May 3, 2000

5:59 PM

Microsoft released the beta of Windows Media Player 7, with it's neato support for flexible, scriptable skins (some of the samples developed by the place where I spend my daily grind). But what's most interesting is the fairly prominent links to other players on the WMP site. I guess that's what you get for supporting their format.
posted by endquote (9 comments total)

wow, those skins suck
posted by starduck at 6:33 PM on May 3, 2000

Either MS has to improve the way the skins are previewed on the site, or those are one sorry bunch of skins. There are a few that are OK, but nothing that I just gotta have. I also personally loath odd-shapped (i.e. non-square) applications.

Maybe once I get ASDL access I'll download WMP7, but for now, I don't see any compelling reason to get it. MS is going to have to bundle it with Windows if they want it to catch on... oh, right... that's a big no-no now. Oh well...
posted by Calebos at 6:43 PM on May 3, 2000

They do indeed blow. And black text on a dark blue background is a big no-no. I'm thinking that this their answer to the awesome skinnability features on the MP3 players. I wonder how long it will be before Microsoft [officially] allows skins for Windows. There is an application out there already that does this but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Windowblinds? Something like that....

To quote Bart Simpson, "It didn't think it was possible, but this both sucks and blows."
posted by camworld at 10:48 AM on May 4, 2000

It's Windowblinds, yes. By a company called Stardock

I had it on a p2-350 almost a year ago, for a while. It was nifty, but it hogged my processing power though, so I took it off.

A quick link at stardock's website shows they've got a new product called Object Desktop that I'm definetely going to investigate...
posted by cCranium at 11:23 AM on May 4, 2000

A quick update on my findings at stardock.

Windowsblinds is still slow and beastly, unfortunately. I love the thought of skinning everything possible, and the software does add some pretty nifty features (like minimizing to the title bar. I want that.)

WindowFX on the other hand, is just a terrible amount of fun. I LOVE transparent windows! And with just WindowFX running, I don't notice a slowdown. Of course, that may be because I just took windowblinds off, and any improvement seems vast.
posted by cCranium at 11:46 AM on May 4, 2000

I'll stick with my 60s theme thank you
posted by starduck at 4:22 PM on May 4, 2000

For those who DO like odd-shaped skins that look super cool: K-jofol!

Has at least 10 really imaginative, nifty-looking skins available.

The beta is, weirdly, more stable than the public version (at least it is on NT).
posted by wiremommy at 6:30 PM on May 4, 2000

I don't see a whole lot of point to the application skins Some are kinda neat, though, if you see your PC as a big expensive toy. I think most of us here see our PCs as tools.

What is f***in' awesome is the plugins for WinAmp and others, that do 3D effects on your monitor as you listen to music. Would be great for parties. If I had a social life.
posted by dhartung at 8:24 PM on May 4, 2000