Once you have a subscription to Object Desktop, and you stay current, there will not be an upgrade cost.

We are not able to say exactly what we will have for Win8 until we are able to test fully under the release version and see what we need to change or add to the programs.  Some programs may simply not work under Win8, and that has happened in the past with new OSes, so we can not guarantee that all the programs will be upgraded to Win8.

Win8 is much, much different than 7.  We are trying to make as much as our software compatible with Win8 as possible since we sense that there will be a lot of people who will want to change the way Win8 looks and behaves.

Likely the ones most difficult to impliment.

Specifically I'm concerned about WindowBlinds, DesktopX, and if applicable, IconDesigner.

From the various screen shots I have seen of Win8, It's essentially big ugly tiles, and solid colours. The solids worry me in particular. One of my OCD traits is a need for a tactile appearance. The ability to apply textures in some manner. I also require a limited coulor range. I most often set up monochrome ranges that utilize the full possiblities 24 bit colour provides.

Multiple distracting colour themes and lack of texture raise my anxiety levels beyond my ability to sit at a computer for more than a few minutes at a time.

So any programs that directly affect the static appearance of Windows are my main concerns.

BTW, thanks for the interest.

EDIT:

The current version of Win8 is pretty much the final and free to download (Windows 8 Release Preview - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download), as are the SDK. It appears that the modular approach provided to developers will circumvent user controls when applying system-wide blanket changes (reference SDK introduction videos).

I haven't really pulled apart the SDK yet, as I'm setting up my OS to image before delving into what can and can't be accomplished within the new OS. I of course bow to your extended expertise.

Hey that's great news!

I've already downloaded Start8 in preporation of testing the new OS.

It was IconDeveloper I was curious about - not Packager.

Do you anticipate being able to apply textures and images/icons to the tiles on the horrifically ugly startup/home screen?

In what way is the Stardock license one of the most restrictive schemes you have ever seen?

I can't exactly say. I am right but OD is best for gaming.

Beyond Start8, Fences 2, Multiplicity 2, Tiles (beta), and WindowFX 5 (beta) Stardock applications are not certified to work with Windows 8 and running current version may or may not work. At this time though, they are not supported.  Please note that on the product page of each app the system requirements and supported systems are listed.

We plan on updating more of our software as time goes on along with new software for Windows 8.

I just bought an Object Desktop subscription in order to use Windowblinds on Windows 8.

Got some promotional email from Stardock, talking about Windows 8 so I took it to mean that the keyofferings, like WindowBlinds were working on 8. Wouldn't have been unfeasible since various releases of Windows 8 have been available to vendors for close to a year.  Clearly I should have read the fine print!

Discovering now, that pretty much nothing in the OD suite works apart from "Start 8" works in 8!!!!

Since this software works on a yearly subscription basis, this is rubbish economy, since I won't be able to use the suite until whenever Stardock catches up. If it takes another 6 months for this to be finished, I lost six months off the subscription.

Gosh what's going on?!

If I don't remember wrong, there was a similar long wait for Windowblinds to be compatible with Windows 7.

Stardock needs some competition in this niche market, that's all I am saying. It's not good when one company totally dominates a particular niche, they have no serious reason to keep sharp and stay ahead of the competition.

You are joking, right? In order to get software "A" I have to first download software "B" , set up an account, log in then run software "A", through software "B", subscribe, remember licenses, authorised email addresses and passwords. And every time I need to move the software or re-install the OS, the whole fascinating experience has to be repeated. In addition to all this, the whole process is very error prone. It's significantly less hassle free to license the entire b--y OS, for goodness sake.

Now can you name ONE piece of software that beats the above?

Apologies if you are an evangeliser, if so I realise you were only doing your job in making that comment.

.

You on the payroll or just a really dyed in the wool fan? It is possible to like a software but be unhappy with certain practices of the company that produces it.

In this case, odds are the development is running late - it was well known when MS were going to release Windows 8 and no doubt Stardock would have preferred to be ready with compatible products for then, since most users would be as unhappy as I am, when discovering that the product they just bought is incompatible. Alternatively, they just won't buy, and there'll be a lost sale instead.

And in case you did not notice, I AM telling this to Stardock --- they are running this forum and are reading the posts here.But if they are not finished with development it really doesn't matter what I have to say about it now, does it? 

And as you can tell from the thread above, I am not the only user who misunderstood the communications.  I am getting a couple or so emails from Stardock on a weekly basis and obviously I don't read each of them end-to-end, as you seem to think I ought to.  I usually delete them straight away, or after skimming the first line or two.

Of the ones I still have, I got one which obviously talks about Windows 8 (start button software) and another offering a promo on Object Dock.

With all other hoops that the user has to go through when installing Stardock products it would be very helpful be clearly warned when purchasing OD, that it is not compatible with the latest OS from Microsoft.

Oh, that's right YOU and One other person = YOU are not the only person. Hmm, I don't see any further questions from the OP creator as the OP was addressed and I'll make an ass out of myself and believe their inquiry was addressed and then some. Reply #4 says it all. Now, when it comes to a company's business etiquette, Who am I to dictate their business practices? Oh right! I'm a paying customer. Well, I'll just sit here and angrily complaint about every little thing I can. 'IF' I was the company owner? YOU call out my employee the way you did with Neil? I'd immediately issue you a refund for your recent purchase and ban your IP from communicating with MY servers. Good thing I'm not the business owner. I can go on and highlight, quote or Bold certain comments but, I won't. I wish you peace and happiness and NO, I'm not on Stardock's payroll...Unfortunately...

You seem to be making the whole process far more difficult than it actually is.

Just downloaded an .exe file outside of Stardock Central and it was unable to register, despite me using the exact same credentials as in Stardock Central.

So, fail.

AND I got an absolutely idiotic message from a piece of software I tried to install.  A simple OS check and a reasonable error message is bread and butter programming.....   Try installing CursorFX on Windows 8.

Yes, Windowblinds is a nice piece of software and Stardock makes inmovative products. But they are by no means perfect and if there was any competition in this area I'd give them a try after having issues every time I touch my Stardock installation, or have to re-install. Where all the starry-eyed fans come from, or what motivates them to stand up for a commercial organisation that doesn 't even pay them, I struggle to understand.

If I ranted against some open source software or freeware your loyalty would be completely understandable but that's not what we are talking about here. Stardock is charging USD 50 for the Object Dock software. That's more than a student would pay for Windows 8. I don't have these types of issues with any other software and I am a very heavy user who worked in IT for a long time.

This is constructive feedback from a long-standing customer who is not entirely happy at the moment. Most organisations would welcome it and most fellow customers would not mind it. What kind of a parallel universe is this?

Well...A step in the right direction would be for Stardock to mention on it's website that OD is not compatible with Windows 8. I would have liked to have known that before paying $50+ $$ for software that doesn't work with the latest version a major Operating Systems software. Now, I'm beginning to feel as though I've been screwed. But Stardock will probably blame Microsoft.