ObjectDock 2.0 - First Sneak Peek

Published on June 2, 2009 By Island Dog In Personal Computing

One of the most asked about applications is ObjectDock. Specifically, people have been wanting to know about ObjectDock 2.0. Some have speculated that we have simply given up on ObjectDock, and that is simply not so. It is in development, but since it is early there is no time estimate about release, nor about upgrading.

First off, what is ObjectDock?

Objectdock is a smoothly-animated, customizable 'shelf' on which you can place shortcuts, docklets, system tray icons, and view running applications. The program is available in two versions: Plus and Standard. The Plus version offers multiple docks, tabbed docks, and a unique feature called flyout menus. The free version, while still demonstrating the capabilities of the 'zoomer' docks, limits you to only one dock. You can customize ObjectDock to be anything from a taskbar replacement to a fancy docklet-filled information center.

ObjectDock is certainly one of the most popular desktop applications around, and a lot of work is going into the new version. Maybe in another week or so, a video might be in order.

Let me make note, this is an early screenshot and is still subject to changes in the final version.

With that being said…..

Comments (Page 4)

Randall30

on Jun 19, 2009

The reason a lot of people complain was not because we hate Stardock. It was the fact every time we asked we got: "We have a lot of other project first" or "We can't say anything but it coming" The 2nd one I been hearing since 2008. Now that we got proof I feel better. I don't think people were being cry babies for wanting proof.

kwyjibo

on Jun 21, 2009

You hard-coded white backgrounds into it? That makes it completely unusable under a high contrast colour scheme (white text on black). I guess I know what I'm not buying. Use the system colours. That's what they exist for. I will never understand why a company that prides itself on customization would hard-code their software to be incompatible with customization.

Mirsguy

on Jun 21, 2009

I guess I know what I'm not buying.

Gimme a break! You're not going to buy it because of the background color?!?

I'm more concerned with all the new stuff in OD 2.0. i really could care less about the ui. Besides, you buy these things for what they can do-- not what their ui looks like.

kona0197

on Jun 21, 2009

I might try it. Looks interesting. I still like the Mac dock though.

messiah1

on Jun 21, 2009

You hard-coded white backgrounds into it? ... I guess I know what I'm not buying.

Wow. How long are you really in the OD Configuration screen?

kwyjibo

on Jun 21, 2009

Gimme a break! You're not going to buy it because of the background color?!?

I have poor vision and must use a high constrast colour scheme with white text on black backgrounds. Applications that ignore the user's colour scheme and their own colours are entirely unreadable to the disabled.

Stardock has gradually been hard-coding white backgrounds into all their programs. It's short-sighted and it's terrible and lazy UI design. System colours are easily requested by any application. There is no need to hard-code white backgrounds other than to be lazy.

i really could care less about the ui. Besides, you buy these things for what they can do-- not what their ui looks like.

You buy them for that, not me. So let me get this straight: Because a serious issue doesn't affect you, it apparently doesn't affect anyone else?

I have bought Stardock programs because they have allowed me to customize Windows' terrible UI into one that's readable to a person with poor vision. If I cannot even read the interface of Stardock's own programs, how am I going to utilize them to customize my UI?

Wow. How long are you really in the OD Configuration screen?

I fail to see how that is relevent when, in its current state, it is entirely unusable to someone with poor vision. I SHOULD be able to use it at all. All software SHOULD just use the customer's colour scheme. With a forced white background, I cannot use it at all. What possible reasoning is there to ignoring a customer's colour scheme?

And it's not JUST ObjectDock. It's ALL of Stardock's newer software. I used to be able to use Skinstudio to customize my UI, but when they started hard-coding white backgrounds into it about 1-2 years ago, that was taken away. I have pleaded with Stardock to provide a way to turn off these hard-coded colours and use the system colours, but they ignore me.

You may not be in ObjectDock's configuration for long, but you ARE in Skinstudio for hours. As is, they have lost an ODNT customer of 10 years. I have relied upon them for customizing Windows, but they have let me down.

black udder

on Jun 21, 2009

I'm hoping there is a way to save your docks/tabs into a place where you can just restore it or at least copy it back to a folder and have everything restored. While you can package a dock, you have to go put all the images into it (I believe that's right). Would just like some simple manner to restore all my docks/tabs/images since when I do have to it's such a pain.

bk13GarbageMan

on Jun 22, 2009

You can already do it, below where You would make a package it should say Backup! .............oh, and the new UI looks cool ID!

messiah1

on Jun 22, 2009

I have poor vision and must use a high constrast colour scheme

I see. You might have posted that information instead of just saying it's completely unusable. We might have understood the why. It's never a good idea to just point out a problem, without explaining why it's a problem. You did say "under a high contrast colour scheme" but we can't deduce that you have poor vision from that. In regards to your point about using the customers color scheme...email Stardock (have you?) and see what they say. If you haven't tried/asked, you really shouldn't just give up on them imo.

Mirsguy

on Jun 22, 2009

I second that, m1. Wasn't trying to be contentious, kwyjibo. Didn't know you had an eyesight issue. Try emailing stardock, like the Munkeh said.

kwyjibo

on Jun 22, 2009

In regards to your point about using the customers color scheme...email Stardock (have you?) and see what they say. If you haven't tried/asked, you really shouldn't just give up on them imo.

I second that, m1. Wasn't trying to be contentious, kwyjibo. Didn't know you had an eyesight issue. Try emailing stardock, like the Munkeh said.

I have done that many times. When I saw this screenshot, that they are now changing ObjectDock from its usable interface to hard-coded colours means they really do not care about Accessibility.

My posts here in this article are me at my wit's end, frustrated and trying to bring attention to the problem here in the open, after all emails have failed. Hopefully others will read this and speak up with me. Hopefully... even people that don't have vision problems will speak out or email them.

Please, Stardock, put in the option to disable all hard-coded colours and use standard window controls into all of your software.

JcRabbit

on Jun 22, 2009

Excalpius

reply 1

But, not to be a party pooper, the Configuration interface for ObjectDock was already just fine and bug free. In fact, even after four years of not changing appreciably at all, it's still MILES easier to use than the latest WinStep Extreme nightmare hodgepodge of Linux GUI 1990's era configuration dialogues...eesh. Great program, but completely obtuse to a first time user.

Ah, but have you seen the new User Interface in Winstep Nexus (click for a video of it in action where the new UI is clearly visible)? Winstep Xtreme is getting that same interface at the end of the month (and multi-language support too). So there!

messiah1

on Jun 22, 2009

I have done that many times. When I saw this screenshot, that they are now changing ObjectDock from its usable interface to hard-coded colours means they really do not care about Accessibility.

Don't know what more to tell you. I'm not a programmer so I don't know why they'd do that.

Excalpius

on Jun 22, 2009

@jcrabbit, YES!, I downloaded it the other day for just that reason and it is MILES better than the current full Nexus interface. I very much look forward to seeing the whole suite make that much needed change. Kudos.

Now...about the performance of the Nexus dock once it's got a half dozen or more items on it...

JcRabbit

on Jun 22, 2009

Excalpius

reply 9

Now...about the performance of the Nexus dock once it's got a half dozen or more items on it...

Pft! Stop running it on a 486 DX2 then.

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