Trial version of WindowBlinds - 5.5?

It has not been released yet. 5.1 will have to do for now.

The shareware version of Windowblinds 5.5 will be arriving shortly.

 

Ah it is the trial download of WindowBlinds I'm interested in downloading for someone for now. Thanks.

Will the next shareware release be crippleware as well, or will one finally be able to actually see what the real product can do?

I have never understood companies releasing demo/trial/"shareware" versions of their software that are crippled (other than, e.g., time-limited or run-count-limited)... it's not exactly putting your best foot forward.

When what you are trying to get people to buy is your slick GUI-enhancing effects, and then refuse to let them see those effects for themselves, it just seems weird. It gets insulting when, as justification for a no-refunds policy, they claim "Hey - you got to see it in your trial first, so you knew what you were getting!". Sigh.

I personally would love to give full WB 5.x a try - but the fact that they won't LET me actually try it is something of an impediment.

What effects do you need to try?

NB himself - thanks for the reply!

At the least, the "per-pixel" stuff, but I think more... as I like XP, I am just looking to use a WB skin that gives me something as close as possible to Vista Aero Glass. While not very imaginative, I don't get the impression that I am unique in this either.

Since I assume your reasons for not releasing a fully functional trial version of WB are related to a perception of it being hacked and a subsequent loss of sales, well, that is obviously your call.

But from the perspective of someone that has sold a software package on the Web for 10 years, I can say that I have certainly "been there"... and I eventually settled on a simple time-limited fully functional trial, which is where I have been for the last 9 years. In the end, you can't really stop the low-lifes that want to rip you off and are willing to put some resources into doing so. Put differently, how much resource are you willing to expend to "protect" a relatively low-cost product?

My personal view is that the majority of people who are willing to use "cracked" versions of software are NOT your market - they wouldn't have paid you anyway, and the more you attempt to chase after the fantasy of getting them to pay you, the more you end up just making life hard for your real customers... a la DRM etc.

Anyway, as I said, thanks for the reply - and best of luck with your new release!

in the trail version the 'per pixel stuff' works on the skins with per pixel that come with the program - not with downloaded skins

Ummm, thanks, but I thought it was implicit that I wanted to be able try arbitrary WB skins...