NationMaster - Encyclopedia: StarDock

Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems, later known as Stardock.net. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market between 1997 and 1998. Most of their computer programs allow a user to modify or extend a graphical user interface, although they also develop and publish computer games, particularly turn-based strategy games. Image File history File links Stardock logo from home page as of 30 Janurary 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Look up Slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A corporation is a legal person which, while being composed of natural persons, exists completely separately from them. ... Livonia is a city located in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brad Wardell Bradley R. Wardell (born 24 June 1971 in Texas), commonly known as Brad Wardell, is an American residing in Michigan. ... A screenshot of computer software running in Windows XP. Software fundamentally is the unique image or representation of physical or material alignment that constitutes configuration to or functional identity of a machine, usually a computer. ... The Object Desktop 2. ... ThinkDesk is a productivity application subscription service, launched by Stardock on 14 April 2005 as a utility counterpart to their Object Desktop and TotalGaming. ... WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. ... Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003 for Windowsâ€”an earlier version was released for OS/2 in 1994. ... Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is the sequel to the turn-based 4X game Galactic Civilizations made by Stardock. ... DesktopX is a shareware desktop enhancement program that allows users to build their own custom desktops with a friendly GUI. Amongst its features is a complete widget engine for Windows as well as a desktop object system. ... IconPackager changes all icons at once IconPackager is a computer program by Stardock that allows the changing of icons for the Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 graphical user interface. ... ObjectBar is often used with DesktopX ObjectBar is a piece of software created for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP by Stardock. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... This page as shown in the AOL 9. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... A company is, in general, any group of persons, which are known as its members, united to pursue a common interest. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Incorporation (abbreviated Inc. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... The terms computer program, software program, applications program, system software, or just program are used to refer to either an executable program by both lay people and computer programmers or the collection of source code from which an executable program is created (eg, compiled). ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... The Battle for Wesnoth turn-based strategy, released under the GPL. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ...

Stardock created and maintains WinCustomize, a GUI customization community. Many of the skins and themes featured on its site are for software that is part of Object Desktop, their main subscription service. Stardock also runs TotalGaming.net, an online content delivery system for downloadable personal computer games, and ThinkDesk, a productivity application service. They are based in Plymouth, Michigan. The WinCustomize logo features a tramp, a reference to changing appearance using skins WinCustomize. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... A community usually refers to a group of people who interact and share certain things as a group, but it can refer to various collections of living things sharing an environment, plant or animal. ... In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ... In computing, a theme is a preset package containing graphical appearance details, used to customise the look and feel of (typically) an operating system, widget set or window manager. ... The Object Desktop 2. ... Content delivery describes the delivery of digital media content such as digital audio or digital video over a delivery medium such as broadcasting or the Internet. ... This article is about the computer terms. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... ThinkDesk is a productivity application subscription service, launched by Stardock on 14 April 2005 as a utility counterpart to their Object Desktop and TotalGaming. ... Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Products

Most of the products below are tied together with Stardock Central, a program allowing download of the components of Stardock's subscription services, whether bought as part of a subscription or separately. Some are only available for Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP. Stardock Central is a software content delivery and digital rights management system used by Stardock customers to access components of the Object Desktop, TotalGaming. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K or W2K) is a preemptible and interruptible, graphical, business-oriented operating system that is designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor (SMP) 32-bit Intel x86 computers. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ...

Object Desktop

Stardock's flagship product is Object Desktop, a subscription-based software suite that includes several programs for customizing elements of the Windows GUI. Originally released in 1995 for the OS/2 market, it was converted to Windows in 1997/8, and currently (July 2005) consists of the following main components: The Object Desktop 2. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... A software suite is a collection of computer programs, usually applications of related functionality, often sharing a more-or-less common user interface and some ability to exchange data with each other smoothly. ... The terms computer program, software program, applications program, system software, or just program are used to refer to either an executable program by both lay people and computer programmers or the collection of source code from which an executable program is created (eg, compiled). ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. ... In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... DesktopX is a shareware desktop enhancement program that allows users to build their own custom desktops with a friendly GUI. Amongst its features is a complete widget engine for Windows as well as a desktop object system. ... The desktop metaphor is a set of unifying concepts currently used in a number of GUI-based operating systems. ... IconPackager changes all icons at once IconPackager is a computer program by Stardock that allows the changing of icons for the Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 graphical user interface. ... Mac OS X Panther allows continuous scaling of icons up to 128x128 pixels A computer icon is a small pictogram, usually ranging from 16 by 16 pixels up to 128 by 128 pixels, which represents a file, folder, application or device on a computer operating system. ... Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... WindowFX is a fun program that is designed to allow users to make use of their graphics cards outside the realm of personal computer games. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K or W2K) is a preemptible and interruptible, graphical, business-oriented operating system that is designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor (SMP) 32-bit Intel x86 computers. ... SkinStudio (previously known as BuilderBlinds) is a software tool by Stardock used to create skins for their WindowBlinds, ObjectBar, WebBlinds and PocketBlinds programs, as well as Koala Player and Windows Media Player. ... In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ... Windows Media Player (WMP) is a digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. ... Mac OS X Panther allows continuous scaling of icons up to 128x128 pixels A computer icon is a small pictogram, usually ranging from 16 by 16 pixels up to 128 by 128 pixels, which represents a file, folder, application or device on a computer operating system. ... ObjectBar is often used with DesktopX ObjectBar is a piece of software created for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP by Stardock. ... In computing, the taskbar is a term for the application desktop bar which is used to launch and monitor applications in Microsoft Windows 95 and later operating systems. ... A keyboard shortcut (also known as an accelerator key, shortcut key, or hotkey) is a set of keyboard keys that when pressed simultaneously, perform a predefined task. ... Virtual desktop is a term used, usually within the WIMP paradigm, to describe any of several possible ways in which a computers metaphorical desktop environment is modified, through the use of software. ... Winamp is a multimedia player made by Nullsoft and eventually acquired by America Online. ... Windows Media Player (WMP) is a digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. ... Notepad is a simple text editor included with all versions Microsoft Windows since version 1. ... Syntax highlighting is a feature of some text editors that displays textâ€”especially source codeâ€”in different colors and fonts according to the category of terms. ... For other uses of the word Archive, see Archive (disambiguation) Archives refers to a collection of records, and also refers to the location in which these records are kept. ... A file format is a particular way to encode information for storage in a computer file. ... The ZIP file format is a popular data compression and archival format. ... RAR 2. ... In computing, CAB is the Microsoft Windows native compressed archive format. ... Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... Example of dialog box from Microsoft Windows Dialog boxes are special windows which are used by computer programs or by the operating system to display information to the user, or to get a response if needed. ...

TotalGaming.net

Stardock's personal computer games subscription product is called TotalGaming.net (previously The Drengin Network). Users buy games rather than renting them. In May 2005 it switched to a token-based system in which subscribers expend tokens on games of their choice, and may opt to purchase more games with extra tokens. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Token coins. ...

Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003 for Windowsâ€”an earlier version was released for OS/2 in 1994. ... The Battle for Wesnoth, an example of a turn-based tactics game. ... Cities are a major hallmark of human civilization. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Gish is a 2D PC platform game created by Edmund McMillen and distributed by Chronic Logic [1] and Stardock. ... Platform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms. ... The Political Machine is a strategic-political computer game from Stardock, in which you lead a campaign to elect the President of the United States. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1969 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... TotalGaming. ... O.R.B: Off-World Resource Base (or simply OÂ·RÂ·B) is a space strategy game developed and published by Strategy First. ... For the Half-Life demo, see Half-Life: Uplink Uplink is a computer game released in 2001 by the British software company Introversion Software. ... Introversion Software is a UK based company that labels itself The last of the bedroom programmers. It was founded by three friends, Chris Delay, Mark Morris and Thomas Arundel. ... Hackers are sometimes portrayed as mysterious and strange. ...

WinCustomize

Aside from its subscription packages, Stardock also sells a variety of icon packs, premium themes consisting of content for more than one program, and programs that do not fit into its subscriptions, including: The WinCustomize logo features a tramp, a reference to changing appearance using skins WinCustomize. ... For other senses of this word, see icon (disambiguation). ...

WinCustomize is the name of the site that provides downloads for all of Stardock's skinning and desktop enhancement products, on which these products are sold. ObjectDock is a computer program providing a dock similar to that in the Mac OS X Aqua GUI. It is distributed under the WinCustomize brand by Stardock for Windows 2000, XP and later operating systems, and comes in Free and Plus versions. ... Mac OS X (IPA pronunciation: ) is a line of proprietary, graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Computer, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers. ... BootSkin is a computer program for Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista that allows users to change the screen displayed while the operating system is booting. ... The Stardock Desktop Pet considers its next action The Stardock Desktop Pet is a digital pet that lives on the desktop of Windows-based computers. ... A digital pet, also known as a virtual pet, is a type of artificial human companion. ... The desktop metaphor is a set of unifying concepts currently used in a number of GUI-based operating systems. ... The WinCustomize logo features a tramp, a reference to changing appearance using skins WinCustomize. ...

ThinkDesk

ThinkDesk is a productivity application subscription service, launched on 14 April 2005. It consists of the following products: ThinkDesk is a productivity application subscription service, launched by Stardock on 14 April 2005 as a utility counterpart to their Object Desktop and TotalGaming. ...

Multiplicity is a computer program that allows the use of one keyboard and mouse to access two or more client computers from a host computer. ... Synchronization is coordination with respect to time. ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... In computing, a process is a running instance of a program, including all variables and other states. ... Anti-virus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware). ... Anti spyware is a tool to detect and remove spyware. ...

Business Solutions

Stardock has expanded into the business-to-business market with products based on their existing consumer offerings: External Links International Chamber of E-Commerce: e-commerce store/catalog, point-n-click website builder, e-business tools & services ...

Notable customers have included: DirectSkin is a software component that is used by software developers to add skinning capability to their applications, which may or may not be exposed to end-users. ... Component Object Model (COM) is a Microsoft platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ...

Alienware Corporation is an American computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Computer Corporation. ... ATI Technologies Inc. ...

History

Initially a builder of PCs (named StarDock Systems), Stardock quickly branched out into software development, where it has remained despite a change of platform.

OS/2 Era (1993 - 2001)

Stardock's initial software product was a computer game for OS/2 called Galactic Civilizations. Stardock never actually received any royalties from the initial sales of Galactic Civilizations due to publisher fraud, but the market had been created for subsequent addon packs including the Shipyards expansion, and Stardock later sold a significant number of licenses to IBM for part of its Family FunPak (under the name Star Emperor). Stardock went on to create OS/2 Essentials, and its successor, Object Desktop, which provided the company with a large base of users. Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003 for Windowsâ€”an earlier version was released for OS/2 in 1994. ...

At about this time, IBM decided to abandon OS/2. However, they did not make this decision public, and Stardock continued to develop applications software and games for the platform, including Avarice and Entrepreneur. With the advent of Windows NT 4, Stardock found that their core user base was slipping away, and was forced to reinvent itself as a Windows developer, but not before it lost most of its money and staff. now. ... Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. ...

Windows Era (1997/8 - present)

The newer, smaller Stardock was heavily reliant on the goodwill of its previous customers, who essentially purchased Windows subscriptions for Object Desktop in anticipation of the products it would consist of. Having put together a basic package (including some old favourites from the OS/2 era) Stardock began to bring in external developers to create original products. Goodwill means simply to have the will to do good in a community, or, to simply try to help people who are in need (for example, serving at a soup kitchen or at a homeless shelter). ...

Stardock's first major Windows success was with WindowBlinds. There turned out to be a large market for skinnable products, and Stardock prospered, growing significantly in the next five years. Although it is not true that Stardock was responsible for the msstyle skinning engine in Windows XP, the release of this operating system did stimulate sales in Stardock products, and despite growing competition proportional to the market the company remains in a strong position. In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In 2001 they added a widget creation and desktop modification tool, DesktopX. This has not had such a wide uptake as other products; some believe this is because it is harder to use and to create for, others because users do not understand the functionality that it offers. DesktopX competes with Konfabulator and Kapsules in the widget arena. In 2003, Stardock became a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with their "Designed for Windows" certification of WindowBlinds. Widget is a general-purpose term, or placeholder name, for any unspecified device, including those that have not yet been invented. ... Screenshot of Konfabulator Screenshot of Konfabulator for Windows with KonsposÃ© enabled. ... Kapsules is a freeware desktop widget engine for Windows. ...

Stardock's games have had more mixed success. The Corporate Machine sold reasonably well, but LightWeight Ninja was not as popular. In an echo of Stardock's previous experiences with games publishers, Strategy First appears not have fulfilled all its contractural obligations for the distribution of Galactic Civilizations. However, several games from the Strategy First lineup have appeared on Stardock's TotalGaming.net service, so it may be that some payment was made in kind. More recently, The Political Machine (timed to coincide with the 2004 U.S. presidential election) and Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords have both sold well, the latter becoming a niche phenomenon. Strategy First is a software company based in Montreal, Canada. ... Presidential election results map. ...

Litigation

A trademark, trade mark, â„¢ or Â®[1] is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... // Tort is a legal term that means civil wrong, as opposed to a criminal wrong. ... IconPackager changes all icons at once IconPackager is a computer program by Stardock that allows the changing of icons for the Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 graphical user interface. ... A file format is a particular way to encode information for storage in a computer file. ... Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ... OpenOffice. ... Microsoft Word, or Microsoft Office Word, is Microsofts flagship word processing software. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... See Power point (disambiguation) for other uses of the term. ... Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity programs created or purchased by Microsoft and developed for Microsoft Windows, and Apple Computers Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems. ... Apple Computer, Inc. ... Mac OS X (IPA pronunciation: ) is a line of proprietary, graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Computer, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers. ... Mac OS X 10. ... The Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Windows Vista is the name of the latest release of Microsoft Windows, a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ...

Future Projects

With the release of Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, Stardock's next projects are rumored to be a massively-multiplayer real-time strategy "Society" scheduled for 2007, and they are publishing (but not developing) Sins of a Solar Empire a 4x fantasy strategy game. Players interacting in Ultima Online. ... Age of Empires (1997), Invasion of an enemy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a genre of computer games characterised by being wargames (strategic) played in real-time in which resource gathering, base building, technology development and the player exerting direct control over individual units are key components. ... Society will be free to play upon its release Society is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game in development by Stardock. ... The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ...

External links

Category: Software companies The Object Desktop 2. ... DesktopX is a shareware desktop enhancement program that allows users to build their own custom desktops with a friendly GUI. Amongst its features is a complete widget engine for Windows as well as a desktop object system. ... IconPackager changes all icons at once IconPackager is a computer program by Stardock that allows the changing of icons for the Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 graphical user interface. ... ObjectBar is often used with DesktopX ObjectBar is a piece of software created for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP by Stardock. ... SkinStudio (previously known as BuilderBlinds) is a software tool by Stardock used to create skins for their WindowBlinds, ObjectBar, WebBlinds and PocketBlinds programs, as well as Koala Player and Windows Media Player. ... WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. ... WindowFX is a fun program that is designed to allow users to make use of their graphics cards outside the realm of personal computer games. ... TotalGaming. ... Unlike most arkanoid clones, this game has some innovative features. ... Chrome: SpecForce is a first person shooter computer game by Techland, released in 2005 by the publisher Deep Silver. ... TotalGaming. ... TotalGaming. ... Earth 2150 is a real-time strategy game, originally published in 2000 by SSI and the Polish developer Reality Pump and a sequel to the largely unknown Earth 2140. ... Flatspace is a indie game for Microsoft Windows in which the player is a spaceship captain, released in 2003. ... Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003 for Windowsâ€”an earlier version was released for OS/2 in 1994. ... Gish is a 2D PC platform game created by Edmund McMillen and distributed by Chronic Logic [1] and Stardock. ... JetsnGuns1 (also shortened to JnG) is a 2D, side-scrolling shoot-em-up computer game released in late 2004 for Microsoft Windows by RakeInGrass software. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Screenshot from Pizza Frenzy Pizza Frenzy is an arcade-style pizza delivery game written by Sprout Games and distributed by PopCap Games. ... The Political Machine is a strategic-political computer game from Stardock, in which you lead a campaign to elect the President of the United States. ... TotalGaming. ... Society will be free to play upon its release Society is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game in development by Stardock. ... Trash is an RTS computer game developed by Inhuman Games for the Microsoft Windows operating systems. ... For the Half-Life demo, see Half-Life: Uplink Uplink is a computer game released in 2001 by the British software company Introversion Software. ... TotalGaming. ... TotalGaming. ... The WinCustomize logo features a tramp, a reference to changing appearance using skins WinCustomize. ... BootSkin is a computer program for Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista that allows users to change the screen displayed while the operating system is booting. ... The Stardock Desktop Pet considers its next action The Stardock Desktop Pet is a digital pet that lives on the desktop of Windows-based computers. ... The Natural Desktop displays weather worldwide The Natural Desktop is a piece of software created by Stardock that is designed to recreate the environment outside, inside. ... ObjectDock is a computer program providing a dock similar to that in the Mac OS X Aqua GUI. It is distributed under the WinCustomize brand by Stardock for Windows 2000, XP and later operating systems, and comes in Free and Plus versions. ... DirectSkin is a software component that is used by software developers to add skinning capability to their applications, which may or may not be exposed to end-users. ... Stardock Central is a software content delivery and digital rights management system used by Stardock customers to access components of the Object Desktop, TotalGaming. ... TweakVista in action TweakVista is a software tool for Windows Vista that allows modification of various OS-specific functions, most notably the settings surrounding the desktop compositor. ... StyleVista adjusting window borders StyleVista is a software tool for Windows Vista that allows changes to be made to the window styles. ... ThinkDesk is a productivity application subscription service, launched by Stardock on 14 April 2005 as a utility counterpart to their Object Desktop and TotalGaming. ... Multiplicity is a computer program that allows the use of one keyboard and mouse to access two or more client computers from a host computer. ...

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