Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2419

Widgets vs. Skinnable mini-programs

Are the widget programs killing off skinnable programs?

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Since widget programs like DesktopX started to become popular, there has been a precipitious decline in the # of new skinnable mini-programs. In the "golden age" of skinning when it was all fresh and new there were many skinnable mini programs.

There were skinnable programs for displaying the time, email status, IP address, RAM free, sticky notes, notebooks, etc. Most people are familiar with skinnable media players (of which only two are thriving today - Media Player and Winamp) but most of these other types of skinnable mini-programs have seen a decline in popularity over the past couple of years. There are exceptions - Rainlendar and Sysmetrix but overall you don't see many new ones being made.

Is this from widgets? Or have programs like WindowBlinds made them less compelling or are there other reasons? What do you think?

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It was always a lot of work to make different skins for all the mini programs, and as such there were very few full themes to choose from. There may be some loss of creative control, but having WB skin everything, or neutral (but not windows-look) widgets goes a long way towards making all that work redundant.

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joeKnowledge

Join Date 03/2004

I havene't personally investigated this but from what some have said on a previous WC news article, mini apps have been dieing off seemingly for other reasons before the widget wars.

I don't really know. I haven'y really been paying attention to mini-app updates. Rainy was just updated. Other than that one, I don't know about the rest.

I know Color Pad hasn't been updated. Quick Notes hasn't been updated. Beatnik either. But that was for a long time. Almost a year I think. I liked Quick notes but you can do it with DX or some other app. If you have DX Pro, the other person doesn't even have to download DesktopX so the widget can run.

Sysmetrix is going strong though. Glad it is because its a cool app. Really cool. If it adds all the abilities of Color Pad (it has some) then I won't even have a use for Color Pad either.

LOL

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I think a lot of it has to do with the updates of the applications themselves as already stated. I think when the development stalls the skinning can stall also. When they both stall, interest fades.

Plus when you get applications that cover more than one feature (such as Sysmetrix now does) people will tend to stop using several applications when the one can do it all.

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I think the smaller skinnable applications, previously developed, were a First Wave type Era, of skinning. Most of the Developers of the Skinnable Items have moved on to becoming full, time Devs', for bigger operations, or moved on to other venues of development, education or concerns.
The Widget Wars, are something that will come and go, and just like their earlier bretheren, you can only have so many weather watchers, notepads, clocks and media players, system monitors.As with many applications developed over the years, the cream will rise, and the rest, well... You know how that one finishes. I'll bet almost everyone has similar configurations on thier systems.

The Basics
ACDSee or Irfan Viewer, or ThumbsPLus
Acrobat or Acrobat Reader
Mirc, Virc, or Trillian
Paintshop, PhotoShop, Corel or MacroMedia or GiMP or a few other Alternatives
Nero Burning Rom or Easy CD (or whatever it is called Now)
WinZip, PowerArchiver, ObjectZIp, or XPs' Native zip Tech
WinRar or WinAce
MS Office (some Version), Works, Open Office or AbiWord
WinAmp or Media Jukebox, Sonique, or DbPowerAmp

**Stardock WB or entire Subscription of Course!**

Now I do alot of support for family and friends, and also did it as a (on call Tech) and Phone support Tech and OEM Builder (RMA) Tech and have seen most of these programs or similar over and over again.

Once a User finds a stable software environment, I think they are less to interfere with it.
Windowblinds has grown in such Technicality that it skins just about everything now, and alot of the top programs, as well. Programs with thier own skinned interfaces, seem to be fewer, and fewer. The infancy of UI Design is over, and there is only so far you can take a 2D Environment. Not to say WB Designers and other OD Artist can't keep suprising us with innovations, but as certain types of designs are accepted (high download counts) and others fall, to the wayside, there becomes a gel'ing point of what works and what doesn't.
Example. http://tinyurl.com/6od6g [Thanks TinyURL]
[Dark Millenium by Mr.Vector] is a Stunning piece of work for it's time, but
http://tinyurl.com/4sd2z [Thanks TinyURL] [XP Professional by adni18]
Demonstates that Sheer Functionality and aethestics to the Box'ed window Shape wins out every time.

Sorry I suddenly realized I was Wax'ing nostalgic there, and blathering on. I will stop here, with one small, further observation. The smaller apps, (that were good) got gobbled up.

CursorX? (as an example) Hmmm.. Wonder where that one went?

HoverDesk, WinStep NextStart.
(These two Sustain, but seemed stalled to me, only so much they can do, there.) LaunchKaos Remember them?

Oh, well, sorry this one seemed to get then better of me..

Edited to Fix Links
Got a broken Link?
Try TinyURL http://tinyurl.com/ [TinyURL.com]

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For me, it's a lot easier to create a skinable program in DesktopX than it would be to learn how to create a skinnable program in any other environment.

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A skinnable mini-program that someone should tackle is "Smart Color Pick'n'Capture."
This program gives the RGB value of any color on the screen, is useful, simple, inexpensive. I use it in graphics work, and its native skin is interesting but invites improvement. Biodag

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