Disclaimer: I don't claim to know everything. Stardock is a very successful and generous company that offers a variety of creative software to Windows users. The following is just my opinions and musings as to things Stardock could do to improve it's software lines. Take these entries for what they are... the ramblings of a guy looking for blog points.

Windowblinds. Years ago Stardock changed the face of OS customization with this program. It allowed any user, any novice to completely transform their Windows system from the nasty, outdated gray look of Windows98 to something modern, something almost beautiful. In a word, this software has been revolutionary. So revolutionary in fact, that MicroSoft included their own skin system in WindowsXP. How many software companies do you know that have caused MicroSoft to change the brand look of their most popular product?
So if it's so great, what could possibly be wrong with it? Like DesktopX, Windowblinds is also on cNets top ten enhancement downloads list. It's been in the top ten for years. Pretty good right? Well, yeah, but for me, Windowblinds could do better. Let me throw some ideas your way, and you can tell me what you think:

1.) First, it needs to move forward in functionality. Just a little. Why can't I move my Start button to the left side of my taskbar with Windowblinds? Can menus be moved to the bottom? To the vertical sides? Hidden in an added menu button? Like I said, just a little. Overall Windowblinds does wonders for improved control of your Windows system.

2.) Transparency. Frogboy saw this coming when he read the word Windowblinds. I cannot advocate implementing the full range of border transparency into Windowblinds enough. This is the future of the user interface. We MUST have this! Smooth corners, see-through borders, even windows that mimic glass panes that darken when brought to focus are things we need on Windows today. The arguement here, by certain people within Stardock, is the potential performance hit Windowblinds will take from all the eye candy. My solution? Release Windowblinds X (experimental), outside of the standard Windowblinds development map. Slap great big stickers across it saying that because of its experimental nature, the performance hit might be too much for some systems.
I've done a few comparisons running multiple semi-transparent windows on applications that allowed full skinning of their interface (the Nexplorer file browser is an example). Overall, performance took a hit when running multiple windows in large stacks. However, the performance hit was less that the Konfabulator widget system everyone has been oogling the past few days.
Word is, Windowblinds could do transparency much better, much faster, and far more efficient than anything Nexplorer could offer. And to me, thats very acceptable.
Because software has to keep up with the hardware. The future has to be met head on. Windowblinds will either wither, stuck in its current state of opaque chromatics or move forward into the future. Be the leader Stardock! Take us into that shiny glass future!

3.) Why aren't there magazine ads in CPU magazine and Maximum PC about Windowblinds? Do these companies have their own custom WB skins? I'm just asking here, I have no idea myself. Just thoughts... I'm a marketing junkie.

4.) Last, but not least, address the performance issue once and for all. We know Windowblinds is faster than msstyles (Windows built in skinning system), but some people just don't get it. Draw them a picture thats easy to understand. Literally, like an instruction book "How we made Windows skinning faster than MicroSoft". Draw pictures. Use speedy looking arrows, and maybe a cute cartoon guide through the amazing journey of Windowblinds increased performance. If someone wants to rant, dragging Windowblinds down, point them to that and be done with the conversation. If they can't understand a cartoon, then who's going to listen to them anyway?

So thats it, Windowblinds is pretty killer software that Stardock has done a great job with. The more I looked for issues with Windowblinds, the more things I found it did right. Mostly this was me ranting about semi-transparency, hopefully to get some response from the community. I know Stardock is looking into some of these issues already. Voice your support, your encouragement, and remember, if you'd like to see any of these things... Stardock listens to you!

And Frogboy... I guess this wasn't much more than that one little thing I've been bugging you about.