Windows Vista beta testers get a peek at StyleVista
Posted by Brad Wardell on 17 August 2005 - 01:18 · 21 comments & 4323 views
About the Author
Full name: Brad Wardell
Forum name: Frogboy
Contact: via forum PM
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Full name: Brad Wardell
Forum name: Frogboy
Contact: via forum PM
Submissions: Normal · Headline
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(3 replies)
#1 Posted by levijay on 17 Aug 2005 - 01:21
- neat lil app, thnx brad =)
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#1.1 Posted by TheLittleKid on 17 Aug 2005 - 06:32
- totally agree with you, its going to be so sweet being able to see through things...eat your heart out mac users.
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#1.2 Posted by Chicane-UK on 17 Aug 2005 - 07:41
- Mac users have had that for years mate.. sorry to dissapoint you!
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#1.3 Posted by insanekiwi on 17 Aug 2005 - 09:47
- way to go fanboy. i hope your forum posts are not offtopic like that too.
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#2 Posted by AthleticTrainer1981 on 17 Aug 2005 - 01:28
- Damn...and I so wanted to submit this as a news article.
Can't wait to try it out though.
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#3 Posted by Angel Blue01 on 17 Aug 2005 - 01:34
- Nice!
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(1 reply)
#4 Posted by Pimpster on 17 Aug 2005 - 02:01
- i fail to see whats so cool...
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#4.1 Posted by rusmo on 18 Aug 2005 - 17:03
- Yeah - I don't see the utility in having translucent title bars. I guess there's a small gee-whiz factor, but I don't see it improving or helping my everyday computing activities. On the download page in the first screenshot, I can barely read the title bars of the background windows...poor shoice for an example IMO.
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(5 replies)
#5 Posted by bangbang023 on 17 Aug 2005 - 02:06
- As I was saying on the forums, this may have a limited life span if the Project M rumors turn out to be true.
Last edited by 2104 on 17 Aug 2005 - 23:37 -
#5.1 Posted by Frogboy on 17 Aug 2005 - 02:08
- Project M is about an alternative shell. It has nothing to do with the GUI itself. (title bars, push buttons, that sort of thing).
Example, in Windows XP, Explorer is the shell. Luna is the default UI style.
Now, if Project M turns out to be a different style to the GUI, then definitely, StyleVista would have to evolve. But given the price-tag (free), it's not much of a risk. -
#5.2 Posted by bangbang023 on 17 Aug 2005 - 02:09
- But if the shell changes, there could also be drastic changes to the UI depending on degree of change from the current shell. Also, if MS follows as they have in the past, the current UI theme won't be in the final version.
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#5.3 Posted by Frogboy on 17 Aug 2005 - 02:23
- I agree and in fact, I can't imagine Aero Glass being the final UI. It is neat but it's problematic. But that would just mean StyleVista would have to evolve.
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#5.4 Posted by Marduk on 17 Aug 2005 - 03:18
- wow! Bangbang smells the stardock s***t here too! I'm amazed a long time member would take notice of what I've been saying for a long time here. Just because its from Stardock it gets on the front page, but then if you take any notice thats the wrong way it's always been ran around here, it'll never change. It shows a lack of journalistic intergrity. Call me old school for wanting to see some of that *shrugs*, still its pretty obvious.
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#5.5 Posted by bangbang023 on 17 Aug 2005 - 03:41
QUOTE I agree and in fact, I can't imagine Aero Glass being the final UI. It is neat but it's problematic. But that would just mean StyleVista would have to evolve.
In terms of my comments about shelf life, that's all I wanted to hear. I was just concerned that SD was suddenly banking on this being the final UI when history shows it may not be the case.
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#6 Posted by Osprey on 17 Aug 2005 - 03:15
- I think it would behoove Microsoft to explore a scheme for Aero Glass that looks kinda like the middle screenshot at the download page. Having a bit more color would be nice, and MS is keen on the color blue. The GUI doesn't necessarily have to be 100% transparent white/gray for us to get the point that it's a nifty, pretty interface.
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(4 replies)
#7 Posted by AthleticTrainer1981 on 17 Aug 2005 - 03:16
- There is no point in arguing with BB. He always has to be right, no matter what the topic is. It doesn't matter that Project M doesn't really exist yet or that no one knows what is really is or that no one knows if it will make it into Vista.
But BB has to be right. -
#7.1 Posted by bangbang023 on 17 Aug 2005 - 03:40
- Still going? Even if project M is a complere myth and never happens, there's a very very high chance that the current theme won't be the final one. It happened with Whistler and it's probably going to happen again. If it does, this little app is going to be useless unless upgraded properly hence my continued comments about it's potential shelf life. Brad addressed these by saying it would be upgraded if needed. I presented a concern and he presented an answer. Seems to work.
You have to realize, in the end, this is nothing but a little eye candy app for an OS that, where legally obtained, is being used for much different purposes. I'm a customization freak and am in the Longhorn beta. While I have chosen not to test Vista and only test IE7, I know that I would definitely not be worried about the colors of my windows while testing out one of the biggest products from MS in a long time.
Any other concerns you wish to address about me, feel free to do so privately. You seem to take my like of debate for me always having to be right. -
#7.2 Posted by depakote on 17 Aug 2005 - 05:55
- Your moderation is almost like a policeman. So is your attitude.
But I agree with the fact that this application is basically for show, for testing.. We all know what whistler was like with theming before beta 2.. We still have time to see new looks of longhorn implemented.. So yeah, stardock is just trying to prove that they are going to try to theme even after XP does the new theming engine. That's good. ^_^ -
#7.3 Posted by Marduk on 17 Aug 2005 - 12:17
- I'm glad bangbang actually had the guts to stand up to the coprate co-owners(so it seems) and actually move this thread, or get it moved. A move, that appears to me, to show some form of integrity
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#7.4 Posted by AthleticTrainer1981 on 17 Aug 2005 - 23:40
- What bangbang is, is the little policeman of neowin. Anytime he doesn't agree with an article or doesn't like what people has to say, he throws his mod weight around.
God forbid anybody disagrees with him.
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#8 Posted by Jugalator on 17 Aug 2005 - 07:21
- Hmm, this feature is so small and useful that I think it should be built into Vista... Many have complained about the difficulty in seeing which window has focus and getting confused -- having the frame in a different color and no opacity would help. But maybe it won't matter after all since the theme won't work and look like in Vista Beta 1 anyway.
By default, both active and inactive windows in Windows Vista are set to being a "clear glass" look for the title bars, borders, and toolbar client area. With StyleVista, users can set the opacity and color for both the active and inactive state individually.
StyleVista should not be confused with Stardock WindowBlinds. WindowBlinds allows users to replace the "skin" (visual style) of the GUI with alternatives created by users. StyleVista modifies the existing style of Windows Vista.
What's new in Advanced Installer 3.1: