Skinning Sales Trends: DesktopX

2003 to 2005

from WinCustomize Forums

Looking at the sales of DesktopX over the past 3 years for the month of August (first 23 days anyway of it) shows an interesting trend.  Historically, it was pretty flat, sales were decent but not great.  But in August, sales took a big jump over the same period in the previous years.  Sales of Stardock's customization programs have all increased each year over the past 3 years but DesktopX has seen the biggest jump in recent times.

desktopx
9,596 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Maybe because of Konfabulator?

Maybe because of the client DX program?


Speaking of which, I was wondering: What widgets made on DX can run on the tril version of DesktopX?

I would like to send my friends a running widget, but I don't want it to not work when they download the trial version of DX.

Another question along those lines is what can run on the trial and what can't run? Themes? Objects? Objects with scripts? Themes with scripts?

Can a rss feeder with a exprorer built-in window work on a tril version? What about a simple DX player?
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
All the gadget/widget talk, I bet.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
All widgets/objects/themes run on the shareware version of DesktopX.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Are you counting Object Desktop subscribers who took advantage of the sale on DesktopX Professional? I mean, do upgrades count in these sales?

just curious
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's a pretty good bet that it's because of two things.

1. the possibility to make standalone Gadgets.

2. and the very nice discount(only valid in august) to OD costumers, like rabidrobot mention(that got me buying a pro license).
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yea, yea. Hooray to Stardock!

Brad, I have a question. I love this community but since the skinz.org demise I have taken a different approach to skinning. Like many then, it was time to evaluate what we were doing and the way we went about doing it. I miss the good ol' freeware v shareware duels between you and Shoggot becuase it defined the differences that exsisted between the freeware and shareware communities. In hind site, you guys won on Windows platform and freeware is now confined to the realms of unstable beta-land. But what happened to those like Shoggot who refused to conform, where are they now? I can only speak for myself because I don't keep in touch with the old crew, but I have continued skinning and have now amassed over 100 Gui themes that are not available on Windows platform.

This has become my process of purchase of tools I need in order to keep skinning over the years.

Priority 1: Buy a Personal Computing, Mobile Communication or Entertainment Device based on
Priority 2: Must have skinnable user interface
Priority 3: Preffered it comes with a skin editor

My current PC device has Linspire OS, which I purchased for peanuts and for a small monthly fee I get access to all the fav apps and is sooooh easy to skin

My mobile device is Nokia 6280, it also has a completely skinnable user interface on a Symbian OS and Nokia was also kind enough to provide free skin editor suite. Fully immbeded system all inclusive upon purchase.

My work machine is a DigiDesign hybrid, twin processor AudioLogic and ProTools mule, fully dedicated Audio processing device. The company was kind enough to provide me with the code to port my skins for their Apps. Again, fully supported skinnable interface which comes at no extra charge to the consumer.

I have recently decided to port my skins to Windows in order to "share them with my friends" I do not diss Stardock and Microsoft, as a matter of fact, I have a lot of respect for the crew, but it is time to see how this works:

'Buy hardware, buy software to operate it, buy software to enable skins, buy skins for the software in order to use it, buy second software to skin the first software, buy Stardock subsciption in order to download more skins, buy Virus program and monthly subsciption in order to protect your investement, buy blood pressure medication!'

Was just wondering, how many Stardock apps do I have to purchase to 'fully' skin my desktop or does it all come inclusive in DesktopX package?


PS: Uhm, Jafo, my spell checker ain't werkin!
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

PS: Uhm, Jafo, my spell checker ain't werkin!

That's OK, Grim....I usually break too, fixing your guffs...

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

BTW, Brad ..... the problem with graphs is the 'selectivity' of the x/y ratio and their chosen start and end points...eg...

That graph 'could' demonstrate a doubling of sales.... as point 1 is half the 'height' up the scale as the third...

or...

if the bottom coord was 2,000,000 the 'high' point could easily be '2,000,010' ....still an increase...but hardly noteworthy....

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The Y axis starts with 0. So 0 with each line being 100 for instance.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cool to see DX getting new levels, congrats
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Shoggot... I heard that name before but not from skins.org.

Anyway, thanks for the info on the shareware version of DesktopX
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This graphic doesn't tell so much.

Is this an absolute or relative graphic?

And even when it is relative then still it doesn't say so much.

Can't you give some indication of selling numbers?

I understand you can't give exact numbers (the competition is reading this site too) but must we think in hunders or thousands or more copies?

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Is this an absolute or relative graphic?

According to #10 it's an absolute...