We are looking at changing the Master Skin split to be 70-30 in favor of the skinners btw.  But it's a tough job (moderating) on so many different versions of Windows now.

Yes, it already is 70-30 right now, for over a year. Ends of being about 65-35 though after bandwidth fees and such.

I've been an OD user since it first came out for OS/2.  I'm not heavy into all the apps but my all time favorite and the one I miss the most is the Control Center.

Please, please update Desktop X to Windows 10. I have one laptop with Windows 10 which look forlorn without the apps and widgets on it. Having to go to 'Start' every time you want to see information is a real bore. All my other machines have remained on Windows 7 in expectation of an update before I 'upgrade'. I'll have to pay for that now but hey. ho.

Colin

Hi Brad

I have never written to a publication like this before, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading this latest issue of Stardock. As you mention towards the end of the issue, many, many things thud onto the (virtual) doormat, and the vast majority make a very swift journey from there to the trash folder.

I was prompted to stop and read this issue, frankly because it looked like a real piece of writing, form a real person.

It did not deceive...I really enjoyed reading all the articles, and the insights you gave into the world of the game developer were very interesting. I've been playing computer games since the 'eighties, starting on a Commodore and one of the very early Apples, Star Trek and Dungeon Quest and the like. Still play regularly and consider this one of my more enjoyable activities. Learning more about the interwoven threads that lead from original creative spark to action on the screen is fascinating, especially to one who grew up chatting late into the night with friends tearing their hair out while debugging Cobol, Fortran and Pascal code!

Anyway, lest I digress, thank you for this very enjoyable issue and I look forward to may more

Yours sincerely

Kim

I live and die by Keyboard Launchpad.  

• I use it to start music players to specific streams.
• I use it to open and close emails with specific messages
• I use it to run commands
• I use it to navigate to different network locations
• I use it for "canned" sales responses
• Opening applications from the keyboard is AWESOME
• The Support team lives by it for responses that occur repeatedly

Hello! I actually just wanted to give thanks to Brad for the informational email and apparently new format. I, for one, like the simple format and appreciate the streamlined nature of the non-PR email. Thank you! That is all.

I haven't been around here for a good while, but had to visit the forums to say that this was terrific. For the first time in a long while, I read every word of a Stardock Magazine...and I'm looking forward to Part 2. It is so nice to hear directly from Brad, speaking to us as if we're as much old friends and acquaintances as customers.

My wife still runs some old MyColors themes (Winter Wonderland and a dragon one particularly) on our Windows 7 computer at home. It's old and unsupported and wonky, and sometimes makes a window or menu bar or button look or act funny, but it's worth it to her. And neither of us could live without Fences.

Other than that, we haven't done a whole lot with Object Desktop type things--the time and mental energy and enthusiasm needed to play around with new tech seems harder to come by with each passing year, even though we're not that old yet!--but we've been ever so glad for the bits and bobs that we have gotten to know and love. If things are updated and consolidated for Windows 10, that could make the transition a lot less unpleasant for us, when we finally have to replace our current machines and thus are compelled to make the move.

The engine discussion was interesting...and made me want to go fire up Game Dev Tycoon again.

Anyhow, thanks again for the solid newsletter, and keep up the good work.

Well, I am a little old for games now, but the other areas read pretty good Brad. Love to hear the Tesla stuff, I am all for gas powered vehicles disappearing from the Earth! 

Yes to Newsletter (I just got it today ~ shrug).  And... yes to a DesktopX for Windows 10. 

Really enjoyed the email. I echo the stuff that everybody else said, it reads like it was written by a real person, and it has interesting stuff I wouldn't know about otherwise. The Nitrous Engine stuff sounds very cool, for example. It may be a bit geeky, but I love that stuff. I'm a geek. And there is definitely something to be said for standing out from the crowd and giving people what a slick marketing campaign could never give them. What I like about Stardock is that independent ethos. More power to you.

When is Part 2 of the newsletter coming out Brad?