What are the KEY features you think that the new major version of Windows need?

Here is a short list of mine:

* SQL based file system

* Full .NET integration with central services that are NOT web based but have all kinds of interfaces (i.e. I speak into my PocketPC 2004 and it converts it to text and puts it under "Notes" on my Passport .NET account where I can access it through the web (worst case), through software, or via a DesktopX NG object.

* Distributed computing where I can see my network and if I have a 100megabit or faster connection to my network I can seamlessly have CPU intensive processes thrown to compute onto them as well if I have priviledges on those machines.

* Seamless Terminal Server - I want my Visual Studio Compiler that is displayed on my machine here to execute fully on my mega machine in the server room and for this to be trivial to set up.

* Document the new hooking APIs for lighter faster desktop enhancements.

That's for starters. What would you add?

http://www.windowblinds.net/skinning

Adam (the lead on SkinStudio) has done something pretty remarkable - he's created a UIS2 to UIS1 converter. Now obviously this won't work on all or even most WindowBlinds skins since it requires that the borders be 4 pixels in size and all be the same size. But many skins it can support.

Anyway, if you have Object Desktop and you're a skinner and would like to try it out, respond here and I'll see what I can do.

Adni's skins could be converted. Most of Alexandrie's skins could as well as well as some of Treetog's. And all OS skins can.

Why UIS1 instead of UIS2 (99.9% of skins here are UIS2). UIS2 skins are much more powerful and somewhat easier to make because you can do pretty much anything you want (no measuring pixels and other such pain). But UIS1 skins are much faster and don't exhibit compatibility or "weird" issues that some people have with WindowBlinds (usually from using applications that violate Microsoft guidelines so common software works fine with UIS2 but others..).

But we are interested in finding out how much of a difference it makes. The new UIS1 skins require WindowBlinds 3.1 to use whch will be going public next week.

Windows comes with a "Theme" tab in its display properties. But those Microsoft themes only support Microsoft's stuff.

WinStyles adds a new tab: .XPThemes. Don't let the name fool you though, it works on Windows 98 and above. .XPThemes not only support things like wallpapers, icons, and screensavers like Microsoft's themes do, it treats the myriad of third party desktop enhancements as if they are natively part of the OS.

.XPThemes are applied via WinStyles and they can include everything from an ICQPlus skin to a WinAmp skin to of course things like WindowBlinds and DesktopX. Virtually all the programs here at WinCustomize are supported by it.

In essence, a .XPTheme is a super theme format. It lets you apply an entire suite of skins/themes at once as a single entity. But it does more than that, it lets you control individual programs from the XPTheme tab. So when you want to change your WindowBlinds skin or your WinAmp skin or your CursorXP cursor, or ICQPlus skin you don't have to fish through those individual programs anymore to do so. You can just go to your XPThemes tab, choose the program in question and it will list all the skins or themes installed and let you apply the selected one individually.

It gets better though. While .xpthemes are very useful for users on their individual machines, distributing them is a whole different matter. Few skin authors know how to create an entire suite (outside Pixtudio and a few others). And getting permission for several different skins can be time consuming.

In response, the next beta of WinStyles is going to include support for a second format - .suite. A .suite doesn't actually contain any skins or icons or themes. Instead, it points to a URL where they can be downloaded individually. Hence, a user can take a screenshot of their system and include a .suite file (which will likely be less than a 1K). When a .suite file is applied, WinStyles goes and downloads the appropriate skins, icons, and themes from the net and applies them and converts them on your system to a .xptheme (so that next time you apply it you don't have to download them). WinCustomize has already been set up so that doing so will still increase the download count of the individual skin that has been retrieved.

As the project name Convergence implied, WinStyles is designed to bring all the different desktop enhancements into a unified environment so that they can work together. And it will expose those third party programs (particularly the non-Stardock ones) to thousands of new users that they otherwise wouldn't be exposed to.

One of the most common questions we get asked is, "How do I get my skin featured"? The answer to that is that there is nothing very scientific about it. We generally look for something that's either seasonally appropriate or something that is particularly good or unique. With that said, if you have a WinAmp 3 skin that's pretty good, upload it. We have zero WinAmp 3 skins here and thus WinAmp 3 skins would have a high probability of being featured.

Stardock has put out a new beta build of LogonXP (renamed LogonStudio).

https://www.stardock.com/products/logonstudio/ls1.jpg

LogonStudio is a freeware program that allows users to *create* logons for Windows XP as well as apply them. Stardock has created a standardized open format (.logon) to distribute their logons (rather than having to distribute the entire logonui.exe which is much larger and provides no protection for the author). .logon files contain the author and title information of the logon which should decrease ripping.

Also, LogonStudio makes it very easy to create your own logons. No resource hacker required. Just go step by step through the logon and change the bitmaps. It also comes with userID templates to make it easier to create logons with different layouts.

https://www.stardock.com/products/logonstudio/ls2.jpg

LogonStudio can load up logonui.exe's and extract the resources automatically into a directory to make it easier to modify and update them. It also contains numerous safety features so that if things go awry, you can easily recover from it.

With LogonStudio, you can create your own logons, load up logonui's, apply logons, and distribute your logons in a much smaller file that contains the author information. And all of this is free.

When you've created your logons, visit DeviantART and submit them to the LogonXP section, DeviantART currently is the exclusive distribution channel for LogonStudio files.

Download at:
https://www.stardock.com/files/logonstudio090.exe

Note: This is still in beta, more features will be added prior to 1.0.

Stardock has released SkinStudio 1.5b today. SkinStudio is a program that allows users to make skins for Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP (applied via WindowBlinds or any other app that uses UIS skins).

SkinStudio is designed to make it relatively easy to create your own skins. This update includes:

+ Updated Luna skin
+ Skin authors can now easily insert the standard XP Start menu into their own skins (even if they don't have Windows XP)
+ Shape creation tool built in. This is practically an application in itself. It takes many steps out of creating a UIS1 skin.
+ 32bit TARGA support
+ Much faster at loading skins
+ Bug fixes

Users can freely download it at http://www.skinstudio.net

We have begun to receive Windows Media Player submissions that are converted WinAmp skins created with a WinAmp to WinMediaPlayer converter. Our policy is not to accept skins that are converted unless they include the original author's written consent. If you like Windows Media Player, make original skins for it. Please do not submit WinAmp skins converted to Windows Media Player. Thanks.

Stardock Magazine goes out each month to hundreds of thousands of people. This week we expect to send out the holiday issue of it. If you're interested in being on the list, visit the link below to sign up.

First some background:

Windows XP ships with a nice new logon screen. This screen is called logonui.exe. Since the release of Windows XP, technically knowledgeable users have learned that you can take a resource hacker to the .exe and change the bitmaps and settings of the .exe. Users then soon began releasing alternative logonui.exe's.

The problem was that only technical people were really able to create them. And it required people to download a .EXE and replace their own (a key system file). What has ended up happening is that artists who would be the target audience, have generally not embraced this type of customization because of the difficulty. Worse, many of the logonui.exe's floating around are actually someone else's graphics ripped and used without permission.

Stardock's solution is LogonXP. A new program that lets users distribute .logon files (which are just .ZIP files renamed). These files merely contain the bitmaps and a text file describing what they're for. LogonXP does more than just apply them, it provides a nice GUI for creating your own where you simply walk through and change the bitmaps. It also provides layout templates to make it easier to put your Users at the top, bottom, left, right, etc.

It also has numerous safety and recovery features should things go awry during the process of using it.

By making it more accessible, more artists will be able to create their own logons and share them with others.

LogonXP is freeware. There is no enhanced or plus version of it.

This is a developer's release meaning we haven't ironed out the bugs or put together samples to include with it (if you would like yours included, comment below with a link to it and we'll check it out). It can import most of the logonui.exe's floating around so that you don't have to use a resource hacker anymore to deal with the bitmaps inside.

The .logon format is open and anyone is free to use it as they wish.

To download this developer's release go to:

https://www.stardock.com/files/logonxp089.exe