sorry for the repeat post.  I couldn't tell if my original mail posted or not.

Edit: Ninja

How many of these threads is it going to take before this is DISABLED by default instead of enabled? I know I can't stand it when icons are put on my desktop without giving me the option of saying no, let alone a service running on start-up. Maybe then so many people won't be anti-Impulse and view it as adware/bloatware.

Spika, I don't see any emails from you in our support system. What problem are you specifically running into with Impulse?

Installing Impule for me was a breeze. Bloated? A bit. Running Impulse Now will inform you of any updates to the software you own, and I own plenty from Stardock. I am running Win 7 64. For me, Impulse is NOT intrusive.

I'd like to chime in on this, being that I just went through this process of installing the new OD 2.0 beta.

First off, I've been using the free version of OD for some time, and I absolutely love this application. I had been thinking of paying for the 2.0 beta upgrade for some time, partly to access some of the features I'd been missing, but mostly to reward StarDock for creating such an awesome product. I was dismayed that after I made the purchase via PayPal, I didn't receive a direct link to download the item I had purchased, nor did I receive an e-mail containing a serial or product number to activate my product. These activities are just so ubiquitous when purchasing software on-line that I was absolutely shocked when I discovered I would need to first install the Impulse program to then download and install ObjectDock. It's a fact that many software companies follow the model of using a download manager, but these are often very unobtrusive programs that only execute to download the initial installation binary, and possibly maintain a background service footprint to check for product upgrades now and again. They certainly do not remain active in the system tray by default, nor do they expose a host of other unsolicited features like adding friends, advertising other products and games, etc. that causes Impulse to dangerously verge on the border of ad-ware. To top this all off, I found there were two other barriers that prevented me from easily installing the 2.0 beta. First, I needed to merge two distinct accounts that had been created for me, one linked to my PayPal e-mail account and another linked to a different e-mail address I had provided to StarDock. Following this issue, I then needed to instruct Impulse to look for beta releases so that v2.0 would appear in the download list.

In all honesty, the process of installing OD 2.0 was such a debacle that I seriously contemplated just trying to seek a refund via PayPal. Thankfully I was finally able to get it up and running. I have since configured Impulse to not run at start-up, and I fully intend to never let that program see the light of day on my system until if and when I need to upgrade or patch OD.

As a loyal (and now paying) customer of StarDock, I urge you to please reconsider linking OD to Impulse. I have seen a variety of posts in the forum that agree with my sentiment here. Several folks, however, have responded that Impulse is listed in the OD system requirements, that Impulse makes StarDock's job of implementing an installation platform easier, and also it is a necessary measure for combating software piracy.

Firstly, while Impulse is indeed listed in the system requirements for OD, it's fair to say that this is a case of something being hidden down in the very, very fine print. Also, when I installed the free version of OD, there was no trace of Impulse, so it's actually quite a departure from the expected user experience that one gains while using the trial version of OD. Lastly, I don't believe the system requirements fully specify exactly what Impulse does and how it does it unless you a follow a link to the Impulse Driven site. If you're going to chide folks for not reading the system requirements prior to installing OD, please at least list the full description of Impulse without pushing us off to another web site.

Regarding the argument that Impulse makes StarDock's job of building an installer easier, that may be true, but it does not make things easier from a customer perspective, that's for sure. If the customer experience truly comes first for StarDock, then I would say it would be better to not require us to download a separate tool to get at the product we just paid for.

As far as the software piracy theory goes, there are many companies that are able to eliminate a large amount of the fraud without necessitating a dedicated download service linked to a user account. You are always going to have a level of dishonesty and software licensing theft, but if you make it too difficult for users to install your program, then what have you really gained here?

Thanks for the wonderful job you've done with OD 2.0. I hope you continue to build great applications, and that you continue to keep your users' needs and best interests in mind as you continue developing your software in the future.

-Mike

That may indeed be case with a customer's first or single product purchase experience, however as and when they move on to purchase/download/update more Stardock products sourced through this same Impulse system install the logic behind the process reveals itself quite plainly.

It is certainly true that Impulse is MORE than 'just' an installer.  It's a bit like a 10 speed bicycle....there are going to be some gears that never get used....but since its eagerness to inform you of all sorts of things can be controlled you CAN have it behaving exactly as any other 'simple' installer/updater.

A trial version of a software isn't necessarily going to 'trial' every 'feature' of the full product simply because the trial software won't need the services of an updater at all.  That component requirement is reserved for the commercial product as part of the latter's expected functionality [the capacity to update, etc]...

i don't mind it so much at a glance, but personal annoyances arise when i'm faced with having to have the internet to install it because "i need impulse" to download it more than i'm annoyed that "i have to have yet another useless as all hell program" installed in general. 

there were many occasions in the past where i installed OD on my other computers by putting the installer on a usb-drive; especially when internet wasn't available or particularly wanted on that computer.

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i can't argue against all the reasons, but i have to exercise a well placed "face-palm" when a 10 dollar program is comparably as protected and annoying to install as software that costs just under a thousand dollars.

it's a bit of a hassle for such a simple thing... it's like meeting up in a dark alley that's 30 miles from your house in the middle of the night; bringing 6 armed men, and 2 with radio contact to sit at a high vantage point keeping an eye out for trouble- while you conduct your super important business of "loaning someone a cup of flour".

it's less of a hassle to get through airport security with 6 piercings in your crotch, but you can at least understand why the airlines are so "anal"~

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i find it tolerable though more or less, but i haven't had it fail to function.

Where I disagree with the above line of thought is that there is no guarantee that I'll buy any additional software from Stardock, so operating with that plan in mind is a little presumptuous of StarDock when it comes to formulating an installation strategy. Sure, if I happen to buy more applications from Stardock, having one point of interface, from an install/patch perspective, makes sense. However, if I never buy another product form Stardock again (outside of upgrades for OD), well then the entire Impulse approach is nothing more than an over-complicated means of installing/maintaining a single program, at least from the customer's point of view.

I don't disagree with your definition of a trial license. However, I installed the trial version of OD with the objective of sampling what *OD* had to offer, not any other products from Stardock. As such, imagine my surprise when I migrated to the licensed version and discovered that I was getting a lot more than what I asked for. To borrow your bicycle analogy, I went into the shop and tried out a unicycle. I could have bought a bigger, fancier bike with more gears, but the unicycle was all I needed or wanted. Then, after I purchased the unicycle, the salesman brought out the 10 speed mountain bike from the back and said "here is your new cycle". Yes, it has more gears, but I only ever want to use one gear and one wheel, for that matter. I very much enjoyed using the trial version of OD, and as I've said, I got by fine with it for several years. A big reason that I bought a licensed version was to basically reward StarDock for creating such an outstanding application. Had the trial version required me to go through the Impulse hoops, and had I had as difficult time installing the trial version as I did the licensed one, I'm not sure I'd have ever paid for the upgrade.

Look, as I've mentioned, I'm a happy and now paying customer of StarDock. I love OD and will continue to use it. I have seen this topic vigorously discussed several times here, so now that I've made my point and gotten the frustration from my installation experience off my chest, including not only Impulse but also the PayPal account merge fiasco and the undocumented requirement of having to enable betas in the program options, I'll let it be. I had seen many explanations here about why Impulse makes sense from the developer and sales perspective, but I have yet to see one compelling justification of Impulse for customers *who only ever wanted, needed or were interested in installing OD*. Thanks everyone for chiming in with their opinions and views. Now I can hopefully forget about installation and start writing about fun stuff like feature requests

Having to use or download Impulse in order to download a purchased piece of software from Stardock has been pretty well discussed and explained in depth.  Not much more to say.

1.) Go to https://www.stardock.com/support, enter your e-mail address to have your product info sent to you at that address.

2.) If you have a Stardock.net/Impulse account, visit the following site and click the appropriate link: https://forums.stardock.com/account/regs

Actually, I'm on the ImpulseAnywhere site right now, and it states "(The Impulse client must be installed to install software.)".

This directly contradicts what you just said.  Impulse is REQUIRED to install ObjectDock.  It's not what I thought I was buying, but then it's kept a damned good secret until you've handed over the money.

I've been using Stardock desktop products for years and have watched both WindowBlinds and the other buggy products mature alongside Impulse.  I'm really fond of ObjectDock and use it as a true productivity tool - not just to pretty up my Windows desktop.  But the buggy rituals I've had to endure every time I've upgraded or installed a new version have made no friends between me and Stardock.

The gall these guys have to ram Impulse down our throats just so we can get their cheap little programs on our computers amazes me!  So let's see - I have a Stardock account, a forum account, a Wincustomize account, and an Impulse account - just so I can run ObjectDock!  It sure would be nice if I had the option.  And it sure would be nice if Stardock had the intellectual sophistication to centralize the databases do I don't need separate accounts to activate the product, download the graphics, and register the purchase.  It's simply sophomorish insanity!

So my next move is to contact Stardock to find out why my downloaded product doesn't activate.  I have my original message from the purchase of version 1.9, but that isn't good enough - even though my license statement says it's good until next spring and that it's good for upgrades.  These guys are so busy playing cloak and dagger and protecting their international interests in their little Window Dressing programs, that they can't do the simple things with a registration key code.  While they're protecting Fort Knox, the rest of the world just has you enter your registration key to activate their products (e.g. Windows, MS Office, Adobe products).

I assume the boys at Stardock are getting very wealthy.  Otherwise the sarcastic enemies they've made of their customers wouldn't have been worth it.

The Impulse requirement is also listed in the purchase process before you submit your order:

http://screencast.com/t/X08UCwukQKk