Why aren't more people customizing?

I wonder the same thing when I'm in class and see people on their laptops with that horrible Luna, gah!!! Drives me insane...those poor ignorant fools. I think that's the reason...they just don't know...or are too damn lazy to figure it out for themselves without someone holding their hand an doing everything for them (sorry, spillover rant from something else).

When my aunt was here she was asking all these questions about how I did this and that on my desktop, I told her a bit about it, but I don't think she grasped it. She just got a new widescreen laptop for Christmas with MCE on it...told her I could make it look all nice but I can't really see her getting that into it (I don't even know what she uses the thing for). They aren't the kind of people to appreciate things like that (you should see their house...omg CleanHouse would have a field day).

Skinners would be lucky to be 1% of computer users,linux 0.2%, apple 00000.1% the rest are just ya average mums n dads who pretty much just do email and have no idea that the xp skin can actually be changed to classic ,the fact they can turn a comp on and not think it'll bite is suprise enough,then again just look at the stats for the percentage of malware infected computers that have no firewall installed etc.

Hi! Cplair here:

I actually teach a customization class through my e-mail. Most people who buy PC's and this is no insult, are usually computer illiterate. They don't know their mouse from their butts. So naturally they have kind of a fear of computers.

"Open your Windows Explorer and go to" "whats a windows explorer who?"

My small customization class teaches the sound fundamental of taking control and managing your PC through customizing and regular maintenance. That was my hook.

The line, everyday I had to challange this group to improve their skills which for some was culture shock, sort of keep up with the teacher if you can.

The sinker was when they saw my screen shot "Zippo", oh my god they flipped! They wanted to know how in the hell did you do that?

Well, out of my 5 students and 6 months later, only one didn't give up and drop out. He's now a WC member and has been putting out some really top notch screen shots ever since. And he learned everything from e-mails because we're 400 miles apart!

So check out some of the shots from Longdude0 and see how a person can evolve from technically challanged to slamming four and five star shots in a matter of weeks.

My drop-outs on the other hand have shown that this only works if the person is willing.

So what I'm getting at is, maybe that's why the rest of the world hasn't caught on yet either!

This is the link to Longdude0's WC personal gallery! And I'm pretty damned proud of him!

 WWW Link

Thanks for listening!  

Cp

To quote an old baseball player "How you gone a stop people from going to the game if they don't want to go" or "You can lead a horse to water but you can' make it drink".

Whether a skinner or just a user people are here or in the customizing community because they want to be there.

I bet that the majority of people who have a computer are not aware of Stardock, Wincustomize or other similar sites.

In my opinion most folks either just don't care about being creative with their computers or they feel they don't have the talent to try it. Of course don't forget those wonderful IT people who always say "don't change anything", don't download software unless I say yes and then I'll download it" or "You did something that messed up the computer".

With Vista and Stardocks association with Microsoft it would seem that an avenue would be there. Wouldn't it be nice if Microsoft bundled trial versions of Stardock products like Windowblinds with their upgrades or new computers. That's not going to happen because someone out there will cry foul and start a law suit.

Your question is a good one and with the energy of the members here something just might happen.  

I think most people aren't interested or find they don't have the need for it. When I show my stuff to my mom ie. she says it's pretty and fun, and while she uses her computer often, she has no interest in changing the gui, as it already does for her, what she sees fit.

You can compare it to other customization too, some like doing stuff to their cars, some are happy just the way it is from the factory. Some people enjoy expensive furniture with unique design, some are happy with standard furniture.

While I like to customize as much as I can to make my surroundings suit my needs and likings, I guess some are just satisfied with what's presented to them by default.

I tell about skinning to almost everyone that I know. How cool it is and all. But most people just don't really seem to care how Windows look like. For example one of my friends got a new computer with XP on it, before she had Win 2000. And when asked if she notices any difference between the two. She replied: NO!

Do you see what I mean?   

I'll throw a theory out there from left field (girlie, like Johnny Damon).

Customizing for the most part is free. Americans don't have trust in free stuff. There is always a catch. Americans love to spend money on customizing things.... cell phones, cars , bikes, houses, clothes, mailboxes, pets, trees (xmas time), etc. If skinning were expensive, might it all be different?   

You can see some evidence of this possible scenario by the recent download counts on new windowblinds. Since the introduction of premium skins, free WB skin downloading has had a dramatic decrease all around the community. This is no coincidence.

My wife has never changed the skin on her PC.  Never used a dock.  Nary a gadget.  Neither have my daughters.

Luna is "good enough", why bother changing?

People are dull and unimaginative when it comes to computer use. There are even people who spend hours playing FreeCell   

My first OS was 98 SE, and within a week I had it decked with Desktop Architect themes cos I found the default look too plain....downright boring, in fact. So when I discovered XP a few months later it was a revolutionary and exciting GUI....for about a week. Enter StyleXP......not that it satisfied my need to fiddle with things, to mix, match and change the desktop to my liking.

Thank heavens for Stardock and the products it puts out....otherwise my first & second PC would have gone under a very heavy hammer in my possession.....and my third one just wouldn't have happened at all, this one with 3 OSes that has every GUI facet skinned.

Put bluntly, I don't understand how anyone can tolerate/be satisfied with any OSes default look, they're all unimaginative and boring.....and yeah, that now includes Vista's fresh new look. I've had Vista Ultimate for about a month now and already the GUI has been altered with Winstep Xtreme and all Vista compatible Stardock Proggies to enhance my desktop view.

Personally, I think GUI skinning should be mandatory.....unlawful not to so those of us who are hooked on it don't suffer 'default blues' when asked to look at someone else's PC.

Those GUIs are like blended whiskies, not good, but unlikely to offend. That makes marketing them easy.

The skinners here are the Balvenie and the Glenmorangie single malts.

'vStyler'.....AKA....'GlenGordon'....  

is that why vStyler's so good....it's the 'Scotch' in him......

hooked? addicted? nah! I can quit anytime I want!



Have been spreading the word...My students see skinning and skinning sites constantly in class, handouts, examples...Three co-workers have become skinning site members recently...I have a family member I have converted, and recently, My Pastor's son wanted me to show him how some of those "cool" wallpapers were made...

Well i for one can't stand looking at the old blue "lunau" style...it sickens me and any default GUI does on any computer. I will give my word to tell as many people as possible about it but i have learned that some people just don't care. When i looked at windows 95' it made my stomach hurt, ever since then i have been tinkering here and there as much as i could with the OS. Then i got a new dell in 05' with XP and couldn't stand only being able to change between three terrible colors, I stumbled upon Wincustomize looking for desktop wallpapers and the sort...I downloaded the Windowblinds 4.X Freeware and from then on i was hooked...now finally i have the means to try skinnig for myself and i am taking full advantage of it. If i can show one person and have them as interested as me in customizing there comps then I'd be so happy but the fact is for all the people I've told only one was interested enuff to get the freeware version but was to much of a prude to but the full version and its not like it costs and arm and a leg...the 10 hours i worked to pay for all my customization software was well worth it to me and i'd not hesitate to purchase more just to let you know. i'm most likely a Stardock/Wincustomize lifer. Hopefully i will run into someone who enjoys it as much as i do.

I Just recently puchased a newer Dell E-520 and it didn't have luna on it for more than 30 minutes after i turned it on

Some good replies, I think some of you are right in the fact that you can show people till your blue in the face how cool it is and they just don't care, Personally I think that its just that not enough people know about it, When was the last time you were on a NON skinning site and saw an ad or an article about skinning. Theres just not enough awareness outside the skinning community to promote new interest in it and I, for my part am going to do anything and everything I can to do something about it.

To paraphrase an old coke commercial " I'd like to teach the world to skin, in perfect harmony.la la al la"   



Glad to see you have gotten yourself a skinning cult going   



Some days i have more Scotch in me than others   

Bomp   

Scotch can be a hazard to your spelling.

The drink or nationality?   

The nationality only if they've had too much of the drink?

  ok.. you win

Personally I think some people lack the confidence in themselves to try and skin anything, or they're just afraid to try. Then some people might think they need a ton of money in order to produce the graphics or just lack the knowledge to create the graphics.

When I started doing stuff for ObjectDock I had never skinned anything...had no knowledge of graphics or the top shelf tools to do it. But when I decided to at least try...I found it was easier than I had imagined...the rest is history.

And then there's the terminology...for a lot of people the terminology is easily understood...but that in itself can be intimidating. And then when you go asking questions of what this or that means...in a lot of cases you get answers from people who forgot that at one time they had no idea what these things meant and answer you in a way that just turns you off to trying anything.

It boils down to a lot of different reasons why people just don't try skinning. A lack of straight forward tutorials is another reason.

Why don't more people customize their car?

It's kind of the same thing and Brad had a good article about skinning a few months ago that explain it very accurately IMHO.

Basically most people are happy with the way things are. To most of us in the community we can't fathom this, don't forgot that both Apple and Microsoft but, a great deal of money and time into researching this to arrive at the most acceptable solution.

For some reason I'm thinking of the scene in "Fight Club" where the boss asks if he can get the icon in "Corn Flower Blue" which is really a good metaphor to the extent of most people's customizing desires.

Hey...I customize my car...and my room and my computer and everything else I own.

some people do not customize because of contentment. not me!!! customize away!!!!