Khuat Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 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). Source:WinCustomize http://www.wincustomize.com/Articles.aspx?AID=87645&c=1 Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
_I am Reptar Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Cool! Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586583897 Share on other sites More sharing options...
#Michael Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Super Tuesday here I come. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586583918 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Pitman Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Cool! 586583897[/snapback] My sentiments exactly. Windowblinds, hell the entire Stardock suite, has come a long way in the last few years. It's all so much more stable and compatible than in years past. I can't tell any performance difference running Windowblinds 4.6 or using a custom style via a patched uxtheme.dll. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586583923 Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoXY Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 NICE (Y) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586583935 Share on other sites More sharing options...
caerma Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 not a public alpha..., great news. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586585368 Share on other sites More sharing options...
javagreen Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Dayum .. cant wait :) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586585401 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Woodbridge Subscriber² Posted September 27, 2005 Subscriber² Share Posted September 27, 2005 http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/wb5/wb5-1.jpg A new screen shot from the Stardock Sept newsletter - alpha blended right click menus, looks like the "Please Wait" window has also got the goods. I like the new preview in the Display Properties too :) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586585437 Share on other sites More sharing options...
illicit Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Good news... I can't wait. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586586652 Share on other sites More sharing options...
feverfive Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 I'm debating whether to re-install WB (& then upgrad to 5.0). For me, it depends on whether certain .msstyle-only VS's are ported successfully to WB. I switched to a hacked uxtheme b/c of VS's like LE4, and now I'm loving the new area04. Whenever I've tried porting myself (w/ SkinStudio), the result doesn't look nearly as nice as the original .msstyle. :no: Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586586832 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Veteran Posted September 27, 2005 Veteran Share Posted September 27, 2005 Shouldn't this be in BPN? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586586861 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Lyle Global Moderator Posted September 27, 2005 Global Moderator Share Posted September 27, 2005 Shouldn't this be in BPN? 586586861[/snapback] i think WindowsBlinds news fits perfectly into WindowsBlinds Area :) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587037 Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoL Veteran Posted September 27, 2005 Veteran Share Posted September 27, 2005 :woot: :woot: Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587046 Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha_omega Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 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. In other words: they made a service out of wbload.exe... Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587049 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binary Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Great news. Do ALL elements of a skin now support Alphablending? Like comboboxes etc.? It's just too bad they didn't figure out how to do this sooner. We've got Vista in a year (beautiful alphablended windows), and we've had to put up with XP's jaggedness for about 5 years!! :o Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587256 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 27, 2005 Veteran Share Posted September 27, 2005 This is what I've been waiting for. I need to see performance though. I don't need to lose performance just so my window borders are a litte less jagged. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587271 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Pitman Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 :woot: :woot: 586587046[/snapback] Yeah woot woot, everyone and their brother is waiting for your Vista WB5 WindowBlinds style. :p Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586587275 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meshuggah Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 very sexy....WB 5 looks nice Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590606 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigo Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 yer Kol man you need to be crackin out some quality themes for this ;) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590642 Share on other sites More sharing options...
devBrian Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 It's too bad the themers for the software, in general, have a lack of artistic ability and end up making a huge gradient-laden mess. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590648 Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanekiwi Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 oh that's cool. can't wait ;) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590637 Share on other sites More sharing options...
#Michael Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 It's too bad the themers for the software, in general, have a lack of artistic ability and end up making a huge gradient-laden mess. 586590648[/snapback] I say the same thing for msstyle authors. With the exception for some talented artists like KoL, bant, b0se, and a couple of others the majority of msstyles are crap also, so you can't say that all WB skins are crap. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590672 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot B. Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Looking forward to it :) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590911 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xero Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Themes are going to be more creative now. I'm looking forward to creating new themes for WB5, but I'll finish my current one and just use some of the new features for smoothness. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590947 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meshuggah Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 is there some sort of thread anywhere on any forum which has top rated WB themes? i go through WC and i can't ever really find anything that satisfies my tastes...but wondering if there is some place with a lot of great themes to look at Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/377607-windowblinds-5-beta-coming/#findComment-586590978 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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