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Add animated icons, stock tickers, system resource monitors, picture frames, and much more to your Windows desktop with Stardock's DesktopX 3.
DesktopX is a program that enables users to add all kinds of new and interesting things to their Windows desktops. By default, Microsoft Windows only supports static images on the desktop called "icons". DesktopX can take your desktop to the next level by allowing user to put desktop objects and widgets on it as well. It also supports creating entirely new desktops from scratch.
DesktopX 3 is a major improvement over previous versions. Not only does it have vastly more features than previous versions, it has been re-designed to separate the user portions from the content creation portions. Previously, someone who wanted to simply add "widgets" to their Windows desktop also had to interact with DesktopX's powerful, yet easy to use, developer environment which tended to overwhelm new users. With DesktopX 3, the features of the program have been streamlined.
Major user features of DesktopX 3 include:
- Import "objects" onto the desktop that can be everything from animated icons to mini-applications
- Load a .Desktop file that can replace your existing Windows desktop with something completely new
- Load a "widget" which is a mini-program that can run on any system that has DesktopX installed.
- Includes dozens high quality widgets and objects for users to instantly start using
- A simple "widget manager" that uses hardly any memory that allows users to keep track, load, and unload widgets
- Thousands of third party desktops, objects, and widgets to download
- Uses relatively little memory or system resources
Major developer features of DesktopX include:
- Built in development environment makes it easy to create objects, widgets, and desktops
- Use scripts or plugins to add features to your creations
- Animation, transparency, shadows, and similar options are built in
- Creations can be exported as objects, widgets, or desktops depending on the developer's needs
- Most creations do not require any programming at all
- JavaScript and VB Script both natively supported
- Direct support for Windows APIs such as WMI allow for much more sophisticated creations
- Native support for object "States" which can be configured via a GUI (makes development much quicker and easier of complicated things)
- Custom preference dialogs can be created via scripts for widgets
- Third parties can extend DesktopX's APIs through plugins (developers aren't limited to what features we've thought of).
- Native support for accessing the Windows clipboard
- Widgets can be exported as stand alone programs called "gadgets" with DesktopX Pro!
DesktopX 3.0 comes in 3 flavors: DesktopX Client which is for end users who just want to run widgets, objects, and desktops created by others. DesktopX Standard which adds the development environment for creating/modifying widgets, objects, and desktops. And DesktopX Pro which enables developers to export their widgets as gadgets. Unlike widgets, gadgets can run on any Windows 2000/XP system without requiring DesktopX (or any other special software) to already be installed.
A shareware version of DesktopX 3.0 Standard is available for download at http://www.desktopx.net. The standard version of DesktopX is part of Stardock's Object Desktop, a suite of desktop enhancement programs that also includes WindowBlinds, IconPackager, ObjectBar, RightClick, WindowFX, SkinStudio, and much more.
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