I like DesktopX as a concept. But somehow, I don't think that it has lived up to its potential. Widgets tend to be pretty limited in functionality and diversity. I used to be really excited about using DesktopX themes to replace the explorer shell in Windows, but they usually tend to be a bit sluggish, 'bulky' and not powerful enough to really be a desktop replacement. Having icon-like graphical elements that are shortcuts to folders or frequently-used programs isn't really enough... What we need are programs that extend the desktop to provide new functionality.

Surely, if DesktopX could be used as the programming interface to develop a powerful and full-featured program like Galactic Civilizations, then it could assuredly be used to create more powerful widgets and themes. Better documentation, tutorials, videos and sample projects would help get people to tinker with it.

Realistically, though, the future of DesktopX probably lies in extending the Windows (especially Vista) desktop to develop more powerful Sidebar gadgets and dynamic 'active desktop' content.

What I would really like to see is total extension of functionality: e.g., Sidebar gadgets that interact with Outlook to not only summarize today's appointments/to-do list, but also to quickly peruse the calendar for upcoming months, to quickly jot down a few notes on a post-it, to quickly reply to a new e-mail message without having to open Outlook entirely. Or what about a gadget that would allow me to look through my addressbook -- Sure, clicking on an entry could allow me to send an e-mail via Outlook, but what about extending functionality to allow me to send an SMS (through Google or AOL, for example) or look up directions to their place (through a mapping web site). Everyone likes to do weather widgets, but extensibility of function would be, for example, integration with the aforementioned Outlook/calendaring widget such that, when I browse my calendar, a weather icon will appear on each day on the calendar. Or what about a Trillian-like gadget that embeds the control window into the Sidebar? Or what about a mini-browser that has a small version of the web page on it. When you click on it, a mini browser opens up (still smaller than a normal window) that is interactive. So you could use this to quickly look up definitions or wikipedia articles or whatever. But move the mouse away, and it shrinks back into the Sidebar.

Another thing I'd like to see from Stardock is increasing intercompatibility an interreliance between various apps. For example, DesktopX, ObjectBar, ObjectDock and Virtual Desktops should be able to interact with one another... A gadget in the Windows Sidebar should be able to call-up an ObjectDock into view; or the ObjectDock should be able to embed a gadget that swings out with mouseover activation.

Anyway, no doubt a lot of these are easier said than done. But this is the direction DesktopX should go (in my opinion, anyway). Perhaps some of this is already possible; perhaps some of it is already on the drawing page.

I look forward to others' comments....

~ Alessandro (cavalierex)

What is DX???

I personally have DX but rarely use it..Just too accustomed to using XP in its native state ( skinned of course)

I think as monitor sizes increase allowing for more real estate DX will become more prevelant.




  

Should be another option: Applications

Do they have it working on multiple monitor setups yet?
That and the fact that 95% of the themes are 1280x1024 (bastard size) is why I've bypassed it so far.

Hi all! I like DX themes, for me they are really cool. I think DX can change the UI and does extend the desktop function quite nicely. I also like DX widgets so for me the answer is both themes and widgets. Having widgets that consistently work well in ObjectBar would be cool. Some widgets won't load at all and some won't stay put(they move around on the bar). There are only some widgets that behave well with OB. Fixing that would be great. Later.  

apples taste good.....

I once emailed a person in Russia...requesting some rip removals from a site over there.  I used Babelfish to do the translation.....and just as an experiment...I then reused Babel to revert back [Russian to English].  'Sadly' the result had me in tears....of laughter.....it was vaguely similar to English ... if you closed your eyes and squinted a bit....

Monty Python....."Your hovercraft is full of jellied eels" ....

I found that translating into Japanese and back to English again makes great fotune cookie notes.

Personally, I can think of a number of app's on my computer that can be done easily in DX by simply taping the FSO. eg. Folder/Directory Maker, File Sorting, Zip Archiving, A DX Browser for Archiving rarely used objects/widgets/gadgets into My Documents & browsing current ones. Lot's of ideas.



Glad to know. I have one in my "Projects in Obscurity Folder". Now I can be lazy.

Have you ever checked out AutoIT? It's a scripting language which allows you to create graphical apps which interact with Windows very nicely (much like DesktopX objects with scripting). They can be compiled into exes to protect the source and to not require the AutoIT runtime be installed (much like DesktopX Pro Widgets/Gadgets). And it's free (unlike DesktopX). http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/