Meet a different breed of skinner, Pocket PC skinning!
Tek: Hello Juni, and thanks so much for doing this interview with me! =)
Juni: Hello, you are welcome =)
Tek: Well I'm one of your biggest fans. However, not everyone in the world owns a pocket pc (but should), so they may not be aware who you are… so lets start off with some basic information on you, like your name and background info etc. (I will drop the boxers or briefs question cuz plainsong might get mad at me) hehe =)
Juni: My name is Anders, I live in Finland (that is in Scandinavia, northern Europe). I'm an 18 year old male model…erm, lets start over: I'm a happily married man in his best years. I work for the biggest communications company in my country (they sell phone connections, cellphone connections, internet access from modem-dialup to hyper fast broadband connections and other geek related fun) in the computer department.
Tek: When did you first start making skins — and was it a Skin for a Desktop app or a Pocket PC skin?
Juni: I started out a few years back with skins for linux. Although it is a great OS, I didn't much like the way it looked so I started designing skins for KDE. Some of them got very popular — one was distributed as official skin with the SUSE linux distribution (I think my most popular skin got over 100,000 downloads). Then I moved on to skinning windowblinds — I wanted to do complete suites so I usually did a windowblinds skin, a NextStart skin and an EzPop skin.
Tek: I would love to see your very first pocket pc skin, do you have it on your HD and would you share it with us?
Juni: My very first skin can be found at wincustomize, it is called WinSnoop (which I recently did version II of). Well, I did modifications of existing skins before that but I never uploaded them since they weren't my own.
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Tek: Well for a very first skin that is pretty good!!! =)
Tek: Which one is your most favorite pocket pc skin that you've made and why? and can you share a screenshot of that with us?
Juni: The skin I keep returning to is Bloxx, there is just something that makes it very easy to use and pleasing to my eye.
Tek: yes I have that one on my unit too, it is very soft and easy on the eyes, especially when you're looking at such a small screen.
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Tek: I've seen your work really getting better and better Juni and more creative (I've been watching your work over at wincustomize) and I just have to share with the readers one more screenshot, cuz these types of designs on a pocket pc are so rare as most are usually flat and square… You seem to put alot of effort into your skins.
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Tek: So what kind of graphic programs do you use to make your skins with?
Juni: I use mostly Paint Shop Pro (because of its friendly user interface and awesome layering capabilities). Sometimes I design parts of a skin in 3D Studio MAX.
Tek: I've noticed most of the advanced ppc skinners (such as Neil) throw a little 3D mix in their skins. And what other programs do you currently skin?
Juni: I've been thinking about doing matching Windows Media Player for pocketpc skins.
Tek: Aright! I sure hope you do, cuz there are not enough PPC Media player skins around at all. Which program is the most enjoyable for you to skin?
Juni: Definitely dashboard skins. I like the smallness of it — you have to be creative to get something that looks good in that scale.
Tek: hehe I know — with the screen being so small you really have to be very clever and creative. So where are you getting all this inspiration and ideas for skinning from?
Juni: That is hard to answer — I can get inspired by almost anything. Sometimes I just doodle around, and before I notice it, I am working on a skin. I also get inspired by movies, books, and gadgets I see (and desire to own ;)). I think some of my skins are totally weird — I can work on the strangest ideas (you haven't seen the skins I _didn't_ upload ;)).
Tek: yeah right, now you think you can really get away with telling me that? /me goes to contact Mrs. Juni for some sneak peeks of “those” skins hehe
Tek: Which fellow skinners do you admire and why?
Juni: I admire The Skins Factory for their wonderful Windows Media skins. I also like nuvem's wallpapers. Another good one is treetog. There are a couple of promising dashboard skinners on the rise too.
Tek: Do you have a personal website? and/or what places can ppl download your work?
Juni: I've been planning to do a webpage, but for now my skins are always uploaded to wincustomize and also at DA
Tek: Well thanks again for taking the time for Teknidermy and don't lemme keep you any longer from getting to work on that Windows Media Player skin for the Pocket pc! *hint* *hint* =)
— Doreen, April 9th 2002
Let's slide this one in here. Screenshot of juni's Windows Media Player (for the Pocket PC) skin.
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Damn, that Bloxx skin is slick. I'd almost get a PocketPC for it. Still, Windows CE is a no-no for me.
craeonics {04.22.2002|10.46}
Besides juni's killer skins to entice ppl into buyin a ppc, you have to see this too, now you can use Flash on your today screen! okay so these themes are sucky but when a Flash master gets his hands this.... mmmm
[link]
this is the newest thing out so it's way too early on to expect to see any outragious Flash themes yet, but I can't wait to see what will be coming!!!
Doreen {04.22.2002|11.07}
whoops wanted to add this link too, incase juni himself has not seen these, for when he swings on by here...
[link]
Doreen {04.22.2002|11.10}
Latebreaking-news:
It's boxers ;)
Seriously though..
He keeps his skins private away from the network shared directory, so I can't sneek out any screenshots. But trust me when I say they're great. I don't know why he doesn't upload all of it. I think it's because some of them are too weird even for him. ;)
The Gadget skin is sore spot with me though. Because of school, I'm stuck with a Palm (Sony 770c). He was gonna make a Megalaunch skin for me... but it evolved into Gadget instead. Grrrr!
plainsong {04.22.2002|12.21}
interesting work. agree that the bloxx skin is slick!
blossom {04.22.2002|13.49}
plainsong, sooo your hubby is sporting boxers w/ little ppc's on em? hehe j/k =)
(juni is gonna kill us) hehe
well tell that guy to upload them weird skins too cuz nothing is too weird for me anyways! (and I bet their cool)
btw why are you using a palm? when the new compaq's have finally resolved the battery issue you had?
*Doreen gots the 3835 model now and loving it! the color display can't be touched by the older models and the battery life is outstanding! (I use mine when I work out) and 45 mins to 1 hr later and I "still" have 90% juice left after playing my tunes on the media player and vids too! =)
Doreen {04.22.2002|17.12}
I got the Clie because I was finding for the apps I needed for school, that I was always reverting back to my Palm IIIc. The new Ipaqs weren't out yet, and the Jornada 568 that Juni got was littered with dust (He since sent it back in, and it came back with more dust!). I know that the Clie isn't immune to the dust issue, but I haven't had a spec of it on mine. I figured if I had to downgrade to the Palm, that the Clie 770 with its size and features was definately the lesser of the evils.
I'll probably hop back over to PPC when the next generation comes out. :)
I don't know why he doesn't upload the other skins he has. It's a mystery even to me. He shows me the latest creation on his Jornada, and I say.. hey, you should post that. Then he says "nah, no one will like this one." Really though, has that ever stopped him before? :)
If Microsoft sold PPC boxers, he'd probably wear 'em. :)
Plainsong {04.23.2002|09.24}
Really though.. you forgot the most important question: The screenshots.
The skin takes him something like a day of doodling in PSP, then he spends the next year making the perfect screenshot. :)
Plainsong {04.23.2002|09.29}
next generation? Bluetooth... and it's out already (but that too is way too early on so it wont be any good in a few months maybe bluetooth in one year on the units will be so so...
as for juni's ss's welllll who cares if the skin even works it's all about the ss anyways right? hehe =)
shoot! I did notice he makes the bestest ss's but I forgot to ask him about that...
Doreen {04.23.2002|15.23}
Speaking of ss's:
Juni's first WMP for PPC skin is out and is currently at DA. He also posted it to Wincusto, but as of yet it's not been accepted.
:)
Plainsong {04.25.2002|13.24}
Ohhh myyy Godddd! that skin is the coolest!
(I only had a flat black/red and flat black/blue skin before cuz nobody makes these skins...
I see he skinned all elements as usual =) & he even skinned the "action states" for all the buttons yahoooo!
& the pause is the coolest cuz you can tap "anywhere" (which will make it easy when working out) oh boy!
Tell Juni this skin has got to be the number one wmp skin for ppc! awesome!!!
Thanks Plainsong for telling me! and give Juni a kiss for me (jussss one little one on the cheek) hehe ;)
*Doreen is in Heaven between crae's sexy flyin bug skin for my dt and now juni's skin on my pocket pc! yowza! =)
Doreen {04.25.2002|18.31}
*craeonics slides in two additional screenshots
craeonics {04.26.2002|04.49}
Grrr...
*craeonics takes one down again, 'cos a certain author of a certain interview was giving the wrong information
craeonics {04.26.2002|07.36}
Thank you evil_bunny hehe
(sorryyyy sheesh!)
Doreen {04.26.2002|17.42}
There was also an Aqua WMP idea, but it got scrapped because.. well, it was an Aqua idea.
I think my next computer is gonna be one of the new Imacs. Of course, I only say this because there are two Dells as backup PC's. Hehheh ;)
Plainsong {04.29.2002|06.40}
I've seem them, they do look nice, but to me I thought about all my software and compatibility issues and stuff...
Doreen {04.29.2002|09.41}
the doreen bunny is sexy!!!
blossom {07.06.2002|13.40}
yup and I only had to pay crae 50 bucks to draw me like that! =)
Doreen {07.06.2002|19.50}
I JUST PURCHASED A POCKET PC. THE GRAPHICS ARE GREAT. BUT THIS SITE SEEMS WAY ADVANCED FOR MY FASICINATION OF HAVING A SMALL COMPUTER IN MY HAND. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE BEST FUNCTIONS OF HAVING AND USING A POCKET PC VS A LAPTOP.
JUNI BRITO {11.17.2003|18.29}