well said... 

Quick! To rehab!

 

You haven't checked out the skins in the WB gallery, have you?

Do you write to every manufacturer or vendor that you don't wish to buy products from or has Stardock simply been blessed?  By the way, please have the coutesy to fill out your profile so we know whether we are dealing with a 14 year old child or a 30 year old with nothing better to do.

About what do you think when you want to eat Icecream or to drink a Beer? You want to take these things for free or you ready to pay?...

Your logic looks very strange for me. You want to get pleasure from customization but you do not want to spend money for this... Unbelievable! So you have only one way - go to the pirates sites and to use the stolen (hacked) software...

What are you doing here in this case?

I spend at least 10 hours a day in front of my computer with my job, which is a job in which I have very little control -- I must type what is dictated to me, I cannot change fonts to suit my preference, or adjust margins -- I must follow the template to the letter and just sit back doing what someone else dictates for me to do (if I want to get paid -- I could always quit and live in a tent somewhere I suppose but I'm just not suited for the life of a hobo).  

For fifty bucks I have a bit of control over my working environment.  Not only can I change the colors, but I have the ability change shape, functionality, and because I'm learning to make Windowblinds myself, I have TOTAL control of how my computer appears in front of my, for the 10-12 hours I spent in front of it.  I AM GOD -- I AM THE CREATOR OF MY WORLD.

"....can't justify to myself spending that kind of money on IT" -- I'm not spending money on IT....I'm spending that kind of money on ME!  And with all the other things I sacrifice on in this life, $50 for myself is the LEAST what I should be spending. 

Life is short -- buying myself a little control over my environment and pleasure in my life is something that's a MUST HAVE, as far as I'm concerned.

If all you want is to change the colour, then yes, it is a waste of money.

For me, I can have my desktop look however I want. I make my own skins and have my own style - because that is what I like. A couple of examples (which you don't have to like) are:-

 

But you did...

That's a nice calculator fuzzy...

It's a good example of 'strategery'

 

Well, based on the resposne, I think we've all been well baited.......

 

guess that makes Primal Zed a Master

I really like the black and gold one.

There was a calculator?

Covering the orbs, Wizard, covering the orbs. Don't tell me your too old to remember those.

 

I think your right.  By the way, I commend you on "Takin the High Road".

Appreciate the responses.  I'm sure people will understand that it's gotten to the point that I can't respond to everyone (honestly surprised this thread got so many responses )

RedNeckDude: If you have gotten a computer with Vista after June 23 (think that was the date anyway), Microsoft will send a voucher for a free Windows 7 upgrade when the new OS is released.

Brainiac (and many others with similar "If you made up your mind then why did you post this" accusations):

The point is I haven't really made up my mind.  The point of this thread is to see if people can bring me to be convinced.

Regarding my response to Lantec's posts, I disapprove of when people try to use poor logic against me.  I wasn't "trying to make him look stupid", it was a measured response to the content of his post and nothing more.

angus: I fail to see why you have to tailor any responses to a person's age rather than to the content of the person's posts.

Vad M: I'm so glad you have the funds to freely buy whatever you please.  Not all of use have that capability.  

Lantec: I don't know why you think I 'baited' anyone.  I made the thread with the purpose of getting responses, yes, but not for any sinister reasons.  Or do you expect me to post while I'm at work?

Whoever suggested torrents: While I have been known to pirate a few items every so often (yarr!), I would rather not pirate Stardock's products, as their community team in this game has garnered my respect.  Also, I find it rather rude to suggest someone pirate their products on their own forum.

Most everyone else:  Some good points made, including the notion that it's a pretty polarized product line, being something people either definitely want or really could do without.  I think one reason I'm so on the fence about this is because of how often I go through a new customized set.  I can have the same wallpaper for well over a year and still be happy with it.  I wouldn't be constantly changing to a new theme every other week.

(edit: sorry, I directed a portion of my pre-edited post to the wrong person)

Sounds like one of my threads.

That's how I used to be, too, and the reason for that was, all you can really change about wallpaper, is wallpaper.  With Windowblinds I can change buttons, frames, start menus, taskbars -- that one wallpaper can appear is some many different ways depending on how it's framed!

Because of my job, and the amount of time I spend at work, I don't even SEE the wallpaper that much -- but I see the window frames constantly!  And the ability to add a rollup button so I don't have to constantly be minimizing and maximizing my audio files I transcribe from (because that little window it opens up can just stay rolled up at the top of my screen instead of minimized to my taskbar), I'm saving time which means more money for me in the long run.

You said you have Demigod -- I'm not a gamer; I dislike competition, so I don't see a need for spending my money on games, but I DO know they cost every bit as much as Object Desktop.  

I have an artist's spirit.  Creating skins with Stardock products takes me back to the pure joy I had as a child when I played with my craft items.  Plus, it doesn't leave a mess to be cleaned up, and it doesn't take up a bunch of storage space, so it's BETTER than the craft items I played with as a child.

I'm still using a WB called 'Antares'.....ever since before its public release.  Many years ago.

Since then the only time it hasn't been on my desktop was while I was checking out a new release... a day or two later...back on it came...;)

Thing is....'Antares' was MY choice.... 'Fisher Price' was Microsoft's ....;)

I know people who change entire desktops several times daily....too much for me. I have my favorites, and I usually use all available parts of a suite if I am working on my own part of said suite, just to get the feel of the skin. I do better work that way.

Now that everyone else has commented on this line...

I have my handful of favorites that I use. I tend to use the same theme for a long time before switching. ANYTHING is better than the default Microsoft skins! For one, the text size in the default Vista Aero is way too big! I prefer the slightly smaller font size in most of the blinds out there.

Hey I like the Fisher Price look.

https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?skinid=6694&libid=1

No thanks. I don't use WB any more. I was probably using it years before you joined the site. Now days I prefer the default look of XP.

 

I Stardock.

BLASPHEMER! get thee behind me unbeliever

Reading k10w3 posts and checking out Fuzzy's calculator, I might have to spend some time and upgrade my own Windows.
Inspiration is free.