I have been using for quite some time a dock replacement software. Although I am somewhat happy with it, I decided to try the winstep dock and I liked it very much. I plan on buying it, since I like having the windows bar completely hidden and instead having two bars(this is why the free one, won't cut it for me), one for the system tray and one for the quick launch/applications running list.

i.e. combining the following two docks, one docked on the right bottom(system tray repl.), and the other docked on the bottom center(winbar repl.)




What I would like to know, before buying the software, is why when I click the icons from the running applications list, the respective window won't get the focus(It would be even better, if the dock knew that an application whose link is on it, is already running, and onclick instead of running it again, gave it focus. It already can discern whether an application is running, because it can mark it with an icon, as seen in the uploaded image). Unfortunately this is a deal breaker for me, if it's not just a bug. Thanks for your time in advance.

Kind regards, Prodromos

Sounds like the default Tasklist actions got changed for some reason?

Open Nexus Preferences, Tasks tab, Advanced button, check the Tasklist Actions section: Left Click should be 'Bring to front/Minimize', Right Click 'Open Task Menu' and MIddle Click 'Close'.

That's exactly what I needed, but it would be nice if the links that I've put on the dock could behave in the same way(I don't want i.e. firefox to open in the runnning application list, since I have it on the dock already as a link. I want to use this link to control the firefox window, in the same way that windows 7 bar behaves when it comes to pinned applications). Right now, if I click on an already open application, it either opens it a second time(if applicable), or does nothing.

Kind regards, Prodromos

That feature (Win7 taskbar behavior) has been in the to-do list for some time...

It's just not as simple to implement right as it looks at first sight, e.g.: as you've seen, mouse click actions for tasks are user-customizable, but, for normal shortcuts in the dock, left click means run (and, to make matters worse, the user can choose to launch shortcuts either by a double-click or by a single-click) and right click means 'open context menu'.

Now, how do we merge this with the mouse click action customization of task icons? If the user has changed the default right click action for a task icon, which action takes precedence when you right click on a shortcut in the dock to an already running application? The customized task right click action, or the normal shortcut action of opening a context menu? And, if the latter, won't the different behavior between task icons and normal shortcuts be confusing to the user?

More, if this functionality is implemented, then the dock MUST have a way of marking a normal shortcut as 'running' (which it already does, the optional 'Show running indicators...'). However, this latter feature would then no longer be optional but would have to be enforced if the dock is behaving like the Windows 7 taskbar.

And something else: Nexus has the ability to group running tasks or not. For this to work as intended, task grouping would need to be enforced as well.

The Windows 7 taskbar, unlike Nexus, can get away with this functionality because it has a very rigid behavior which is not customizable by the user.

Hmmm... how about...
Suppose you implemented a work-around. Click the icon, you launch a new instance. Click the "running indicator", you get the active window.
What do you think?

I think it would be pretty hard to hit the running indicator with the mouse pointer on magnifying docks, especially given that the indicator can be any shape and size the user chooses. Not to mention that this is not exactly intuitive.

Yeah, I know... it was just a fleeting thought.
Actually, if I may add a bit of personal wisdom, I quite like the distinction between "running apps" and "shortcuts". I am so sick and tired of trying to open a new instance of a program, and having to either right-click and look for the appropriate entry in the list, between recently open documents and other useless options, or going to the start menu anyway.
If I were to choose, I'd choose different shortcuts and running apps tabs or shelves every time. Besides, if you implement that left-right scrollwheel action, changing shelf tabs will be a breeze! For the time being, I've assigned shortcuts to both tabs I'm using, and assigned them to the secondary scroll-toggle-wheel of my Logitech MX Revolution mouse (greatest mouse ever built IMHO). If you'd add some "cycle through tabs" functionality on top of that, I'd be a very happy man!

If you press SHIFT when left clicking a pinned shorcut in the Windows 7 taskbar, the shortcut launches a new instance of the application.

Really? Didn't know that. Good tip!
I just hate that so-called superbar with a vengeance. You want "superbar"? Try Nexus!
The rest is just superficial bull...

Imho you could put an option in the dock preferences which says Behaviour: windows 7/MacOSX Dock Bar || Quick Launch bar. The latter would behave exactly how the dock does now, but the first one should do what I propose. The way that the windows 7 bar behaves, feels natural to me now, after a whole year of working with it, and I wouldn't change it for the world(On hover, if application is running then give me a hover thumbnail. On click unless the application is not running, it should get the focus/minimize. And through the right click menu, it should give me the quick list and a way to run a second instance, when applicable. Lastly if an application is not pinned, then it should, if I have the "Show running applications in this dock" option checked, create a temporary icon which behaves the way the pinned icons do. And if I have a pinned explorer/my computer icon it should give me the option through its properties, of combining the thumbnails of explorer windows under it).
If I just wanted a Quick Launch Bar, I would not be looking for a dock bar replacement. It's the combination(MacOS/Win7 Dockbar - QuickLaunch style), that makes me want to use it. I am a registered user of another software that does exactly that, but it hasn't had an update in a very long time, and it is somewhat buggy, this is why I took a shot at Winstep in the first place.
Btw skagon I actually like the right click menu of the Windows 7 Bar, with the list of freq. opened files at hand etc(I tend to run the same multimedia files frequently in WinaAMP/ZPlayer quite often). It would be much appreciated as a feature, if you could make it behave, the way the Win7/MacOSX Dockbar baheves, if I choose to(meaning pretty much that I would be buying the software). Then somebody could have 3 kind of docks, one for system tray purposes, one for quick launch purposes, and one as a complete replacement for the windows native bar(I opt for the main/system tray combo).

Kind Regards, Prodromos

Uff, try to split that into paragraphs next time, that wall of text is very hard to read as it is.

Anyway, I was thinking of something along those lines (Classic/Win7 Behavior), but it's still not without it's problems. Anyway, I'll think about this some more and I'll try to come up with something intuitive.