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DesktopX is a program that extends Microsoft Windows to support true objects on the desktop. A true object differs from an icon in that it can send, receive, and execute on messages without having to load additional programs.

A simple example would be that one could replace their Outlook icon with an Outlook object. The Outlook object could look exactly the same except that when there's email waiting for you, the Outlook object could make a sound or change its appearance. Another key difference is that objects can be shaped and sized any way the user wishes. When objects are combined together, they can become a "theme" (a desktop).

DesktopX can make Windows do incredible things. It does this by letting users place real objects onto the desktop.  An object differs from an icon in that it's dynamic. An icon is just a static picture of a set size. An object can be any size and send and receive messages to the operating system, to COM objects or to plugins. This makes it infinitely extensible. You can literally make anything with DesktopX.

Users can extend what DesktopX does by two different routes: COM and Plugins.  COM (Component Object Model) could be really called Microsoft's standard plugin standard. Every Windows system has hundreds of COM objects already installed. Most properly written modern applications are broken up into COM objects. For example, Microsoft Excel is really just a collection of COM objects in a window container. The spreadsheet, graphs, and other key features are broken into individual parts. 

Right click on the DesktopX icon in your system tray to bring up the primary options. To create a new object, select new object.

An object can be any size or shape. Just tell DesktopX where the .BMP or .PNG file is located and it'll take on that size and shape. You can then add different states for the object to react to such as mouse away, mouse over, mouse button down, etc.

On the general page, you can define what the object does. Here it's been made a shortcut that launches Outlook and it has been extended with the Email Notify object to let the user know whether there is new email waiting to be downloaded (without having to load up an email program). It has been modified such that when email arrives, the graphic changes.

When one begins to put various types of objects together, they can create a completely new desktop. Below are some examples (click on the thumbnail to view):

The goal of DesktopX is to provide users the ability to create their own desktop environments that focus on allowing people to use their PC's in the way they want. This can increase productivity, lower training costs, and increase general enjoyment of usage.

DesktopX is a user-level program. That means it does not replace any system files or perform any low level changes to your system. It sits in the Windows system tray and can be turned off in a single click (unless you're in a corporate or kiosk environment where the IT manager can set a password).

Once loaded, it extends the existing shell (usually Explorer) to support real objects.  DesktopX on its own uses very little memory. The memory use depends on how complex the desktop environment created with it is. Even then, DesktopX will compress bitmaps in memory to lower the memory usage.

All DesktopX objects can be assigned a name. If someone wants to send that object a message, they simply send it to the name that the user has defined for that objet along with the message. So I might send object "MyStockObject" the message "StockPriceAboveSpecifiedLevel". The user can define how it responds to that message. It could play a sound, change it's look, send out an email, and more.

There are many different reasons to use DesktopX depending on what type of user you are.

For consumers. If you are a casual user looking for a safe and easy way to add pizazz to your desktop, there is nothing even remotely close to DesktopX in terms of ease of use and visual features for doing so.

For Corporate IT managers. If you are looking for something that will be able to create a fairly secure and simplified environment, DesktopX can provide this quickly, easily and inexpensively.

Corporate Desktop use.

For Kiosk use. Developers of kiosks can create a bullet-proof environment for public kiosks using DesktopX.

For parental control. Have an older computer that you'd like to let your small children use but don't want them to mess up?

A simplified desktop perfect for small children to use safely to get to very selected websites or games.

For consultants, IT developers, and industrial use.  DesktopX objects can interact with other objects, Windows itself,  COM objects and Microsoft .NET via scripting languages such as VBScript, JAVAScript or any other scripting language supported by Windows Scripting Host. This makes it ideal for consultants and IT managers to use as a very rapid deployment environment.  That's because DesktopX handles all of the visual aspects of development. The developer merely has to focus on the logic of the applet they are creating. By contrast, a project created with Visual Basic still involves having to handle the interface development of the application. DesktopX can do all that and more much faster, easier and hence at a much lower cost.

DesktopX can create any control supported by Windows plus ones created by users to allow developers to quickly make applets that actually use less memory than a similar VB application yet faster to make.

DesktopX is available stand alone for only $19.95 or as part of Object Desktop for $49.95.