popularity of xp-styled skins

Okay, for two months I got pretty busy, and had to put aside skins I had in the works. Got some time last week, polished some off, and posted five to the Dashboard section. Four of these were xp-styled, one was not. Downloads on the xp-styled skins are each running about double the other.

This leaves me wondering: Why are xp-styled skins STILL so popular? It's almost annoying when you realize I put more work into the one non-xp skin as I did for the four xp ones combined. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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Some possible answers:
1. People are stupid
2. Perhaps not everyone has XP (yet)
3. Beats me

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GreenReaper

Join Date 05/2001

+32

Remember, WC gets a lot of drifters that are just looking for XP-look skins because that's what they think a good UI looks like (plus they want it to match their *other* skins).

People may say they want something different, but the evidence, and research, suggests that what most people *really* want is something that looks similar to what they have already. People like to feel comfortable. That's why it's important not to move stuff around too much, and it's why XP-style skins are so popular.

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People may say they want something different, but the evidence, and research, suggests that what most people *really* want is something that looks similar to what they have already. People like to feel comfortable. That's why it's important not to move stuff around too much, and it's why XP-style skins are so popular.

by Developer TheGreenReaper

I was "talked to" on more then one occasion for using WB or DesktopX at work. I finally settled on a WB skin that looked fairly similar to the default win look. Even though my computer was only used once in a blue moon by somebody else and it was not confusing to use, just different. At another place that I worked at I was chastised for not using the default win background. Is it any wonder that we have been cursed with plain beige cases for so long.

If people really wanted different then DX would be more popular.

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GreenReaper

Join Date 05/2001

+32

Obligatory semi-related link: http://www.theonion.com/onion3507/thinking_different.html

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I'm pretty much agreeing with what you're all saying, but I'm not just talking about shell replacements here ... xp-styled skins are popular for a lot of the individual programs on here too. I've done (I think) six xp-styled skins for Dashboard -- I count that as about five too many.

So do I continue to "give the people what they want" or move to doing this stuff for myself and not bother caring if anyone downloads it or not?

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Do what you want... Skinning should be, first and foremost, about the artist's personal enjoyment. If someone else happens to dig your work, hey, awesome. But just do the type of skin you enjoy doing. If you do, the love and care you put into it will shine through and you'll end up with something better crafted than if you were doing a skin you had no interest in creating.

Of course, if someone offers you money for an XP skin... I say do it

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