First Ring Daily 1111: Important Personal News and Personal Windows

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On this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad has some news to share, Microsoft forgot to share some news, and some things never change.

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Conversation 32 comments

  • seattlemike

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 12:20 pm

    <p>Brad is a quitter! ?</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 1:13 pm

      <p>The podcast continues!</p>

  • ronv42

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 1:05 pm

    <p>Do we get discount codes for Stardock software ?</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 1:13 pm

      <p>?</p>

  • martinusv2

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 1:06 pm

    <p>Congrats Brad</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 1:12 pm

      <p>Thanks!</p>

  • viperx2352

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 1:07 pm

    <p>Sad news!!! Good luck and please continue to do the podcast! </p><p>Now Microsoft will buy Stardock, and Brad becomes a Microsoft employee. lol</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 1:12 pm

      <p>I will be the first person they fire too lol</p>

  • sirjowrick

    30 August, 2021 - 1:18 pm

    <p>Congrats Brad! Quick Question, will the BS report still continue? ?</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 1:26 pm

      <p>Yep!</p>

  • ShadowWings

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 1:25 pm

    <p>Congrats and good luck with the new job Brad! </p><p>Nice to hear that the podcast with the two of you will still continue.</p>

    • cottonwood

      30 August, 2021 - 1:40 pm

      <p>Ditto! We need continued updates on home reno projects and the Tesla… :-)</p>

  • crunchyfrog

    30 August, 2021 - 1:55 pm

    <p>Will you be changing the name to, "Half Ring Daily"?</p>

  • navarac

    30 August, 2021 - 2:05 pm

    <p>Stardock is a good company, of which I am a customer. Innovative, Stardock put into Windows what Microsoft leaves out/removes/ don’t care about. Well done, Brad.</p>

  • rcalafato

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 3:21 pm

    <p>Congrats Brad! Are you going to keep the Sams Report going?</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 4:54 pm

      <p>Yes, for sure.</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 3:28 pm

    <p>Good luck.</p><p><br></p><p>Request: Since Windows 11 supports Cairo Desktop Environment both on top of Explorer and as replacement for Explorer as desktop shell (thus proving it’s still possible to do so), Stardock should finally make a complete, comprehensive replacement desktop shell. Not just Start11 or ObjectDock, but drawing the desktop, desktop icons, taskbars (optionally more than one, as possible in several Linux desktop environments), as well as Start menu. Probably doesn’t need to be added that Window Blinds should support sharp, rectangular corners. Heck, why stop there? Add a utility which appears just after entering password, PIN or other logon authentication prompting the user to select from available desktop shells, something most Linux GUI greeters allow users to choose before logging in.</p>

  • bluesman57

    30 August, 2021 - 3:58 pm

    <p>That’s great, Brad. I’m a long time Stardock customer as well, starting with Windowblinds on Windows 95</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 4:53 pm

      <p>It seems that nearly everyone has a Stardock story in the Windows world.</p>

  • pecosbob04

    30 August, 2021 - 4:07 pm

    <p>Just for grins I thought I would see if I could access the first FRD podcast but was unable to navigate past the first page of shows. If they still exist would you be able to make some (or all) of these early podcasts available?</p>

  • erichk

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 4:16 pm

    <p>The new gig sound great … but thank goodness you’re still going to hang around here in some capacity … I need my daily dose of Brad Sams.</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      30 August, 2021 - 4:53 pm

      <p>I also need my daily dose of me.</p>

      • hrlngrv

        Premium Member
        31 August, 2021 - 12:06 am

        <p>Considering how you end the Sams Report every time, are you bringing the BS to Stardock?</p>

  • doon

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 4:25 pm

    <p>Congratulations and good luck Brad! </p>

  • robinwilson16

    30 August, 2021 - 8:10 pm

    <p>Congratulations Brad and thanks for keeping us well informed on Microsoft/Google/Apple over the years here and on Petri alongside Paul.</p><p>I have used WindowBlinds and also Curtains and do really like all their products. I feel there is too much crossover between the two skinning products though and that possibly curtains should replace WindowBlinds and perhaps that was the original intention. They could do with some more simple skins as the majority are very busy with swords for scrollbars etc. (Curtains does have a few but still has the same limited selection it had when it was in beta more or less) which can be nice for a change but less so long term (I know I could go and design my own too). I find it useful to have different skins on each PC then if RDPd I can easily remember which one I am on.</p><p>Some products don’t work as well when you have screens with different resolutions on each screen – if main screen is a high resolution then with CursorXP the cursor ends up huge on other screens or vice versa. Once products started being removed from Object Desktop I cancelled my subscription (plus it had issues with my beta builds) but once there are some exciting Windows 11 skins I will look at it again as I know it is quite reasonably priced for what it does. I’m sure you can get the team to sort out the minor issues above!</p>

    • robinwilson16

      30 August, 2021 - 8:13 pm

      <p>I just want to say again that I do like and recommend WindowBlinds and have used it since Windows 95 (as far as I remember).</p><p>Another reason I uninstalled was because my Surface Pro 7 was overheating and I was trying to remove everything I could (in the end it had to be sent back as was faulty). Since getting a new PC Windows 11 happened so I had a new refreshing interface anyway!</p>

  • thewarragulman

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 8:53 pm

    <p>Shame you’re leaving the site but glad the podcast will continue, FRD is one of my favourites next to Windows Weekly so I’m glad it’ll stay. Best of luck at Stardock, hopefully some new products can come out to fix some of the Windows 11 annoyances like the Taskbar.</p>

  • geoff

    30 August, 2021 - 9:28 pm

    <p>How does Microsoft allowing ‘unsupported’ hardware to stay on the Insider program make any sense at all?</p><p><br></p><p>Why use that hardware for TESTING new releases of Windows, when Windows is not being developed for use with that specific hardware?</p><p><br></p><p>This makes no sense at all.</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      31 August, 2021 - 12:04 am

      <p>Insiders with an old PC to burn could still find bugs and submit useful feedback. Given what MSFT’s <em>paying</em> Insiders for bug hunting, can MSFT really be picky about the hardware they use? Heck, if the bug were specific to unsupported hardware, that could even be a selling point for MSFT. No down side I can see,</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    31 August, 2021 - 1:05 am

    <p>All the best Brad. I hope the move to Stardock is all you hope it will be.</p>

    • Brad Sams

      Premium Member
      31 August, 2021 - 8:17 am

      <p>Thank you!</p>

  • nbplopes

    31 August, 2021 - 5:23 am

    <p>Congrats on the good job you have been doing. Looking forward to see the results of you next venture. Wish you both all the best …</p><p><br></p>

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