Fabio Longo

6th May 2006

Korean User

1st May 2006

Thanks for your question

If you encounter "run time error '380' invalid property value" in 8start, please follow the instruction below.

8start use the fonts "Tahoma" and "Small Fonts" which included in standard windows installation, please check if fonts exist in your windows\fonts folder. If it doesn't exist or if size of these 2 fonts is zero, you have to copy if from other machine.

Krishnan

22nd Jan 2006

Dear Sir,
At the outset thank you for the great program. I installed 8 start last fortnight and found it very useful. Microsoft should learn people like you as to how make easy interface. Here are some suggestions.

Don't feel shy to ask for donations on voluntary basis and put a corporate version on chargeable basis with more features. Several companies like winzip and winrar are making money on somebody else's idea. All of us know that even MSDos and Oracle were actually taken from the backyard of IBM research for free.

Incidentally I tried putting a short cut of 8 start in the Quick launch and found that starting more than one instance of 8 start creates problems.

If you can simplify the process of putting shortcuts in the 8start pad, even novice users will be able to use the program.

You may also like to add a feature of asking for password to open the program for the first time you open it, since you don't want all users to know the programs which only you may use.

There are many users who will rather prefer to double click to start a program. Currently right or left click opens the program. So make single click an option. I put the "sleep" command (%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState) to put the computer to sleep mode and found the single click rather a pain.

Wishing you all the best
Thanks

Thanks for your great comments (I am so proud that you said Microsoft should learn people like me)

I did ask for the donation, but too bad I get only USD1 donation right only. Although I didn't earn from my hard work right now, it is is ok for me cause at least I did help a lot of people to work more efficient.

I do not have any plan to put a corporate version right now, some non profit organization like orphanage may need this software installed to ease for the students access the computer. By restrict the feature of this software may cause them not able to enjoy the full feature of this software.

Yes, simplify the process of putting shortcuts in the 8start pad like drag and drop is a useful feature for the novice users, I may include it in the future version.

It is recommended to launch 8start Launcher by windows startup or windows startmenu, then access it by system tray. Putting 8start Launcher in quick launch just waste your quick launcher space, cause it need only to be launched one time. If you want to access it by quick launch rather then system tray, it may slow down the performance as click the system tray is the faster way.(it is quite technical so i do not explain in detail here).

However, I will fix the error when launching 8start Launcher in second time.

If your computer is used by more than one person, you can duplicate the 8start Launcher folder for individual user, then customise it for the individual users, so each user can have their own 8start panel.(they won't know the programs which only you may use). Password protect will make launching of shortcut become unefficient.

Last, I may include the double click option and right click feature in the future version of 8start Launcher

Brian

14th Jan 2006

Is this a standalone app.? I mean, can it be extracted and run as a standalone app. or does it have to be installed on each machine?

Thanks.

Yes, it can be copied and run, doesn't need to be installed.

The system need the vb6 runtime, which is included in the 8start setup package. and as the standard runtime in windows xp. If you want to copy the 8start Launcher to other machine, and that machine is not windows xp, you may need to check whether that machine have vb runtime.

Webmaker

2nd Jan 2005

I had some time, so I made some other changes which I like better even. They are attached. Thanks for the info on the pixels....I did some of that. I will send you some money because of the trouble I caused you and your nice comments. You have a good product...it is hard to crash...I tried. It is good. You need to keep pushing it. Thanks again for doing good work..

Thanks again for your skin, you enhance the panel color, even made the group color match with panel color this time, well done, you are really fan of 8start Launcher. 8start Launcher is my baby, I will keep on polite it. Together let us make 8start Launcher better. Since you are very support for the 8start skin, I have planned to include the change skin feature in my next version of 8start Launcher, users can change the skin easier within setting section, like what winamp and windows media player did.

To All 8start Launcher users: (Skin suitable for 8start ver 1.0 only) If you like the skin made by Webmaker (Thanks Webmaker), click the link here to download for the blue background skin, click the link here to download for the black background skin . The instruction please refer to the conversation below.

Webmaker

31st Dec 2005

Great program. Reduces clutter on the ole Windows clutter-prone desktop. Great little program. I redid the edited skin that you posted on your site from an interested user and tweeked it a bit for my purposes. I kinda like it. I attached the files that were edited. It is cleaner for my desktop.

Thanks for your skin, very nice, especially the group background is very impressive. i really appreciate for your skin, you made 8start Launcher better.

To All 8start Launcher users: (Skin suitable for 8start ver 1.0 only) If you like the skin made by Webmaker (Thanks Webmaker), click the link here to download for the blue background skin, click the link here to download for the black background skin . The instruction please refer to the conversation below.

Sandro

16th Dec 2005

Hi,

Nice and easy to use software :)
I made a skin for Xp for 8start. Feel free to use and redistribuite it. Enclosing a screen capture.

Author

Thanks for your skin, you are so clever that you know how to make 8start Launcher skin

I may publish your skin in my site so other users can use it, and i will plan to let user define the text color in my future version so u can have more flexible skin design.

Again, thanks for your support to 8start Launcher, I will try my best to make it better.

To All 8start Launcher users: (Skin suitable for 8start ver 1.0 only) If you like the skin made by Sandro (Thanks Sandro), click the link here to download it, you may unzip it and save to the folder where you install 8start Launcher, default folder is c:\program files\8start Launcher, restart 8start Launcer after you done, please backup all the jpg in this folder file before you overwrite it, just in case you want to use back my original design. :-)

Chrismas coming and hopefully someone can design a chrismas skin for 8start Launcher..... , It is quite simple, just open my jpg in 8start Launcher and use graphic editor to modify it

Paul O'Shea

16th Dec 2005

Hello,

Firstly let me say what a great program … it whole idea is excellent. I've been using 8start for about a week now and all I can say is wow !.

If I might offer one or two suggestions that you may or may not consider useful …
 - Do not change the cursor when the program is dragged or moved. It makes it difficult to position it easily.

- What about making the background of the box transparent so it displays your wallpaper through it ?

Not being a programmer though I don’t know if these changes are difficult or not !

Also, on a different note, can you tell me where you found the wallpaper that is on the screen capture on your website, it's a great picture !

Could you email me a copy of the picture please - i'd love to have it as my wallpaper.

- The purpose i change the cursor is to let user know there is a move feature there, my final solution is the cursor can hold the panel and move it (like how we move normal window), i had try to do this feature and unfortunely it don't work well, I will keep on trying and hopefully can solve it soon.

- Transparent background involve of a lot of R&D for me, i need some time...

Again, thanks for your comment, it will make 8start Launcher better.

I visited Taiwan mountains few months ago (cause china airline offer very cheap air ticket), this photo was taken by camera at the mountain Ali (Taiwan), then i convert it to wallpaper

To All 8start Launcher users: Since 8start Launch publish on the net, a lot of visitors email me for the wallpaper which is in my screenshot, i am here publish it, you are free to download and distribute it, see the forest in your desktop is good for our eye. If have chance visit the actual place, you will wonder Taiwan have so beatiful place. Ali Mountain is located in Taiwan, really a beautiful place to visit, worth to go there.

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Bartou

15th Dec 2005

When I created 8start launcher, after using few days i also encounter this problem cause I have too many shortcuts also, after that I enhance the program by add in the catogories feature

So if you organise the shortcut into maybe 10 categories, and 40 shortcuts in each category, your should able to add in 400 shortcuts in 8start launcher

You suggestion for able to make the panel wider is a good idea, it allow us to include more shortcuts in the launcher, I will include the icon per row option in my next version of 8start launcher, so you can put more shortcuts into it.