Opinion of skinable applications

[rugger]

Time to hop on my soapbox and have a good rant

After looking at Microsoft Media player 7.1, creative playcenter, and winamp and realone player, I have decided that I DO NOT LIKE SKINNED APPLICATIONS.

I am finding applications that support skinning:

* are ugly, and even more so when not running the default skin.
* have poor and inconsistent functionality, its like trying to use VI, but without any features. Switch to a tolerable skin, find most features are missing and a stupid window is on the corner of the screen (MS media player 7.1), or that can't read the damned commands because the app focuses on looking pretty rather than doing anything.
* often lack the instant snappiness that I brought my Duron 700 for (admittedly 18 months ago)
* waste my precious screen space, displaying lots of ugly eye candy instead of providing the essenial functions I want.

I am one of those strange people who actually like

* The default volume control application shipped with Windows.
* Having programs with rectangular windows (not circle, or rectangular with bezelled edges)
* Having menus on all of my windows hiding rarely used functions and a half decent amount of consistancy amount applications, including the colour schemes they use.

I am just wondering, but am I the only person who is wishing for the level of consistency between applications and windows that existed only a few years ago in windows 3.1?

[Strahd]

Then just use the default skin.

[ZokesPro]

For me it depends on the program. Most of the time I don't tamper with a working program.

[Gurm]

Sadly, the default skin is usually the ugliest damn thing in the world.

Add to the list of complaints people who keep changing their skinning standard (*cough*nullsoft*cough*).

- Gurm

[rubank]

Don´t care for them, hate is too strong a word though.
I just think they´re utterly pointless - just like screensavers.

rubank

[GT98]

Re: Opinion of skinable applications

Originally posted by rugger

* often lack the instant snappiness that I brought my Duron 700 for (admittedly 18 months ago)

If your running Windows98 and haven't reinstalled it in over a year....I suggest dumping your system and reinstalling it...it will seem like a new computer

[SteveC]

Default skin for me all the time. Even Winamp.

[dave m]

If no one else will say it, I guess I'm the sacrificial goat (or ogre)

Rugger:

Are you still planning to eat that hat now, or are you still going to hang onto it for a while?

[Electric Amish]

I like the Celtic skin for Mozilla.

amish

[High_Jumbllama]

I only kind I like are the ones that simply replace what everything looks like and not one that rearranges the controls essentially with a new skeleton.

Out of the skinnable apps that I have (Winamp pre 3.0, Winamp 3.0, Musicmatch, RealOne, and Asus Power DVD) I only use skins for Winamp pre 3.0. Only because over the years some good skins by chance have been made. I don't want my controls moved around so it looks cool but I don't remember how to use them. And most skins/skeletons just plain suck! Oooh, I mada a skin with some T&A, ooh I made a skin with my favorite cartoon character, etc . . . People need to be a little more artistic in making the skins and maybe other people would use them.

Some good winamp skins are Matrox Amp and Dark_Angel_Jessica_Alba.

They are both simplistic and very easy to figure out. As for Media Player 7.X. I don't even use it now that I found the download for the codecs.

[Agent31]

can I just be cruel? Skins are for Apple wannabe's

I'm feeling generous with my opinions today, so here's another 2cents...

still on the topic of skinnable apps, WinAmp 3... sucks... arse!!! It's gone from being this amazingly compact featured quality player to something I liken to RealPlayer 8 (not even RealOne!!) I've been trying the betas every time they release a new build, but they're not improving!

[Wombat]

I'm a big fan of GTK skins.

[Lizzard[MPE]]

Originally posted by Agent31
still on the topic of skinnable apps, WinAmp 3... sucks... arse!!! It's gone from being this amazingly compact featured quality player to something I liken to RealPlayer 8 (not even RealOne!!) I've been trying the betas every time they release a new build, but they're not improving!

i soooooooooooooooo agree with this statement

[impact]

make your own skins... then you can include the functions you want and forget about the ones you do not want... that I think is the best approach, and has served me well..

btw: would you by any chance be interested in a Pikachu skin for Sonique? I can provide one... and

[High_Jumbllama]

Quick Chicarita, Bulbasaur razor leaf attack Pikachu! Damn I've seen too many childrens cartoons.