Try the Impulse Preview

Published on March 26, 2008 By Draginol In Personal Computing

Want to try out the latest beta preview of Impulse?

You can get it here:

http://storage.stardock.com/files/Impulse_setup.exe

FAQ:

What is Impulse? Impulse is Stardock's successor to Stardock Central. It is designed to merge all of Stardock's various digital networks into a single platform (TotalGaming.net, WinCustomize.com, and Object Desktop.net). With it, users can buy, download and update a wide variety of software.
Will Impulse replace Stardock Central? Eventually. But we expect to keep both going for a long time so that fans of Stardock Central don't feel pushed to get Impulse.
What will be on Impulse? Eventually, everything. Right now, it's mostly Stardock titles and a handful of indie games. With Impulse, we are opening it up to all publishers of all venues - games, utilities, applications. On the games side, we expect parity with Steam and Direct2Drive by the end of 2008. On the non-game side, we hope to have most major utilities and a number of major applications available on it.
Does Impulse have DRM? Impulse does not use DRM as it's traditionally thought of. It uses a technology called SSD (Secure Software Delivery) which ensures that the content is transferred to the user in secure form. Users are able to install their games onto multiple machines using their accounts within reason (the system does evaluate geographic locations of multiple installs and a number of other metrics to flag possible "warez" accounts). Stardock is also working on a new technology tentatively called Secure Virtual Machines (SVM). More information on SVMs will be released later. Overall, Impulse is largely invisible to users. They do not need an Internet connection to play games, they can re-download the full retail game from it even if they purchased it elsewhere, and there is no "phoning home" during the launch of games.

This preview is designed to test out usability as well as find bugs prior to release that may have slipped past us. We have an extensive feature set prepared for Impulse that will be delivered over the coming months. We are still getting the final kinks out, however and the Impulse Store and Website are being overhauled from what is in the beta.

Comments (Page 1)

Gregory2001

on Mar 27, 2008

Should I uninstall SDC?

ZubaZ

on Mar 27, 2008

Should I uninstall SDC?

No need to. I'd keep it in case something goes wrong with Impulse . . but Impulse is the way to go!

jonathonwood

on Mar 27, 2008

Loving the Impulse so far.

The Updates tab is great, as is the fact that the tab itself turns red when you have an update ready.

Are people tending to use it in windowed or full-screen mode? The app "feels" like its designed to work best in windowed mode, IMO - the positioning of icons and text, etc.

Philly0381

on Mar 27, 2008

Are people tending to use it in windowed or full-screen mode? The app "feels" like its designed to work best in windowed mode, IMO - the positioning of icons and text, etc.

Good question, I suppose it would depend at what resolution you run at. I'm running at 1680x1050 so I don't have to run full screen to see everthing.

Until I read your reply though I was running in full screen.

ZubaZ

on Mar 27, 2008

I run almost everything windowed. How else could I see my Dreams?

Hollow Man

on Mar 27, 2008

According to a post Brad made in the Sneak Previews thread, the different version numbers you'll see in Impulse over SDC are due to the fact that it behaves differently on the back end. So exactly what the updated versions specifically are is still unclear, but at least Stardock acknowledges that this is normal behavior.

-HM

Zargon

on Mar 27, 2008

Should I uninstall SDC?

If you start using Impulse as your download manager, there is no need to keep SDC unless you want to use SDC archive files. We will support SDC archives in a later version of Impulse, however at this time you may want to keep SDC around.

Zargon

on Mar 27, 2008

Correct. The reason is because each application is published independently. If the version is a bit different it is probably an incremental update like a readme.txt change or some other small update.

Jeff T

on Mar 27, 2008

I'm showing an update of
DesktopX 3.49[rc].017
to
DesktopX Professional 3.49h[a].020

I didn't upgrade to the "Professional" version.
I have the "standard" version that comes with ODNT.

Mistake? Error in my account? Everybody upgraded to the Pro version?

Margo

on Mar 27, 2008

I installed Impulse and it does seem better than SDC. It also seems to use less disk space than SDC. I will wait until some of the kinks get worked out before I uninstall SDC, but it does seem the best way to go.

unhappycamper88

on Mar 27, 2008

With Impulse, we are opening it up to all publishers of all venues - games, utilities, applications.

So this is purchased adware? Anyone using this application will be served ads by any company you allow on Impulse? I don't think I'm understanding this right.

The application itself is beautiful but it is already adware. Opening it up everyone is quite a statement. Is there going to be a way to disable advertising in this program or is everyone going to have to live with whatever is published within Impulse just to download, and update their purchased Stardock software?

Philly0381

on Mar 27, 2008

I'm sure there is a fine line here unhappycamper88, but I'm taking it what Draginol is talking about would be more like seeing MyColors skins for sale versus straight out ads.

I too wouldn't want to see sidebar ads, but a seperate tab works for me. That way if I don't want to see them I don't hit the tab.

Zargon

on Mar 27, 2008

With Impulse, we are opening it up to all publishers of all venues - games, utilities, applications.So this is purchased adware? Anyone using this application will be served ads by any company you allow on Impulse? I don't think I'm understanding this right.The application itself is beautiful but it is already adware. Opening it up everyone is quite a statement. Is there going to be a way to disable advertising in this program or is everyone going to have to live with whatever is published within Impulse just to download, and update their purchased Stardock software?

Philly is spot on. The ads would ONLY appear on the store. There will be no pop-ups and no "in content" ads.

Philly0381

on Mar 27, 2008

Philly is spot on.

All right, that's my one for the year, I now get to goof off and make silly meaningless statements.

ZubaZ

on Mar 27, 2008

I have mixed feelings about opening Impulse to other publishers.
I expect a lot form Stardock; from their people, products and services. And they have (almost) never let me down.
The weakest link (for me) is TGN. Maybe the games they sell just aren't for me but they all seemed lower tier than what they created themselves of "collaborated" with (Sins of a Solar Empire).

I want Stardock to only sell the best of the best. Apps that they would use day to day. I am not sure that the Impulse's success and high quality product will always go hand-in-hand.

Now . . I've been honest with my concerns. . . . but to continue being honest . . come of my closest friends work there and I'm honored to be a part of what they do. I expect that my concerns will amount to nothing. We'll have to see.

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