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WindowBlinds 5 Beta: Next Tuesday

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WindowBlinds 5 Beta: Next Tuesday

It's coming..

from WinCustomize Forums

The first public beta of WindowBlinds 5 is almost here.  Stardock released the alpha this week to its internal QA team to put the program through its compatibility testing before sending it out.  WindowBlinds 5's most notable new feature is the ability to support "glass" and full alpha blending of the title bar and border (no more jaggy borders).  The critical step has been to deliver this functionality without affecting performance for reasonably modern video cards.

In addiion, WindowBlinds 5 no longer has a "wbload.exe" and instead extends the painting of the Windows GUI in a more "native" way.  Or put another way, it has "zero foot print" in the same manner that the default bundled Windows themes (msstyles) use. 

Users who have Object Desktop will be able to try out the beta next Tuesday (Oct 4).  Users of WindowBlinds 4 will be able to upgrade to Object Desktop at a reduced price.  Moreover, users who purchased WindowBlinds 4 after September 1 will receive WindowBlinds 5 for free.

WindowBlinds 5 will also be designed to run on Windows Vista natively by the time Windows Vista ships (the beta of WindowBlinds 5 should run on the beta of Windows Vista though the Windows Vista GUI is still in a state of flux obviously).

65,043 views 155 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So, I bought Object Desktop in June, and now you're telling me I have to buy it again.
As I read it: If you bought an Object Desktop subscription all updates are free for the term of your purchase. If you bought a component Windowblinds 4 by itself then you don't receive the free updates unless you purchased in Spet. But you do get a discount.
Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hippie, OD is a yearly thing, you will keep anything you have at the end of the year. You just will not be able to get new versions after june of next year. everything up to then will still work forever. You only need to re-new if you want to continue getting new versions, and any applications that are added after that point.
TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hippie, after buying object desktop you are entitled to renew the subscription each year following. Which during the year you use the component tray to update the programs your using. Best part is the price for the subscribing is far less that each individual program costs seperately.
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
*whew* glad my subscription expires in the next few weeks so i can still get this beat lol but i'll def. be renewing my OD subscription for sure
Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top
*whew* glad my subscription expires in the next few weeks so i can still get this beat lol but i'll def. be renewing my OD subscription for sure

You'll still be stuck with the beta though...
Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It is so cool that you guys have been able to figure this out. Not only the transparency, but also no wbload.exe as well. I remember hearing, awhile ago for sure, that transparency in the title bars wasn't possible. Yet here it is as well as transparency in the task bar. You guys rock!! Engineering geniuses.!!

hhmm, can't find a brown nosing emoticon


Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Users of WindowBlinds 4 will be able to upgrade to Object Desktop at a reduced price.


Is this price different than the upgrade option already in place?
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
... deliver this functionality without affecting performance for reasonably modern video cards

Could you expand on how modern? or even what the video card would need to support?
Just wondering'.
Cant wait!
Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm looking forward to it. The screenshots look great. Is tuesday the new release day???
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey this the best new i had in the past two weeks!!!
Also can anyone help me to find a nice and cool Vista Icons, I found some but the Icon P won't work with them (3.0) Thanks!!!
Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Great news, Brad! Stardock is simply the best...the future of GUI's here today, well tuesday, and I'm stoked. Thanks to all at Stardock
Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top
*whew* glad my subscription expires in the next few weeks so i can still get this beat lol but i'll def. be renewing my OD subscription for sure

You'll still be stuck with the beta though...


i won't be stuck with beta - i said i was gonna be renewing i have no problem spending money on something i absolutely use every single day i don't want to be missing out on all the exciting stuff going on here
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is this going to work with Windows 2000?
Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
(4th Oct - that's my birthday)
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Reasonably modern = ATI Radeon 9000 or better (my laptop runs it great) or a reasonably new Geforce card.  If you're using some embedded video adapter (like an Intel one) or some off-name one then performance may not be as good.

I will say this: The hardware requirements to run WindowBlinds 5 in glass are a lot lower than the hardware requirements to run Microsoft's Windows Vista Aero in glass mode.

Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK. Cool. Like I said, I LOVE OD. Wincustomize, Major Geeks, and Shell Ext City are the only place I go anymore. Alright, now I can freak out. yea.
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Reasonably modern = ATI Radeon 9000 or better


How poorly will it run on a Radeon 8500?
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top
i won't be stuck with beta - i said i was gonna be renewing i have no problem spending money on something i absolutely use every single day i don't want to be missing out on all the exciting stuff going on here

oh, yea. you said. it was abit late when I posted that comment. and I had a couple of drinks eariler on then. heh

Reasonably modern = ATI Radeon 9000 or better (my laptop runs it great) or a reasonably new Geforce card. If you're using some embedded video adapter (like an Intel one) or some off-name one then performance may not be as good.

So a DirectX8 compatible card with hardware acceleration..?
Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's about time we get some good updates for WB. I'm gunna have to kick up the production on my theme and release sooner.
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey, wait a minute. I've been ripped off. When I bought WindowBlinds 4, I was told all upgrades would be free. Also, I don't understand the logic behind awarding people who bought WB4 recently; they just gave you business, whereas I've been a loyal customer for almost 2 years! Give me a break! I quit.