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Object Desktop
Object Desktop (OD; previously the Object Desktop Network or ODNT) is an online software subscription service created by Stardock for OS/2 and relaunched for Windows in 1997. Object Desktop includes most graphical user interface customization and productivity products offered by Stardock, including ''WindowBlinds'', ''Fences'', ''DesktopX'', '' Tweak7'', ''IconPackager'' and ''ObjectBar''. History OS/2 (1993 to 2001) Object Desktop — initially entitled ''The Workplace Toolset/2'' — was developed over three years by Brad Wardell and Kurt Westerfeld subsequent to Stardock's ''OS/2 Essentials'', a pre-registered set of OS/2 shareware. Object Desktop 1.0 was followed by 1.5 and Professional' versions following in short order. By 1997 the OS/2 ISV market was flagging, and many customers were switching to Windows NT 4. 1997 OS/2 revenues were 33% of those in 1996, and they fell to 25% of 1996 levels in 1998. This led to their decision to switch to Windows in mid-1997. Nevertheles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stardock
Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market between 1997 and 1998. The company is best known for computer programs that allow a user to modify or extend a graphical user interface as well as personal computer games, particularly strategy games such as the ''Galactic Civilizations'' series, '' Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion'', '' Elemental: Fallen Enchantress'', and ''Ashes of the Singularity''. Stardock created and maintains WinCustomize, a graphical user interface customization community, and developed the Impulse content delivery system before its sale to GameStop. Many of the skins and themes featured on its site are for software that is part of their Object Desktop windows desktop suite. They are based in Plymouth, Michigan. History Stardock was founded b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Impulse (content Delivery)
Impulse was a digital distribution and Multiplayer video game, multiplayer platform. Originally developed by Stardock to succeed Stardock Central, it was purchased by GameStop in March 2011, and was subsequently rebranded as GameStop PC Downloads, with the client being renamed GameStop App. The client was discontinued in April 2014. Impulse facilitated the purchase, download and updating of software. The platform also provided blogging, friends-list, chat, Matchmaking (video games), game matchmaking, achievement (video gaming), achievements and ranking to certain games. Features Impulse helped users purchase and download software. Purchases were tied to an account on GameStop's servers, and could be downloaded from anywhere that allowed the use of the Impulse client. Storefront Impulse provided a storefront that supports localized currencies, territory restrictions and a process for refunds. Publishers and developers that once used the Impulse storefront include Activision, At ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista—a major release of the Microsoft Windows operating system—was available in six different product editions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate. On September 5, 2006, Microsoft announced the USD pricing for editions available through retail channels; the operating system was later made available to retail on January 30, 2007. Microsoft also made Windows Vista available for purchase and download from Windows Marketplace; it is the first version of Windows to be distributed through a digital distribution platform. Editions sold at retail were available in both Full and Upgrade versions and later included Service Pack 1 (SP1). Microsoft characterized the retail packaging for Windows Vista as "designed to be user-friendly, a small, hard, plastic container designed to protect the software inside for life-long use"; it opens sideways to reveal the Windows Vista DVD suspended in a clear plastic case. Windows Vista optical media use a ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer Icon
In computing, an icon is a pictogram or ideogram displayed on a computer screen in order to help the user navigate a computer system. The icon itself is a quickly comprehensible symbol of a software tool, function, or a data file, accessible on the system and is more like a traffic sign than a detailed illustration of the actual entity it represents. It can serve as an electronic hyperlink or file shortcut to access the program or data. The user can activate an icon using a mouse, pointer, finger, or recently voice commands. Their placement on the screen, also in relation to other icons, may provide further information to the user about their usage. In activating an icon, the user can move directly into and out of the identified function without knowing anything further about the location or requirements of the file or code. Icons as parts of the graphical user interface of the computer system, in conjunction with windows, menus and a pointing device (mouse), belong to the much ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Executable
In computing, executable code, an executable file, or an executable program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instruction (computer science), instructions", as opposed to a data (computing), data file that must be interpreted (parser, parsed) by a program to be meaningful. The exact interpretation depends upon the use. "Instructions" is traditionally taken to mean machine code instructions for a physical central processing unit, CPU. In some contexts, a file containing scripting instructions (such as bytecode) may also be considered executable. Generation of executable files Executable files can be hand-coded in machine language, although it is far more convenient to develop software as source code in a high-level language that can be easily understood by humans. In some cases, source code might be specified in assembly language instead, which remains human-readable while being close ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Widget Engine
A software widget is a relatively simple and easy-to-use software application or component made for one or more different software platforms. A desk accessory or applet is an example of a simple, stand-alone user interface, in contrast with a more complex application such as a spreadsheet or word processor. These widgets are typical examples of transient and auxiliary applications that don't monopolize the user's attention. On the other hand, graphical control elements (GUI "widgets") are examples of reusable modular components that are used together to build a more complex application, allowing programmers to build user interfaces by combining simple, smaller components. Classification Because the term, and the coding practice, has been extant since at least the 1980s, it has been applied in a number of contexts. Primary types A Graphical control element (GUI widget) is part of a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a computer user to control and change the appearance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DirectSkin
''DirectSkin'' is a software component that is used by software developers to add Skin_(computing), skinning capability to their applications, which may or may not be exposed to end-users. It is made by Stardock, and is derived from the ''WindowBlinds'' component of their software subscription package, Object Desktop. Being implemented as an Component Object Model, ActiveX/COM component, it may be used by any COM-capable language, including Visual Basic, VB.NET, C Sharp (programming language), C#, C++ and Delphi (programming language), Delphi. DirectSkin uses the ''WindowBlinds'' UIS file format, wikt:leverage, leveraging skin authors' existing knowledge. Users either contract Stardock or third party companies to create their skins, license existing skins for use with an application, or make their own using ''SkinStudio''. DirectSkin has seen use in various applications; the most public has been that of the ATI Technologies, ATI CATALYST Control Center, a graphical user interface f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
