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Rainmeter 1.0 & Enigma 2.5 (Preview)

Update: Enigma 2.5 is here.

 

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Full Preview

Screenshot Only

Home & Config Tool Only

 

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If I had to pick the thing I'm most proud of with this release, it's the fact that the user never has to get hands-on with a single file or folder. Everything from installation, to skin-loading, setting personal variables, saving and switching themes, accessing the documentation, and getting help, is 100% automated. It feels like a proper piece of software now, while at the same time keeping the total, utterly transparent customizability that makes it Rainmeter. I can't wait to release this.

 

There are still one or two surprises which, as a matter of fact, I'm not at liberty to reveal yet; I've been collaborating with some other developers (good and talented people all) on some particularly special features. I promise you won't have to wait long.

 

Enigma 2.5 is on schedule to be available sometime in the coming week. Look for announcements on Lifehacker and Liquid Crystal Discourse.

 

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Among, as usual, countless minor improvements and revisions:

 

- Fully functional on Windows Vista and 7. The new installer is flexible to support all three versions of Windows and their 64-bit counterparts, and takes advantage of a change in Rainmeter's file system which sidesteps UAC interference.

- Configuration Tool. For basic personal preferences - your feeds, Google account, weather code, etc. - you will no longer need to edit Rainmeter's code directly. With one click, the tool automatically sets variables across all skins.

- Resolution-independent. The sidebars and taskbar now adjust to your screen dimensions automatically. In addition, the default Themes will set the proper positions for their skins - for example, the Taskbar will appear on the bottom edge, no matter your resolution.

- Built-in theme switching. Using a new built-in config manager called RainThemes, you can now save and load themes through a GUI interface.

- Revamped Home screen. Aside from being cleaned up, simplified and better-organized, the Home screen now serves as your Rainmeter "center," with quick links to the Config tool, Theme switcher, Instructions and an official Support thread on www.rainmeter.net/forum/.

- Completed Music skins. At long last, an iTunes plugin for Rainmeter exists; you will no longer need to install CD Art Display alongside Rainmeter.

- The Readers have been expanded to support Atom feeds, Gmail and Twitter, in addition to the traditional RSS fetcher.

- Multiple new skins, including a compact calendar, wireless signal strength, system uptime, and even your local sunrise/sunset times.

- Improved text shadows and antialiasing.

- And, by removing redundant and unnecessary images, the whole package is now 2/3rds the size.

 

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Questions, comments, concerns? Post as always.

 

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Wallpaper: Earth Waterfall from Wallpaper Abyss.

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Uploaded on August 3, 2009