Have a subscription to WinCustomize? Get the latest version of the SkinBrowser here: https://www.stardock.com/support

Don't have a WinCustomize subscription?
https://www.wincustomize.com/index.asp?cmd=subscription

Here are some screenshots:
https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-1.jpg
https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-2.jpg
https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-3.jpg
https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-4.jpg
https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-5.jpg

During the interview, Microsoft was asked point blank about whether they'd be making more visual styles for Windows XP. Their answer was essentially to use WindowBlinds.

That said, Microsoft is working hard to make the next version of Windows have all sorts of cool extensions (which I cannot publicly comment on except to say they're cool). Those of you with Object Desktop and have the WindowFX 2 alpha already have seen the benefits of some of the extensions to Windows Microsoft has been putting in and has opened up to third parties.

The trend we've seen in Microsoft has been for them to focus on making Windows solid, reliable, and more open and allow third parties "like Stardock" to then extend it to suit specific needs. So rather than throwing in everything but the kitchen skin, Windows (which we've seen with XP) has gone the direction of having hooks in for others to exend. WindowBlinds 3.3, which is Microsoft Windows XP certified, basically turns WindowBlinds skins into a new visual style format by hooking into Microsoft's visual style architecture.

This bodes well for the customization community who want to be able to customize their PCs to match their particular ways of using them without having to suffer from loss of performance, instability and other problems (as a side note, compare how Stardock's Object Desktop functions on say Windows 95 compared to how it functions on Windows XP! The seamlessness gets better and better largely thanks to Microsoft making it easier for third parties to integrate as part of the operating system).

Of course, this isn't necessarily good news for Linux advocates as many Windows ISVs now get to have their cake and eat it too - they can extend Windows and Microsoft seems to look at developers much more like partners than potential competitors.

While the next version of Windows is years away, Windows XP is proving to be a really fantastic desktop OS for most people and the philosphy behind Longhorn/Blackcomb sounds very exciting.

What do you think?

WinStyles currently supports two types of theme formats:

.suite
and
.xptheme

What is the difference
WinStyles was designed to let people seamlessly create their own desktops using a variety of programs and then package them up together.

A .XPTheme file is basically like an extended MS theme file. It actually contains the skins, icons, themes, etc. So they tend to be large.

.SUITE files on the other hand are just a few hundred bytes because they basically just link to skins, icons and themes on the Internet.

When to use which?

When you upload a .xptheme file, you are literally distributing those skins and icons. That means you must own those skins, icons, and themes included or have permission to distribute them.

Therefore: Only submit a .xptheme file when you have permission to distribute the contents or own the contents.

.SUITE files are a convenient way for someone to create a great screenshot and say "I got this by using Joe's WindowBlinds skin, Eric's wallpaper, Brian's Icon package, Sally's DesktopX theme, and Kevin's WinAmp skin." A user just downloads the .suite and it asks which parts they want to use and it goes off, downloads them automatically and applies them.

HOWEVER:
There is a time when you might want to use .suite files when you own all the contents:

If your suite contains many many different skins, icons and themes and therefore the file size is really large a .SUITE file may make sense because then the user can picka nd choose which parts they want to use before it goes off and downloads those parts.

A good example is Chad Ross's WinStyles theme. He owns most of the contents but because it's around 9 different icons, themes, and skins in there it would be huge as a .xptheme so Chad lets the user open it up and decide which parts they want (I don't have some of the programs installed that he supports for instance so I don't want to download all that stuff).

Summary
Don't upload .xptheme files that contains things you don't own. And don't upload .suite files that contain just your stuff in which there's only a few skins in there.

It would be great to see more people make use of this. If you haven't tried WinStyles, I highly recommend it - http://www.winstyles.com.

I uploaded a new .suite file today that makes use of Alexandrie's skin, someone else's wallpaper, an objectbar theme I made and a couple other things.

Have fun!

For those of you who have subscribed to WinCustomize, a new version of the skin browser is due out this week that really improves the interaction with the site. Gone is much of the HTML windows and instead an Outlook Express type UI for handling the message boards. It's really a great way of interacting with the site!

The browser is just one of the goodies that users get for subscribing.

https://www.wincustomize.com/index.asp?cmd=subscription

Check out this screenshot:
https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/odnt-jun02a.jpg

It's amazing how many people don't realize that skins are copyrighted material. Here's a message board item I wrote awhile back that explains what is and isn't protected by intellectual property laws.

Today or tomorrow, we will be beginning to tie our WinCustomize account system into the Stardock.net account system in order to provide users with additional benefits.

If you have downloaded > 50 megabytes, the site will automatically ask you to type in you Stardock.net email address (the address you used when you purchased WindowBlinds, Object Desktop, etc.) or to let it know you're not a Stardock customer. This will only come up if your accounts aren't already integrated.

Eventually we hope to provide users with a fully integrated Stardock.net experience with WinCustomize, Object Desktop, Drengin, and in the future, JoeUser.com accounts linked together so that you can more easily manage your stuff (i.e. many users know how annoying it can be to have to manage dozens of different website accounts).

Those users who have downloaded >100 megabytes of skins, icons and themes who do not have a Stardock.net account will be encouraged to either register the software they're obviously using to use those skins, icons, and themes or obtain a WinCustomize account. (if you've registered your software or have a WC account you're all set).

In the latest poll of users's political beliefs, we had a statistical tie between conservatives, liberals, moderatores and confused people. The new poll deals with a much weightier issue - Spiderman vs. Star Wars.

On-line communication is a tricky thing. Without tones of voice, facial expressions, body language, etc. it is often difficult to convey meaning.

The effort of having to type out something versus speaking adds to the difficulty. This is especially true when trying to convince someone of a certain point of view.

This is a fairly popular web page on the Internt for learning how to avoid common pitfalls in constructive a logical assertion (or argument).

http://education.gsu.edu/spehar/FOCUS/EdPsy/misc/Fallacies.htm

Check out this screenshot from the upcoming version of the skinbrowser:

https://www.stardock.com/products/skinbrowser/sb-jun02c.jpg

Talk about making it easier to read the posts and such here.

Yes I know we already have a news item but you have to go look at this magazine. It's that good. Make sure you download the PDF version of it. It's 106 pages, it's higher quality than most store-bought magazines and it's free. If you're at all into art or ever been interested in creating cool graphics, you should definitely go see this.

www.deviantmag.com