Collection of products needs clarification

Object Desktop Plus, Impulse, MyColors, Stardock Central - one big happy family?

from WinCustomize Forums

As a long-time user of Stardock's products (I have Object Desktop for OS/2) I'm becoming confused as to what I need to be running on my desktop and what products will conflict with what.  Do I need to deactivate certain applications as new ones come up or can I install the new product over the old ones (will the old product be replaced automatically?)

For example, I'm running Object Desktop 2004 (I started out with OD 2000) on an XP-based system.  I've also gotten various themes and suites over the years (Magic Desktop, Ohio State University Desktop, Incredible Hulk, Spider-man, X-men, Toon-XP and Oxidized themes).  Can I use the Theme Manager that comes with Object Desktop or do I have to use the MyColors  product?  Are there conflicts if I have both on the same machine?  If I use the OD theme manager, how do I update my old themes that have been converted to MyColors desktops (like the Ohio Date University desktop, Magic, Toon-XP and Oxidized themes) - some of the newer links on my upgrade infromation & serial number links go to the MyColors versions instead of the stand-alone themes that used to be part of the collection.

Also, if I go to Impulse, do I have to uninstall Stardock Central?  Will I have to reinstall all of my applications?

Even a simple thing like going to Object Desktop 2008 is a question.  Do I have to get another installation CD?  I have my original OD 2000 CD, plus 2 OD snapshots CDs that I've purchased as part of my subscription over the years.  According to my last upgrade information notice, I now qualify for the Object Desktop 2008: Ultimate version (it said CD only (no license) - will I be getting another installation CD in the mail (there wasn't a link in my email from Stardock Sales)?  What if I decide to upgrade my system to Vista?  Will I have to go download things from scratch again?  I've got some questions that the current communications from Stardock really haven't cleared up.

I won't even go on regarding the premium icon suites and other products (CursorXP Plus, ObjectDock Plus, etc.) I've purchased - needless to say I'm a little mixed up as to how I need to proceed going forward.  What can I leave off (or uninstall) and what products do I need to have ALL of the applications I ran before...

It sounds like Stardock needs to put together a FAQ regarding product compatability and upgrade options.

4,630 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
GraveDigger: I totally agree. Very confusing. I haven't used Object Desktop since 2003. I renewed with OD Ultimate 2008 and all the old stuff is there as well. Several components are the same or similar but with different names. I have been working with it for 3 days now.. Here's a heads up on what I've learned... Impulse is not ready for primetime, at least in my case. It is very unstable and hangs up constantly. After downloading 7 components, it quit working. I had to download Stardock Central to get the rest of the OD software. So at least you know that you don't have to uninstall Stardock Central. Window FX and Icon X are not compatible with Vista Ultimate, (so says Impulse before it died). I can download and install them with Stardock Central, but am afraid of the consequences if I do. FYI, my windows experience rating is 5.0.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One more thing......Premium Suites will on work with Theme Manager. My Colors suites are a different animal.
Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Based upon your experience I'm sticking with the classic Stardock Central application for now. The only MyColors theme I've purchased is the stand-alone version of the OSU desktop a year or so ago. I was incorrect about the version of Object Desktop that I'm running (it's OD 2007 not 2004 - that's what was printed on the first update CD I purchased). Obviously as a user of the program since OD 2000 I've been invested in the program (considering that means I've paid for a subscription for each year...) I think that Stardock has been very good at updating the program and I really appreciated the chance to have my subscription extended at a discounted price last year - with the price of gas I'd hate to delay resubscribing due to financial issues.