Yeah, I've noticed that a bunch of the skinshots are not from SkinStudio - at least not 100%. I think that many were pieced together from actual windows or from the SkinStudio bitmap. When someone makes one by hand, they tend to look really nice as they can add drop shadows, more controls, active/inactive in the same window, etc.
WinCustomize Forums
I've always wondered about things like the rollup. Once you get used to using them, you can't do without them. Then you're left with two choices when you run into a cool skin without them - either add them in yourself or just forget about the skin. I'd like to see some statistics on how many people use the various options, such as the rollup, custom colors, winamp plugin, clock, drive shortcuts, etc. Unfortunately, this would be difficult to quantify...
I wrote my own, just so that I could have it look and act like I want it to. Unfortunately, the developer always ignores my bug reports Right now it just deals with the (HIVE)\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon key (I'm on Windows 2000 and somewhat lazy). However, one of these days I'd like to make it configurable so that you can specify explorer as the shell, but also tell it
I think that's great news! I know that Niek has a lot of projects going on all at once, so this means that CoolPlayer will probably get a lot more attention than it has in the past. Perhaps all of the people that think WinAmp is going the way of Windows Media Player (overwhelming, too many features, complicated to skin) will become CoolPlayer converts.
I'm amazed and aghast! I just got through reading some of the comments on DeviantArt regarding the latest WinAmp3 skin submissions. Unbeknownst to me, there is an entire subculture of people who actually like all of the confines and restrictions of WinAmp2. Indeed, they are so enraptured by the 275x116 rectangle that they won’t ever make the leap to WinAmp3 and its free-form skinning. How many others are there? I thought I’d start an informal poll to see what others thought̷
It would probably be easiest to look into using a shell manager - that way you could simply reboot and select Windows Explorer next time if something went wrong with your previous choice. What OS are you on?
Another tip - if you're going to PriceWatch, also checkout ResellerRatings http://www.resellerratings.com/ You'll save a bundle AND have peace of mind when you combine the two!
Could I still retire at 65?
So I guess a few others are going through litestep.net withdrawals of their own Misery loves company! Now I have to get my fix by visiting themes.org...
Unfortunately, the article didn't go into enough detail on the specifics of the tests to make it worthwhile, in my opinion. I really get tired of people creating a .mp3 with a lousy encoder at 128kpbs and then going on and on about how it's nowhere close to CD quality - duh! The article didn't mention the encoders used (which can have a dramatic effect) or the bitrate. Was it 128kps, 192, variable? I'll bet that if you compared a CD to a Fraunhofer encoded .mp3 at 256 kbps you'd have a much
That's pretty good for a first skin. I think it would be fun to see what other people first one looked like!
Cicadas - what seems like tons and tons of them. After living in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a while you get so used to them in the summer time that you barely hear them. But if you listen, it's a constant buzzing sound - day and night.
Not only does SysMeter 2 have the always ontop bug, it won't display the date right. I was also surprised to see it pulled from Thirty4's website - http://www.thirty4.com/sysmeter/ is no longer there and the link has been removed from the main page. Another great app to add to the extinct list. What I loved about it was that you could access the Performance Data Counters on Windows NT/2000. This gives you about a million and one things to monitor! For instance, I use it to view both
I haven't used an eraser point much, since my laptop only has a touchpad. In general, it's useful for some applications, tolerable in others, and for some I really need a mouse or else I get really frustrated. Photoshop is one of those - far too many things need the precision of a mouse.
You can do it easily - goto theme settings/Desktop/Reduce Work Area. If you put in a number for the top then it will prevent maximized windows from being in that space. Note, however, that you can still move a non-maximized window underneath it which is a pain.
You still can! Instead of an RGB value of 255,0,255 you can use all sorts of similar colors like 254,0,255 or 255,1,255. Don't let your imagination be stiffled - use every imaginable derivation of magic pink in your artwork! Skinning should give you the freedom of expression - don't let the skin spec fence you in - revolt I say and use those pinks! (Just kidding of course)
Ha! I remember years ago when a co-worker was extolling the virtues of OS/2. The only downfall was the 5 minute boot time which I said that I would never tolerate. Now I tolerate it everyday at work with Win2k!