Stardock makes plenty of cool customization apps for Windows 11, and most recently, the company brought back ObjectDock, an older app that hadn’t been updated in over a decade. This new version isn’t a complete reimagining of the app, but if you want to make your Windows 11 PC stand out, it’s still awesome.
My favorite part of ObjectDock is the simple customization option of replacing the taskbar with a dock that resembles what you’d find on a Mac. It just looks so much nicer and more lively, and it makes my computer feel fresh. It’s easily the best thing about the package, though there are a few other features.
About this review: Stardock provided us with a review code for the Object Desktop suite, including ObjectDock. The company had no input in the content of this review.
ObjectDock
Cool customization
Make Windows 11 look like macOS
ObjectDock offers some cool customization options for Windows, allowing you to create multiple launchpads for your apps and files. It can also replace the standard Windows taskbar with one that looks like the macOS dock while also making it more lively.
- You can make Windows 11 look more like macOS
- Multiple docks make it easier to launch apps quickly
- Plenty of customziation options
- Multiple app windows aren’t handled in the best way
- Design still feels a bit dated
Pricing and availability
The new version of ObjectDock launched on March 20, 2024, and you can buy it directly from Stardock’s website. The app costs $9.99 for a lifetime license, and that license lets you install the app on up to five PCs, so it’s fairly affordable.
For the first time, ObjectDock is also part of the Object Desktop suite, so if you’re subscribed, you can get it for no additional cost. Object Desktop also includes apps like Start11 and Fences 5.
3:17
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What I like
Replacing the Windows taskbar
My favorite part of ObjectDock is easily the fact that I can replace the Windows taskbar with what;s called a QuickLaunch dock. ObjectDock can also create create tabbed docks, but the QuickLauch dock is really the best part for me.
Basically, the QuickLaunch dock imitates the style of macOS dock, meaning it’s mostly transparent and has big icons, without the big flat bar running across the bottom of the screen. You can have the QUickLaunch and taskbar displayed simultaneously, but it’s best when you set the taskbar to autohide. Better yet, you can also hide the QuickLaunnch dock so it’s only visible when you approach it with your mouse. It makes the screen feel more spacious, plus the whole experience feels very animated.
That’s also helped by the customization options you get. ObjectDock gives you multiple options for the animations that play when you move the mouse along the QuickLaunch dock, it lets you choose from different styles, and you can also change colors. I found my preference to be the acrylic style, as it feels the most modern, and I set the color to my usual lime green, plus I reduced the zoom factor so the icons weren’t so big. I really love the final result, and this app will likely become a mainstay on my PC going forward.
All the docks you need
While I mentioned my favorite part above, the appeal of ObjectDock goes well beyond just replacing the taskbar. In addition to the QuickLaunch dock, ObjectDock also lets you create tabbed docks, which are less animated and stylized, but can hold multiple shortcuts across different tabs. If you have a lot of apps on your PC or files you access frequently, you can create multiple docks with multiple tabs and shortcuts each to make it easier to get what you need.
My usage of my computer is fairly simple, so I really only had one extra dock for the sake of testing it, but if you would like to launch your apps faster, this is a great way to do it. Docks are displayed over your apps (with auto-hide options available), so you can easily launch apps more quickly than having to go to the desktop or even the Start menu.
The process of adding shortcuts is very manual. The app won’t detect installed apps on your PC and you can’t add folders aside from a few default options, but it’s still a way to get faster access to your apps.
What I don’t like
There are some issues
One of the bigger problems you may have with ObjectDock is that the QuickLaunch dock doesn’t work quite as well when it comes to showing you multiple instances of the same app. You’ll always see a single icon for each app, so if you have multiple windows of that app, the only way to switch between them is to repeatedly click the icon as it switches between each window. There’s no way to tell how many windows are open for a specific app, either.
I’ve also noticed a strange bug where the Settings app will randomly appear on my QuickLaunch dock despite not being open. It’s not a big deal, but certainly strange.
I can’t see notification indicators
All of my complaints with ObjectDock could be considered nitpicks, but they’re worth mentioning all the same. Broadly speaking, the main complaint is that while the app works on Windows 10 and 11, it feels like it isn’t made for these operating systems. It sort of feels like it’s a little stuck in the past.
One big way this happens is that hiding the taskbar means I have no visible way to see if I have receive notifications on my PC. Of course, I can always use a keyboard shortcut to see it, but it would be nice to have a visual indication of when I have notifications on the Quick Launch dock, for example. After all, ObjectDock does include clock and calendar icons you can use for those purposes, so I think a similar button that shows whether I have notifications or not would be really useful. On the topic of the clock icons, it would also be nice to have a digital clock option, I’m not a big fan of analog clocks.
The design doesn’t feel modern
While I was able to get ObjectDock to look pretty nice by my standards, the overall design is another area that makes this app feel like it was just ported to Windows 11, rather than updated for it. All the icons used still feel like they come from the Windows 7 era, including the Start menu icon, which feels really out of place these days.
The same goes for all the customization styles available, which are all very old feeling. Even the option I went with for my QuickLaunch dock feels like it came from Windows 7, even if it still looks nice. I get that designing a ton of new styles probably wouldn’t be feasible, but it would have been nice to see at least some default styles that fit in better on Windows 11. For example, the tabbed docks could have a look more similar to the tabs used in Start11, which is also made by Stardock. A similar design language for the QuickLaunch dock would be nice, too.
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ObjectDock is backed by a community on mods as well, but going to the website, all the customizations available right now feel just as dated, because the platform hasn’t really been updated for the new ObjectDock.
Overall, this just feels like a very soft re-launch of the app, and maybe Stardock is still gauging interest to see if it’s worth doing more work to modernize ObjectDock. I hope that’s the case, as I’d love to see the app feel more like a part of Windows 11.
Should you buy ObjectDock?
I really like what ObjectDock offers in terms of customization for Windows 11. Just replacing the taskbar with a macOS-style dock is surprisingly cool, and the animations the app includes help make the whole experience feel more lively and fun.
That, paired with the ability to quickly launch tons of apps and files with additional docks and tabs make this a very cool app, not just for customization, but with some productivity perks as well. I wouldn’t say productivity is its biggest appeal. For me, it’s all about that customization, so I hope the app will be modernized to have a more WIndows 11-like style. Even as it is, though, it’s really cool. But is it worth paying $10? You have to be really interested in that specific customization option.
You should buy ObjectDock if:
- You want to make your Windows PC look more like a Mac
- You want faster access to your apps and files
You shouldn’t buy ObjetDock if:
- You’re looking for an app that has a modern design language
- All you want is more productivity
ObjectDock
The customization options in ObjectDock make it an easy recommendation if you want to change up the look of your Windows 11 PC, though the app could use a more modern design.
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source: https://www.xda-developers.com/objectdock-review/
