be complete for the mainstream user?

Here's what I would pick:

 IconPackager for the icons

 CursorXP for the cursors.

 WindowBlinds for the GUI

 DesktopX for the desktop

 ObjectBar for the bars and menus

Windows Media Player for the MP3 player (or Winamp)

Maybe Trillian but probably not (I use MSN now).

 And WinStyles to put it all together.

What apps do you think really need to be skinned for a complete suite?

15,936 views 56 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

To me, the essentials would be these:
- Windowblinds
- Iconpackager
- Logon
- Wallpaper
- Trillian

I don't really use anything else.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Personally, I'd just be happy with WindowBlinds and a matching wallpaper.

I very rarely feel the need to have matching icons, as I prefer them to be easy to identify more than anything, so a whole set of icons in the same colours don't really work for me.

I'd perhaps also add ObjectBar for the non-XP folk, and maybe some cursors if there's time.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Winamp is a must for me. And sysmetrix...



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Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WindowBlinds & IconPackager here. (A logon would be nice, but I can live without it.)


I had high-hopes for DesktopX when I subscribed to OD, however I've found that nearly every DesktopX configuration I've tried hinders my work adds very little value. (I'm still hoping to find it useful, but as of now I'm not using it.)




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Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
For a good suite I would be happy with Windowsblinds,CursorXP,Iconpackager,wallpapers and winamp or Window Media Player.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

So what do you think would be the list of core apps that need to be skinned for something to be complete for the mainstream user?

Only a "Mainstream User" can answer this........... which I am not.....  





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Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Brad.......i would go along with your choice plus sysmetrix and rainlendar
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WindowBlinds
Logon
Iconpackager
CursorXP
Winamp or WMP
SysMetrix
Yahoo messenger.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Skins that I feel make up a complete suite, in order of importance:
WindowBlinds
Wallpaper
IconPackager
DesktopX
Windows Media Player
ObjectBar
Cursor XP

A logon would be nice, but honestly, I barely ever see it. Although it is nice to have EVERYTHING match, if it requires a raise of price to make a logon, then I would leave it out.

[Message Edited]
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
For me personally...

WindowBlinds
Icon Packager
CursorXP
WMP or Winamp or MMjukebox
Wallpaper
Sysmetrix
Rainlendar
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Windowblinds
IconPackager
ObjectBar
CursorXP
Windows MediaPlayer
Trillian
Logon
Sysmetrix
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WB, IP, OB, DX2, CXP, Logon
Also winamp and WMP support, since I don't believe you could reach a consensus, and those two cover many users.
I would have added trillian, but I stopped using it with MSN6 (plus hardly need the other IM's now anyway). But Wincustomize doesn't support Trillian anyway atm.



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Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here is the total so far
IconPackager 12
CursorXP 9
WindowBlinds 13
DesktopX 6
ObjectBar 6
Windows Media Player 8
Trillian 4
Logon 6
Wallpaper 7
Winamp 3
sysmetrix 5
rainlendar 2
Yahoo 1
MMjukebox 1
Icq 1
WinStyles 2
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WindowBlinds
IconPackager
CursorXP
Wallpaper
DesktopX
SysMetrix
Rainlendar
WinAmp or WMP
Trillian
WinStyles.

I think this rounds it out for the MainStream user in my opinion. I use these applications on a daily basis.



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Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WindowBlinds
Sysmetrix
Rainlendar
Winstep
Wallpaper
CursorXP
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My personal favourites are:
WB, IconPackager, Winamp, Wall, Sysmetrix, ICQ, OD and Logon.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I bought PixOS, I only used the WB skin, icons and CursorXP.

For me, if I buy another suite, what I look for most are... (in order of importance)

1) WindowBlinds
2) IconPackager
3) CursorXP
4) Wallpaper (I rarely use the matching walls, but sometimes its nice to have)
5) Logon
6) Media Player skin (WMP, Winamp...whatever)

I never use Sysmetrix or DesktopX or anything like that and I lost my music collection about a year ago and since then, been unmotivated to gain it back so I hardly use media players anymore. Also being an XP-user, I find ObjectBar themes rather useless, unless they are meant to run along side XP.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I get by with...

LiteSTEP [with wall]

Windowblinds

Sysmetrix [a beta...this proggy just gets better]

WinAMP

ICQ

The Logon isn't critical....you only see it rarely, though it 'does' make things more 'complete'...

And I made some custom cursors ages ago....but again not critical....

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Here is the result until now

IconPackager 15
CursorXP 13
WindowBlinds 18
DesktopX 7
ObjectBar 6
Windows Media Player 10
Trillian 5
Logon 9
Wallpaper 12
Winamp 6
sysmetrix 9
rainlendar 4
Yahoo 1
MMjukebox 1
Icq 3
Winstep 1
ObjectDock 1
WinStyles 3
LiteStep 1

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Me, personally, hmmmm...

Necessary:
Windowblinds
Cursor XP
Icons
Wall
Logon


Very good to have:
Trillian
Windows Media Player
Sysmetrix
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In order of my preference:

Windowblinds
IconPackager
Cursor XP
Wall
Logon
Winamp
WMP
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WindowBlinds (Important)
IconPackager (Important)
CursorXP (Important)
Wallpaper (Important)
DesktopX (I can do it myself, but if it comes with the suite, Welcome aboard)
SysMetrix (Important)
Rainlendar (Important)
WinAmp or WMP(Important)
Trillian (Important!!!!!!!!!> )
WinStyles. (I can do it myself)
ObjectDock (I think you can use some WindowBlinds graphics to do the background. And the icons; unpack some from the Iconpackager theme and that's it! But it would be nice to have a original theme, like Pix OS or Abracadabra.)
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hmmm lets think here, im very far from mainstream

Windowblinds
Litestep ( starts laughing at the thought of someone including LS ina suite)
Trillian
Winamp
Wallpaper

thats all i need