The developer of a software suite dedicated to improving Windows functionality is going to close its doors. Cult software Classic Shell has been in existence for 8 years and helped Windows users to customize their experience. It offers enhancements to Windows design and functionality and is well-known to the dedicated users who swear by the program. Classic Shell was developed by Ivo Beltchev and distributed by his company known as Ivosoft.
Classic Shell to shut down
In a post on the software’s forum, Ivo stated three reasons for curtailing his development of the software. These were principally not having enough free time due to other commitments and the amount of time that he had to dedicate to the project. Secondly The twice-yearly update schedule of Windows by Microsoft that requires extensive work on the product and thirdly the new rigid Windows framework that is making the software harder to develop.
It was a great adventure for me that lasted 8 fun and exciting years. It started back in 2009 as a simple weekend project and over time grew to be a hugely popular software brand with many millions of downloads. It was in large part due to all of you, the active Classic Shell community, that reported issues, suggested features, provided translations, developed new skins and participated in forum discussions. My thanks go to you for your continued support and encouragement.
Though it is not all bad news for Classic Shell. Ivo, while no longer developing the software himself, has turned the project over to GitHub and made it open-source. This is excellent news for developers as it allows them to tweak and alter the software as they see fit and help the continuation of a much-loved suite.
Many have criticized the current model that Microsoft envisions for Windows. As time moves on, Windows has moved further and further away from what many developers feel was its best days.
Microsoft is starting to lose some of its market share due to the uptake in mobile devices and is trying to change Windows to suit more mobile applications. So far Microsoft has struggled to make any significant inroads into mobile and should consider going back to concentrating on its core product: Windows. The new mobile style has separated opinion, and many would welcome a return to the ideals that made Windows dominant in the first place.
