Sliderdock - Another Dock Alternative?

Interesting newcomer to the quite-saturated application launcher software pool. Note that it is in its early stages, so it likely won't be as polished as mature launchers like Rocketdock or Launchy.

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb7a0K9uXxI&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ2Jmm4jbRQ&feature=player_embedded

Download: http://sliderdock.wikidot.com/start

 

This reminds me of Circle Dock.

 

Too many docks...

I prefer circle dock, this looks cumbersome.

 

I prefer rocketdock, circular docks in general look cumbersome

 

I preferred Launchy, docks are cumbersome
Although now with Vista, it's as simple as Win + ______ to launch any program, so my need for Launchy is over

 

I agree, but launchy allows for plug-ins such as a calculator. type in a math equation and it solves it (1+2=3). there are other plug-ins for launchy, but the only things i use it for are searching for files/apps and *cough* figuring out easy math problems that i could do in my head but am too lazy to.

 

Ha ha I was actually going to respond with the word cumbersome in my post, but after reading all of your responses it would only sound like I'm copying.

But seriously now, that does looks very clunky, and honestly, not all that visually appealing.

 

i like taskbar and startmenu pinning. docks are cumbersome.

 

If you have XP docks certainly aren't cumbersome

I HATE having to look through the start menu trying to find something, rocket/object dock with stacksdocklet ftw

 

hehe. if you have the big startmenu with big icons pinned directly to it, you never have to "look through the startmenu trying to find something". it's like a vertical dock poping up when you press [win]. (i would consider a dock when forced on the oldstyle startmenu).

edit: and of course you should've upgraded to vista long ago (but i'm forced to xp at work, and there, that form of startmenu pinning works perfectly)

 

Pin like 50+ apps to the start menu, mmm funky, plus I have shortcuts to folders in the dock.

I'll be upgrading to Windows 7 when that comes out, I'm not a vista hater, just never had the need for it so no point in upgrading. But with xp coming to an end an upgrade to 7 is probably a good idea.

 

http://executor.dk/


it's better than launchy and any dock imho

 

well, having like 50+ apps needed quickly all the time is something i never needed in now over 10 years of using a computer. but yes, then xp is rather lost

edit: i just counted: at work, i have 16 pinned ones, with huge icons filling 3/4th of the height of the screen (hating widescreen ). so i guess it would still work with small icons.. /edit

well, now you would have a reason to upgrade to vista [win]word[enter] and word opens, same for all your 50+ apps without using up any screen space (or having the annoying pop-in-when-close-to-the-screen-edge-with-mouse behaviour). and you can still pin the most needed apps for quick mouse access. (there would be lots of other, mostly technical, some visual reasons to move to vista..). but of course, never touch a running system.

 

Yer, I get what your saying about vista, but i'm happy enough with xp.
Rocketdock is only using up 25mb of memory atm and with 3gb its not a problem.
And to open word requires pressing 6 keys in vista without a dock, I can open it up in 2 clicks unless as you say pin it to start menu, but i like having a small clean menu.
I like the look of the dock so that isn't a problem for me, but I must admit that when the cursor is too close to the edge yes the dock does come up and it is annoying, but that will only do that if I have to scroll a page side to side which is rare with 1440x900, so its fine.

 

everyone it's own. i prefer having a clean os, and a cleaned up workflow so i don't use tons of programs.

the [win]word[enter] is for when on the keyboard. faster than going to mouse and easier to remember. else, yes, it's pinned.

so you say you have an unused vista licence around? ^^

btw: that's my desktop currently. most of the lying around music got removed again, they are work in progress files. as you can see, i have huge popups on scroll-over and huge taskbar buttons filling the whole screen. that way, no unused space, and all easy-to-target stuff and easy to see stuff.

but it means not using 50+ apps daily (which i'd guess you never use daily or close to it )

 

Well 1 extra program for me isn't a big deal tbh.

No I don't have a vista licence, when ordering the dell it was either xp or vista, why would I have one?

Er I don't see a screen shot of your desktop.

And no your right I don't use 50 apps a day but as I have a dock, I like to keep them in it and grouped together with stacksdocklet, but they are apps I do use so there not sitting there doing nothing.

 

i like to not care about the apps much (except the ones i use daily or close to, all others i can quickly access thanks to vista).

yeah, my screenshot's not around. bad boy bad boy..

Attachment of Desktop Thread

I just thought most buy a notebook with vista, and then drop it and install some xp. i like to gather those licencees and use them myself (legal here in switzerland as long as they don't use the same licence for the downgrade). so we can isntall vista for free there where people like it, and take it from them, who don't honour it.. i'm robin hood, or so

an extra program for me isn't something to deal with (i use tons of it). but something extra cluttering the screen, yep, that is.

well, if you don't have a vista license, then you don't need to install it, of course (but you should have when you had the choise.. silly me, again promoting vista.. fighting the sheeps )

 

I love Stardock Objectdock Plus hate having icons on the desktop. I hate anything that takes away from the background picture. I find having a dock fixes that.

 

Well its not as if a dock takes up half the screen making the desktop unusable or unpleasant to look at, each to there own I think its the best answer to this.

Oh I see, no If I had paid more for vista when ordering I would have stuck with it instead of downgrading to xp.

Don't class me as a 'sheep' because i'm still on xp thats unfair. Vista was more money when ordering, I'm happy with xp and have been for years. While looking nice the aero stuff/pop ups etc I can live without.

 

it's not the aero i can't life without, it's much more. but yes, if it cost more back then. most of the time, chosing xp is more expensive.

i don't call you sheep, i just say most xp users are sheep, following the hype of xp being better than vista.

a dock is an additional thing on screen, not really aligned / taking up quite a bit of screen estate. it is full of icons => nothing really clean. so yes, it's unusable and unpleasant to look at, except to be "uh shiny and apple like".

but the main reason i don't even want to ever think about using a dock: i work on other pc's than mine. why should i get used to a config that i don't find more or less the same everywhere else? that makes me uncomfortable and slower on other machines.

and the other reason: the dock has to be manually configured. i see no use in fiddling around each shortcut to have it "my way" if i can get this for free, a.k.a. through the startmenu. that's why it's the "start menu", it's a menu to start programs from. microsoft should've pushed it much more, removing the quicklaunch completely, instead they made quicklaunch now a default feature of win7 *crying*

in the end, what ever suites your needs i like to work maximised. then, docks and such just get in the way. the only thing that doesn't is the taskbar, as every program knows of it, and it's tiny and non-optrustive (how do i spell that word.. not an eye catcher that distrubts your work was what i wanted to say).

 

As I said, each to their own, you've made your decision that you don't like docks that fair enough.
Yes a dock is apple like, but isn't all that shiny aero vista stuff linux like??

I find the quick launch ugly and not useful which is why 'imo' a dock is far superior.
The problem for me would be, I'd have to pin to much to the start menu to the point it would look a mess and I'd be back to square one trying to find what I wanted.

I'm not trying to persuade you into using a dock, you dont wont one thats all good, I use other pcs too but mainly use my laptop so why shouldn't I make it more productive/easier to use?

If you work maximised and the dock is set to always be at the bottom it won't affect you and not distracting (because you won't see it), but then I would say that as I love my dock.


I thought the quick launch in windows 7 you had to add yourself? instead you get that wierd merging of quick launch and open programs that would normally be sitting on the taskbar, I have used the 7k build and it was pretty confusing and wasn't my cup of tea, but I'm not used to it is all.

 

no, because it got anounced by microsoft years ago and then (badly) copied by linux.

transparency is not cool, even win2000 could do it. glass is more than transparency, a.k.a. blurring, too. this allows transparency without distraction from the background (imagine text on text, 50% transparent.. you'd go mad ).

a dock is a big animated fancy applestyle quicklaunch

you really need that much? i counted at home, at work, all the places where i use my pcs (at the club, at the bar, when supporting, etc). and i have at most 14.
and vista startmenu allows for quickly accessing the rest

because it makes you fixed on some habbit and teach it to others while they should first learn the default? (and so should you. most don't, who chose a dock, ever learn how to use the start menu.. i have such friends.. )

then it's not easily accessable. else it's visible and distracting

yep, that's the quicklaunch merge i talk about. terrible thing..


we essentially agree, and that's cool


btw, at work, i now use that background, just to teach people into getting rid of shortcuts all over the place:

http://patenteux.com/Messy_desktop/messy_wallpaper-1600x1200.jpg