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JcRabbit

Join Date 03/2001

+290

Winstep releases NextSTART 3.0 Beta Preview 1

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New NextSTART 3.0 features include:

* Startbar

An optional floating ‘Startbar’ that can contain the Start button, Quicklaunch Hotspots, the Tasklist and the System Tray. The ‘Startbar’ is dockable to any screen edge, either at full width or any size to suit the user. It is also collapsible a la KDE/Gnome bar, or optionally just like the normal Windows taskbar.

* Improved Task Management Handling:

Multi-row, re-sizable tasklist - now with optional text labelling. Tasks can be grouped in Windows XP-style, sorted by application or filtered off the tasklist. The new task manager offers keyboard shortcuts to quickly minimize, close and restore similar tasks and all mouse-click actions are fully customisable. The system tray button, used to toggle the system tray between collapsed and un-collapsed states, now features an optional clock. Semi-transparency is also supported in Windows 2000/XP systems.

* Redesigned NextSTART Preferences Panel.

The NextSTART Preferences panel has been completely redesigned, conveniently separating per user settings from skinning settings and making configuration far more intuitive. Also new to NextSTART 3 is an enhanced theme manager which includes a handy preview function.

* Full multiple monitor support.

Users are now able to position their menus, hotspots and startbar on specific monitors.

* Many more improvements and fixes, ensuring that NextSTART continues to be the most versatile, functional and easy-to-use GUI enhancement product ever conceived.

Please see http://www.winstep.net/history-ns3.txt for a complete description of changes and additions.

System Requirements: NextSTART will run under Win95/98JcRabbit and NT4/2000/XP.

Price and Availability: NextSTART 3.0 Beta Preview 1 is available now from the Winstep Software Technologies web page at http://www.winstep.net. NextSTART 3.0 final will cost $24.95 when released, but beta testers may, for the limited period of the beta preview, purchase NextSTART 3.0 for the discounted price of ONLY $19.95, saving $5.00 from the final price!

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Some nice new features but not really a 'full version' release - more like 2.9 than 3.0?

Mr Benn is a bit annoyed at being asked to pay 20/25 dollars for these new features when he only registered NS 2.81 a couple of months ago

Maybe I will wait to see how much the skinners support the new features (although gillon has been pretty quick off the mark

)

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IMO, its worth the upgrade, give it a shot. NS3 addresses some of the things I've wanted in NS for a long time.

I've been wanting text effects. Yeah!

The enhanced task support for grouping/sorting/text is another big thing for me. The other thing is the start/quicklaunch bar. Just having task tiles was okay, but I prefer being able to have everything enapsulated in a manageable bar.

And having the whole thing adjust when the systray is expanded/collaspsed is nice. It used to drive me nuts in NS2 as to where to put the systray/systray button since it always got in the way of hotspot buttons I had near it or just looked out of place.

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JcRabbit

Join Date 03/2001

+290

Hi Mr.Ben!

Have you actually tried the beta? It will not interfere with your current NextSTART 2.x installation (executable names are different). The above are some of the major new features, you can get a full list of changes and additions here:

http://www.winstep.net/history-ns3.txt

The Startbar alone is a major leap forward in the way NextSTART works... and it doesn't stop there, we still have more things to add before NS 3.0 goes final. Just to give you an example, here (but not in the public beta, sorry) I can already integrate WorkShelf's desktop modules (clock, recycler) into the NextSTART Startbar - not only is it a fine example of the integration of the two programs as it makes the Startbar look very KDEish.

As for you having registered NS 2.81 just a couple of months ago - I understand how you feel, but I also hope that you understand we HAD to draw the line somewhere. NextSTART 2.x was released nearly *

years ago and since then there have been countless upgrades, all FREE of charge.

Jorge Coelho
NextSTART 3.0 - A user interface you can actually use!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies
IRC Chat: #winstep on AustNet

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Hi Jorge!

I didn't realise 'JcRabbit' was you

I also didn't realise that the NS3 beta would not interfere with my current NS2 installation, so I will DL it and give it a spin with gillon's Spectre NS3 theme. Spectre is my current WB and NS desktop anyway

Despite my grumbling, I just *know* I will end up registering NS3 anyway, because I just enjoy using NS so much

How long will the $5 discount offer for NS2 users last?

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JcRabbit

Join Date 03/2001

+290

No idea yet, Benn. Could be a month, or less, depending on how fast things go (and they're going pretty fast!)

Besides Spectre there are currently two more NS 3.0 themes floating around... A hacked version of Beacon-NS (originally by Gillion) which you can download from

ftp://winstep.skwire.net/Beacon-NS.zip

and Essorant's Goof theme, which can be downloaded from

ftp://winstep.skwire.net/goof.zip

Jorge Coelho
NextSTART 3.0 - A user interface you can actually use!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies
IRC Chat: #winstep on AustNet

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One question - what's it like on resources. I have a 400 with 196 Meg RAM, and it creaks considerably under the weight of ObjectBar and WB, if I'm foolish enough to load CursorXP then it's dead in the water.

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JcRabbit

Join Date 03/2001

+290

Try it without ObjectBar and compare.

Anyway, if you're running a lot of Windows customization software then you really should switch over to W2k or XP - you will never again have to worry about resource problems (or Windows crashing and taking all your programs with it).

Jorge Coelho
NextSTART 3.0 - A user interface you can actually use!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies
IRC Chat: #winstep on AustNet

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I'm just posting 'Goof' theme here...

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...erm, well, in a while - I'm getting timeouts here. I'll try from home tonight.

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Well I did try it and... hey I like it!

Chris is right about the improvements in task management, and the preferences dialog is much improved.

So thanks Jorge, and sorry I was a bit negative - first impressions can be wrong

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