It’s been a while, but we’re finally returning to the days of blasphemous Windows customization. Stardock just revived ObjectDock, a popular tool that replaces the Windows taskbar with a macOS-like dock. You can now use ObjectDock in Windows 11 or 64-bit Windows 10 installations. So, go crazy.
ObjectDock initially launched in 2003 and has supported nearly every version of the Windows operating system. It’s one of several products in Stardock’s stable, but it was practically abandoned after a 2.20 update in 2015. The newest iteration of ObjectDock, version 3.0, has been seriously overhauled for Windows 11 compatibility, though it retains most of the design elements and features that users treasured in the past.
At its core, ObjectDock simply replaces your taskbar with a macOS-like dock. But nobody’s stopping you from going to the extreme. ObjectDock is highly customizable—you can move it to the side of your screen, use it alongside your taskbar, create custom dock tabs with collections of similar apps, set up a unique dock on your second monitor, and more.
You can also create custom skins for ObjectDock, or simply choose from the collection of preset skins. Some users may be tempted to install community-made skins, but I’d wait a few weeks, as old skins from the 2.20 release may need to be updated for Windows 11.
As for new functionality—well, there isn’t any. Stardock made ObjectDock compatible with modern machines, touched up the app’s animations, did some under-the-hood tweaking, and called it a day. In fact, Stardock had to prune some unspecified features from this release due to depreciated functionality in Windows 11.
The only notable change, aside from Windows 11 support, is that ObjectDock is now included with the Object Desktop suite. Those with an annual subscription to Object Desktop can install ObjectDock at no additional charge.
On its own, ObjectDock costs $9.99 for new users or $3.99 for those upgrading from a previous release. The ObjectDock license is perpetual, meaning that it’s a one-time charge. If you want a full suite of Windows customization tools, you can opt for Object Desktop, which costs $49 annually (with $10 off your first year). Stardock isn’t offering a free version of ObjectDock 3.0, though you can install a free trial.
Source: Stardock
