Now that Jorge has returned (hopefully for a reasonable period), I'm curious as to what to look forward to in the next version of Winstep.

I'm not expressing any preferences, just interested in Jorge's thoughts on the immediate roadmap - after he has caught up on all of his mail of course

- Improve Windows 11 compatibility (already added a Widgets IC + default Widgets QL button to the NextSTART taskbar).

MS grouping the Network, Sound and Battery icons into a different group was news to me though, and I won't be able to properly look into this until Virtual Box 7.0 is out and I can install Windows 11 on a VM.

Microsoft requiring TPM 2.0 is a disaster waiting to happen. It means all your passwords and encryption keys will be stored at the hardware level - your motherboard goes belly up, so does your encrypted data/passwords.

Pretty sure Microsoft has a very dark reason to double down on enforcing this, knowing full well how it limits the adoption of Windows 11, and it's NOT security. If I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with their plan to turn Windows into a subscription model.

- Much improved handling of screen resolution changes + adding/removing secondary monitors (there was a possibility of the application crashing when this happened, and it seems like I already fixed that).

- Think I found a way to tap into the Weather.com weather feed again, but it's convoluted as it requires LAT + LON coordinates. Still have to delve into this one.

- Limit the number of concurrent backup files when using the Auto Backup IC.

- Misc.fixes, such as fixed the systray pop up panel for Sounds appearing in the wrong place when you have multiple audio devices.

So, basically it will be a maintenance release.

Were you not able to get Windows 11 to install in VirtualBox using the approach outlined in https://forums.winstep.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11871&start=15?


Fair enough. I did wonder, following some other threads that I had read, whether there may be improved support for multi-monitor setups - but presumably this can be considered for a future release.

As in what? There is already built-in support for multi-monitor profiles.

LOL! Well, you've got to laugh really. Just how stupid do they think users are? (Hmm.... on second thoughts, the majority probably are extremely so....) I mean, who in their right mind would entrust passwords and encryption keys to MS in any way, shape, or form!? Personally, under Windows I use Veracrypt for encrypting drives, as secure - and stable - as things can get. And p/w's and keys are stored on a USB stick (encrypted). Absolutely everything is encrypted here, even under Linux.

You're not wrong there, Jorge - anything MS and the other Big Tech companies do has very dark reasons behind it. Not sure though about the subscription model idea. Windblows has been bleeding revenue for years now and MS more than makes up for it elsewhere. I'm not even sure there will be a desktop/laptop Windows OS for all that much longer as the market keeps on shrinking.

That might be problematic for people using VPN (or VPN with the TOR network - which I do here most of the time), if the geo data are taken directly from the IP info.

Could that limit be optional, or configurable to any number desired?

Jorge, I think techlobo is here perhaps referring to some of the ideas/added features that have been floating about in the forum at various times during your absence. E.g., having the taskbar (/dock/shelf) span more than one monitor - perhaps one of the more outlandish ones. Can't remember the other ones right now.

Actually Nextstart currently does support the ability to span monitors, and docks / shelves / drawers can be placed (or assigned) on separate monitors - albeit the applications that they instigate always open on the primary monitor.

I'm not sure (or suggesting) that Winstep should be trying to replicate multi-window support - there are tools already out there that do this, provided that they can be persuaded to play nicely together!

However some examples that I have noticed while perusing the forum are:

1. Hotspot support on separate monitors
2. separate taskbar on each monitor (with application affinity)

There are probably others but those are the main ones I remember.

Not based on IP address, but on actual location data. I need to associate lat and long coordinates to each location (country + city ) in the internal database. All the old weather.com location codes are no longer supported.

It's the coordinates that are now used to retrieve the weather info and no longer the location codes.

So, the idea is to rebuilt the weather location database used by the Winstep application so it also includes lat and long coordinates for each location. Either that or get these coordinates "on the fly" from the OpenStreetMap website, but this has several drawbacks.

This coordinates can then be used to retrieve the actual weather info from Weather.com.



Yes.

Indeed. However, I was referring to a previous thread where someone wanted the taskbar or dock to continue from one monitor across to the next. Bit bizarre IMO, but there it is.

Yes, that definitely is a bit of a pain.

Both good suggestions I think.

Yes, but I was referring to the geolocation data supplied with the IP address. If I understand you correctly, you'd have to build a database within the mod that associates listed locations with the approximate long/lat coordinates? In that case, no problem. OTOH, if you mean to link to Windows' internal db of geolocation, again, that would be problematic for VPN users.

Either way, a lot of work! Might the various Linux based weather applets/desklets perhaps have a ready-made db that could be used? (They are free and open source, so you are allowed to use even parts thereof as long as you acknowledge the use and include a copy of their original (some form of GPL) license.

Great.

I remember what the monitor issue is as I've asked about it in the past. It has to do with bumps on extended displays. Currently, if you bump the top, side, bottom, or corner on the non-primary display, nothing happens.

Jorge, in January of this year (11 months ago), you stated that you would add this feature.

You didn't list that as an added feature. Here's the thread to refresh your memory. I assume the feature will be for all sides.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11553

Thanks, Windy!

Merry Xmas, everyone!!!

And a Merry Yuletide to you too Jorge, and to everyone else.

You're welcome, and Merry Christmas Jorge!

Merry Christmas everyone! Don't eat too much!

Nonsense! Eat, drink, fart and be merry! Lots of all!