ExtremeTech Reviews WindowBlinds 5

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1905989,00.asp
from WinCustomize Forums

ExtremeTech, a well known and respected website dedicated for technology news, has taken an in-depth look at the newly released WindowBlinds 5. In an exclusive article, they have discussed almost every feautre of WindowBlinds 5 like per-pixel alpha blending, as well as the ability to change toolbar icons, progress animations, and the hue and saturation of the Windows interface.

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19,450 views 23 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
great artical on this program we already love!

thanks for the link BX!
Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Wow, whoever reviewed WB doesn't know what they're doing. Did you see the screenshots of DogmaX? How can they think that's how its supposed to look? Piss-poor reviewing, they should've inquired why it didn't look like the SS brewman made. For shame on ExtremeTech, they should know better!

On a side-note, I like the Gizmo-mod you did for them, looks nice.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
*ahem*

It featured a Butch123 port of a msstyle. Where are the other three horsemen?

This article highlights one of the things I don't like about how Windowblinds appears. All the skins higlighted save one looked like old Windowblinds 4. Heck one of them was a MSstyle port. Windowblinds is *cool* . It's cool because you could have a semi-transparent BeOS if you wanted to with Windowblinds. Highlighting a bunch of old skins with no compact startmenus dosen't highlight what Windowblinds can do.

Stardock should place some effort into making a killer skin for WB with *every* supported feature. Then make it the default skin when WB is loaded.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

All in all it seemed pretty OK.  The important thing to remember is that the 'ExtremeTech' reviewer is a user not an 'insider' who would be aware of the origins/ports he chooses as appealing.

Also...to a degree this is really about Windowblinds in general....not 'just' v5....so it's going to be aimed at the 'novice', not necessarily the 'current user looking to upgrade'...

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I was looking at the comments to said review, and wow, WindowBlinds has to be one of the most misunderstood programs out there....
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes...I forgot to look at the comments.

They ARE a pretty dopey bunch, aren't they?  I guess they hang out on a 'tech' site hoping to be associated with people who actually have a 'clue'....

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
blasphomy - that 'skin' of butch's looked terrible. I'm glad for the outside opinion review, but he should have checked for some of the more popular and slicker skins how well-made the skin is affects the performance of the software.. example, butch's ports always have trouble with different applications because they arn't skinned properly. This would gives a bad rep to a first glance of windowblinds. Good exposure all in the same.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
After reading through the comments, everyone there thinks that WindowBlinds alone is $50. The writer of that should clarify. Even I think $50 would be too much for WB alone, but is a good deal for all the OD apps.

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd register an tell these people OD is a pretty worthwhile thing to have.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd register an tell these people OD is a pretty worthwhile thing to have.

I feel the issue I'd have commenting there [so didn't] would be not too dissimilar to Frogboy doing the same...running the risk of being seen as 'biased' towards Windowblinds and/or Wincustomize.com.

What would be 'best' is positive re-inforcement from WB users/skinners who can be seen to be more 'distanced'....

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm just looking for a comparison between WB 4.51 and 5. I have 4.51, it's great. Is there an advantage to upgrade? Thanks in advance for this info...jigs
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If I wasn't so lazy, I'd register an tell these people OD is a pretty worthwhile thing to have.


I'm right there with ya but I'm not sure I could think of a nice way to disagree with the techtards that obviously just skimmed through the review and looked at the less than stellar screenshots and the one number $50 and then drew their conclusions. Most of the comments also strike me as being made by the same disenchanted 17 year olds who want to change their PC's appearance but think that everything should be free to them.. Ok, now I'm ranting so I'll stop before I really get carried away.

Seems WB would be better off if reviews like this didn't even exist. There's nothing positive about that review and if there were and I read the comments I'd immediately be turned off to the product. Maybe the SD marketing team needs to go in and do a little clean up on isle ExtremeTech!
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think what is needed is a detailed performance and memory-use analysis of WindowBlinds and the other common Object Desktop products on various common hardware and software configurations. This would, atleast for the readership of sites like extremetech, go a long way towards dispelling some common misconceptions of the product.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I agree, John. If a more prominient website like Cnet did a review, they usually do go into performance tests. If Cnet can review anything from cars to stereos to Photoshop, why can't they review OD?
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
after seeing the comments unfold from that article, i take back what i said earlier.. the review is in fact doing more harm than good. Its not entirely the fault of the writer - you can be so clear, but if your readers are ignorant then there is nothing anyone can do about it. The commentors obviously have not read through the article. They don't understand that WB alone is 20$, not 50, and they are all talking about performance and stability issues which at large none of us - including the writer - have. They make un just comparisons, and speculate. Its very damaging to Stardocks rep. Though - arn't we used to this kind of treatment already?

As Jafo said the best way to fix this is if our community came out in force and calmly but sincerely talked up WB with user-experienced fact. Don't flame. Be nice. But share your story. I won't participate, i don't think people like that are worth the trouble. But if this sort of thing gets under your skin, go and speak up.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Heh, the 'member rating' for WB is 1 out of 5 stars...Noobs.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
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Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
great stuff i love the new windowblinds, i was lost before i got it can't wait to see what they come up with next over there at stardock
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The review wasn't too bad. I didn't see the need to talk about the $50 package, the review was of a single program, not other programs by the same company. Clearly thats confusing a lot of people, who are skimming and coming away believing it costs $50. Already been said but I wanted to echo it.

Usually ExtremeTech has good articles, this one seemed more like someone spending too much time making screenshots then whacking out some words to go with it, rather than reviewing the mechanics of what WindowsBlinds really can do.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
rather than reviewing the mechanics of what WindowsBlinds really can do.


One has to wonder if that is because they themselves didn't really know why someone would spend money to change the way their windows look. I mean, one of the biggest advantages beyond the cool skins is the increased performance. The reviewer states that he didn't see any performance gains, I personally see a rather large improvement when using WB over the stock XP themes. Of course maybe I'm just biased!
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
butch's ports always have trouble with different applications because they arn't skinned properly. This would gives a bad rep to a first glance of windowblinds. Good exposure all in the same.


Not to be to off topic but I assure you if you tell Butch his skins are messed up and don't work right he never listens.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One has to wonder if that is because they themselves didn't really know why someone would spend money to change the way their windows look. I mean, one of the biggest advantages beyond the cool skins is the increased performance


I'd hope that Extremetech understood the whole skinning phenomenon. Sadly that doesn't stop people writing lazy reviews and I think in this case, that's what happened. As for improvements in performance. I've never seen any improvements myself using any kind of skinning tools. What I do gain though is usability. Faster access to programs I use, better visualisation of what state my computer is in (free ram, hd space, temperatures and such) For that kind of usability boost I'm quite willing to take a performance hit. I think the trick is balancing how much you have on your desktop with how much power your computer has. For those that gain performance increases, good for them I say. I wouldn't disagree with you, just on my system it has never worked out like that.