Skin Suites

What happened to them?

from WinCustomize Forums
I've been going through some of my older skins as I update my own website and I've come to realise a few things. Firstly, I've skinned quite a few different applications over the years and have had fun at the same time. Secondly, I don't skin many applications now as I find myself only really skinning what I use on a regular basis (I'm still having fun though ). And thirdly, I don't believe there are as many skinnable applications being actively developed now as there was a few years ago. I know times change, but has this made it any easier for people to be introduced to the world of skinning?

It doesn't seem that long ago to me when skinners would create skin suites that covered quite a few different applications. Skin suites used to often include skins for applications such as WindowBlinds, ColorPad, Winamp, QuickNotes, WinStep's WorkShelf and/or NextStart, CoolPlayer, eNotes, EzPop, HoverDesk, Sysmetrix, Rainlender, ICQ+, Wallpaper, IconPackager, XXLog, XXCalc and more. I remember seeing skinners release themes that included LiteStep, WinStep's WorkShelf and/or NextStart and HoverDesk so they were catering for as many user's tastes as possible. I'm sure there are many people skinning today that haven't even heard of some of these applications.

I know that personally I don't have the time to create the full suites I'd like to. I'm sure this is the case for many skinners. I do however miss seeing large skin suites released. And it was probably only because of many large skin suites that some applications got any attention at all. I'm curious if people had the time and/or ability to create a skin suite of their own, how many applications would they include?
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5,984 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah. I just noticed this myself. Skin suites used to have like a ka-billion different apps skinned; now your lucky is more than 7 are skinned.

Some might be the death of some apps, other might be just how much can you really do with the app skin wise, and the rest might just be that one program does most of what you want. Sysmetrix probably replaced a few apps in one shot.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
From a "NEWBIE" stand point...I can really only comment from what I've seen.

After setting up all of my apps and getting everything organized I decided to go back into most of the libraries and start at the end...WOW...what a difference.

I did notice that most of the older suites (we're talking 2002) weren't as elaborate but were extremely complete...skinning everything in site.

My take on it would be similiar to that of the medical profession...and IT for that matter. In the early stages most people were trained or taught themselves to be the "JACK OF ALL TRADES...MASTER OF NONE." They could do average work in all fields...but really didn't devote themselves to 1 or 2 fields and then "master" it.

Now...I would think that there are more apps to skin (maybe I'm wrong) but the way I've viewed the libraries....they seem to segregate to a certain few libraries (of course there are exceptions)...and really develop a knack for just a few of 10 or 11 possibilities....BUT THEN....that's just the way I see it...from my side of the fence.
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think both joeKnowledge and Bustin A Bogie have valid points.

Applications like Sysmetrix have more than likely seen more and more people leave applications like Oxygenator, QX, SkinMem etc as it's easier (and makes more sense I guess) to use the one application to do it all.

And even when skin suites were more popular, very few people, when considering how many skinners there are, actually created 'great' skin suites (IMO). It might be too big an ask for your average skinner to complete a massive skin suite.

I wonder if another Community Skin Suite could ever be accomplished and how many applications would be skinned today if one was started?