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Get all of Object Desktop now and everything created and updated for it for an entire year after! Price: $49.95
Object Desktop Information
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Are you happy with the look of Windows XP? Are you concerned that the new Operating System from Apple has something your PC does not? If so, Stardock has come to the rescue with an arresting set of enhancements that extend the functionally and appearance of Microsoft's latest operating system. Bundled into one very comprehensive package, Object Desktop is a feature rich set of individual applications that collectively alter the way you work, and the way Windows works for you.
Having been in the business of creating modification software for Windows for several years, the Livonia Michigan based company has recently released the latest set of applications that include WindowBlinds, a utility that "skins" the Windows' Graphical User Interface, IconPackager, a tool that permits the alteration of system icons, Desktop X, a program that allows mini applications, aka widgets, to run on your desktop, Keyboard Launchpad, an application that permits the user to assign assorted functions to keyboard keys, RightClick, an enhancement of the right click tool that completely transforms it into a virtual start menu, DesktopX, a tool to run assorted applications that run on the desktop using few system resources, namely clocks, email notification tools and the like, Theme Manager, an interface to keep track of assorted themes that are collections of alterations to Windows' interface and Stardock Central, an access point to ObjectDesktop.net, a free service that offers updates and assorted other related content.
In addition to these tools, the suite ships with Skin Studio and IconDeveloper, programs that allow for end users to create their own customized windows themes and icons.
What does all of this mean to the average end user? And just how does this all make computing easier? Those are good questions, and the best answers are to be found in exploring the programs that are included with the suite.
Armed with a full set of tools to change nearly every visual aspect of Windows, Stardock's latest collection offers a bit of something for everyone, as well as easy to operate tools for beginners. Should you be intimidated by altering Windows, Stardock has worked hard to make the options as accessible and varied as possible without making them too overwhelming. By taking bits and pieces of what is here, and investing time in exploring the content, in short order you will be able to not only personalize your desktop, you may very well look at computing from a very different point of view.
The objective with an exhaustive application set like this one is to realize that even if you know your way around Windows, there are areas Windows does not address when you open it fresh from the box. It does take some time investment to realize just what is here and how much you can alter, or not alter, the computing environment. Once you start, you begin to see why customization is so productive.
If you were like me and purchased the Windows XP Plus Pack, Microsoft offered up several programs that gave users the ability to personalize Windows. What these package sets amounted to were a few screen savers, some sound effects, a few enhancements to Windows Media Player and that was essentially the whole package. While this was nice, the package did not offer any real way to make Windows function in new ways, or explore the options offered by the latest hardware and software on the market.
Recently, Apple has been busy putting new devices into their latest OS. Programs like Dashboard, floating menus that extend and grow as you place the mouse over them and other ways to open and close files are being introduced with a bit of fan fair. The truth of the matter is that these features have been available to Windows users for a while now.
Widgets, and they go by other names as well, are small applications that sit on your desktop. They can do everything from telling you what time it is, when new email has arrived and an assortment of other features. Relatively unobtrusive, they run on the desktop allowing you instant access to features and functions. Stardock has been offering this functionality for some time.
Via DesktopX, you can place, coordinate and locate as many of these functions as you wish to run the way you want. The idea is truly difficult to explain. It is when you start to work with it, that is when you see the practicality of the program. For example, let me set up this scenario.
You are having friends over to work on your PC, play games, see files etc. Now, you don't want them just wandering your hard drive looking at personal files and passwords. What you can do is create a new desktop that allows access to only certain areas. When your friends depart, you can revert back to your normal desktop and see everything as it was. In essence, you have created your own customized Windows interface that you can turn off and on at will.
Not only can this work well for you when you have guests, it can actually make the work flow easier. For example, you are working on design projects and you need direct access to certain programs. While your main desktop has access to the usual programs you use most often, you don't want to clutter your screen real-estate with icons you don't need. To smooth the work flow, you simply create a desktop with access to the working icons you need then and there. When the project is done, you revert back to your original desktop. Should you need that same set of tools, DesktopX allows you to save those icons and tools for later use.
What is so spectacular about DesktopX is that you can fly in and out of it without rebooting. For those of us that have icons that must rest on the desktop, but need and want access to specific programs at specific times, this saves a lot of menu jumping. It is not hard to see where you can save any number of mouse clicks with this ingenious approach.
Not only that, you can create, or locate, icons that grow, move, dance and do basically whatever. If you have ever envied the Mac community for their dancing gyrating icons, now you can have that same functionality in Windows.
If you are a true die hard Mac fan, and just love the OS, you can literally create an entire Mac Desktop that you can turn off and on at whim. All of this is amazingly easy to do with the new DesktopX. I do strongly suggest watching the instructional video on line at stardock.com first. Although unscripted, it is one of the best most concise I have seen in a while.
Should you be a huge fan of the Mac, and want the same colors and feel, Stardock's suite of customization utilities can afford you that option. Also, you can create your own skin, basically your own user interface, with the enclosed Skin Studio and Icon Developer. Be forewarned, these are very detailed programs, so take your time, and take advantage of the tools and customization community built around Stardock products before attempting this if you are new. Even if you know your way around Photoshop, Quark and Illustrator, this is a new world.
In terms of system resources, the program can be a slight drain, or a big one, depending on how much you have running at one time, and the processor and memory you have available. From my experiences running WindowBlinds, along with a few other enhancements, the resources drain is slight. Unless you are running a huge skin with several colors, lots of spinning icons, you may not know the difference.
Although this claim is not being played up, you can notice that certain skins will run a bit faster using WindowBlinds as opposed to utilizing Window's own system. While much depends on the theme you are using, you can see an actual performance increase. Again, much depends on your set up and system.
Having installed the program on a machine filled with complex software, I have to admit that it performs well. I experienced no real problems with WindowBlinds as such. In fact, it worked exceptionally well.
Stardock has gone to some lengths to address the issue of memory usage and system drain. With the new suite, which is tailored for Windows XP and Windows 2000, the program is pretty streamlined. As a note, you can only use the new version on XP and 2000.
Another point, and this may alleviate some concern, is that Stardock has worked closely with Microsoft on this product. Considering how closely a program like this works with Windows, such a strong relationship should be expected of any program that goes this deeply into your OS. Officially mentioned on Microsoft's own site, and displaying the official Micosoft compatibility seal of approval, the program has been tested. From my own informal experiments installing it on a "dirty" pc, I ran into no major concerns.
For those seeking a safe painless way to alter the look of Windows, this is really as good as it gets. As with any program that goes this deeply into Windows, I strongly suggest backing up your applications, files and by all means creating a solid starting point before making changes. With any intensive application, I strongly recommend having backups of essential data.
Having not been all that dissatisfied with Windows, I was approaching this with a bit of apprehension. This changed after I spent most of a weekend glued to my PC looking at all of the options. Be warned that this is addictive. Once you start playing with themes, widgets and flying menus, you begin to wonder just why you settled for a PC as it is.
Much like Photoshop, this program really starts to make sense the more you manipulate it and see what it can do for you. The big point to keep in mind is that this all about options, not necessarily using each and ever tool.
The big advantage of the suite is that it does offer some major OS enhancements and some system speed increases. It also offers the user the programs needed to create your own themes and icons.
For those that would like to use other formats, www.wincustomize.com offers a huge assortment of skins, icons and wallpapers to use with the program.
While the themes available are wide ranging, my suggestions to newbies is to try the more modest themes that alter the OS just a bit. Some of the available themes make some significant changes.
In terms of use, quality and options, there is a lot to like. My only real criticism is why they did not include Cursor XP and ObjectDock with the mix. Cursor XP is an amazing program that allows you to alter your mouse into almost anything you wish, and Object Desktop brings a Mac like Dashboard to Windows with a wide array of options. My only wish is that Stardock had created an option to get it all in one program.
For about fifty dollars, this is almost like purchasing a new OS early, and certainly affords the user the kind of personalization that is literally amazing.
Requirements: Windows XP and Windows 2000, no Mac version
Suggested requirements, Pentium IV with at least 512 MB of RAM, preferably more and a processor with Pentium Hyper Threading for the best possible performance. These are not requirements, simply suggestions.
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