WC Poll: Preferred Skin Style

https://www.wincustomize.com/webpoll.aspx
from WinCustomize Forums

Welcome back Skinning Fans to yet another week of icons, wallpapers, animated desktops and lively forum debate.  To kick the week off right, it's time for yet another poll.  Yes, yes, I know, you're wondering to yourself what deep and insightful question I could possibly ask this week.  Well, after much debate, and several extremely unhelpful suggestions from the peanut gallery (Favorite Way to Skin a Cat just didn't seem like a good idea), a good one was suggested by our game dev intern, mittens.

But before we get into the new question, we should recap last week's poll and the results.  Last Monday, I listed out all of the non-Stardock Design skins released in the Master Skins program so far.

By a good margin, the favorite released to-date is Knot Vista by I.R. Brainiac.  Coming in second was Optix by MikeB314.  Here's the breakdown:

Pretty good spread overall.  Hopefully in the coming months we'll have even more master skins to vote on in future polls

Now, on to this week's question...  What is your Preferred WindowBlinds Skin Style? 

  • Tech-y
    Skins that evoke a machine/computerized look.  They're usually on the dark side, and use sharp edges and lines.
  • Bright & Clean
    Skins that use lighter colors and soft edges.  Usually easier on the eyes.
  • Minimalistic
    Skins that provide a clean, simple interface without any bulky edges or menus.
  • Wacky/Over-the-Top
    Skins that just go nuts with the cool effects, thick textured borders, over-the-top colors and elements.
  • Other
    Did I miss a type?  Let us know what your "Other" style is in the comments below.

Results, as always, next week.

11,098 views 28 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Did I miss a type? Let us know what your "Other" style is in the comments below.


Vista hacks.   

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
techy with a real feel....kind of over the top.. my last 2 screen shots are a great example of the types i like...fat,juicy and look like you could just reach out and pick them up...
DeskScapes - Bring your desktop background to life.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't know what it is about them but I like the transparent type of skins.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Vista hacks


  
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Quick someone call for an ambulance, we have a skinner down. Looks like a severe case of the dreaded "VISTA HACKS".   
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What style would Optix,Khado or AeroS be classed as?  
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Congrats to I.R Brainiac on the Snagging "Poll Position"     
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My personal favorites are minimal skins with transparency.    
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Congrats to I.R !
My personal favorites are maximal skins with transparency
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't know what it is about them but I like the transparent type of skins.


I like a nice tan-line myself..........
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I prefer a basic-easy-on-the-eyes-skin. (now)

The question should be "how long do you spend on your pc". I used to love darker themes, but having spent the past 4 years in front of a pc everyday for minimum 12 hours, i can only work with lighter themes. (really not by choice)

The darker themes were great when i worked all nite, but nearly inpossible to use during the daytime (without strain, headaches ect...)

So, if i only had 2-3 hours a day, a nice techie computerized look....

but as i dont.............you know the rest!

oh, and for transparent............ it just looks a mess to me, one window over another...... cant really tell which window is where. Hate working with them, especially as i have a tri-screen set-up.....lose track of everything. (many windows open all the time)
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I love those dark flashy skins. As a work of art they are great to see. But l am with OFFICA WoD on this one. Use a skin every day for long hours and those flashy skins don't ever pan out. Still waiting for the perfect skin. I would like to know what skin most people revert to when they get down to work? For me, for now, it's Vienna. DogmaX comes in second. Don't know what you would call the style, I call it "great".

As far as best graphics ever done on a skin, Knot Vista. Hands down. ( It's a kinda Tech-y, Bright & Clean, Wacky/Over-the-Top skin that just go nuts with the cool effects, thick textured borders, over-the-top colors and elements made by a author who probably takes enhancement drugs and was beamed here from outer space to pick on Jafo.) But thats just an opinion.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Let's jump on I.R. Brainiac and tie him up, then beat the hell out of him.

Evil Laugh    Knot Vista is just too good. He just had to nail the poor woods   

Mike forced me to change my Vista theme when he hit us with Optix


Very nice! I LOVE them all  and I'm not laughing  


Thanks to all the masters for blessing us   
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Psst.. Elsius.. whatever IR is paying you, I'll double it   

  
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Settle that vStyler!

I got your back   
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Interesting, I am curious just how many of these things actually sell.... as in numbers of skins sold verses number of subscriptions of Windowblinds that are out there.
And, who the customer actually is for these skins. Since this is kind of new and a testing ground for selling these things, are the only customers average stardock customers, or just the master skinners themselves? If the only user of the product is the upper echelon of the community, how does the rest of the community feel about them? And how will new customers get to use up to date skins from the master skinners?
Yes, all of these skins look nice. But if I bought every one of them, it would cost more than the cost of windowblinds. Again I ask why pay for the program when we are now charged for the skins?
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Again I ask why pay for the program when we are now charged for the skins?


Stardock charges for the program because they have to feed Jafo. The skinners charge for their skins because they want help being their bills or take their girlfriends to the movies. I was so close to snatching vStyler girlfriend, but he's making the $$$$ now   

If you feel Stardock should lower the prices on their programs, that's a different story.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Again I ask why pay for the program when we are now charged for the skins?

You are not obliged to buy master skins, as that is personal choice.

Most of the skins are free, some are pay-for skins. By enabling a Master Skinner to sell some of his/her work, it gives that Master Skinner the ability to make a little money for the hard work they put into making them.

Some skins can take MONTHS to create. Would'nt you want some remuneration if YOU put in all that work?

I haven't yet seen ONE Master Skinner charging for ALL of their skins. They are still putting out great quality skins for free, too.   

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Again I ask why pay for the program when we are now charged for the skins?


Because, as you have been told.. several times now.. Purchase of the application entitles you to use the entire library of freely available skins...thats why.    let me give you an example, the only Master skin i have uploaded right now, Odyssey..I worked on for over two months, and I dont mean, once in a while, I mean most days , most nights, more hours in fact than a full time normal job. You seem to be suggesting that I, and other serious skinners that have spent literally years and years perfecting our skills and submitting community \ free skins are entitled to nothing in return?

Look, If you dont want to pay for the tiny percentage of skins that make up the Master skin section.. then please, use your right of free choice and don't. I wouldn't ask you to do your job for free for me.

Your not charged for skins, your charged for master skins.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I appreciate each and every sale...I live on 230$ a month(aid for the needy and disabled)...since your curious...I started skinning in 2003...since then,my combined earnings(WB sales here and at Maxstyles,contest winnings etc..)come to under 500.00$.

As far as who buys...?Mostly regular windowblinds users...Master skinners will usually give each other copies if asked or offered for testing(tho some,like Boxxi,bought it just to support me in further efforts).A few are given to people making other skins for it.

I also offer all masterskins free to ANY Stardock employee or Wincustomize mod.(tho I suspect a few of them bought just for the same reason Boxxi did)

So much work goes into them that if there were no possibility of making money at this,you would get no more skins from some of us anyway...I have an allergy to starving.  
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm really into the Optix skin. It's basically my "default" skin now since it looks so good on Vista. Knot Vista just doesn't appeal to me so I haven't even bought it.
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Master Skin sales go to support the artists who make them.  Look at it like you'd look at buying a PC.  The computer comes with some stuff, there's a LOT of free stuff available for it, and there's also some for-pay stuff.  Just because you've purchased a PC, it doesn't mean you expect software for free.

There are free skins, there are some commercial skins.  You download or purchase what you personally feel is appropriate.  You're not forced to.  And commercial skins are still in the extremely vast minority, so it's not like there is no choice.

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bottom line is...Stardock isnt making enough money from masterskin sales to offset the loss of revenue if they were to even discount Windowblinds(much less give it away)

And the other option is for me to give you all my free time.(last I checked,you havnt done anything for me but interrupt my comment section to complain)Think about that while I go without coffee,cigs,food and medicine at some point EACH month.