I'm thinking of pushing the v2.3 release back another couple of weeks in order to add a new feature. The new feature is called "window caption buttons". It will let you have custom button on every window that map to HotKeys for window management. I'm looking for feedback on a few things:

1. Does this feature warrant a release date push, and as a result, more testing?
2. Free version would be limited to 1 button, where Pro can have as many as you want - is this fair?

This is something I have been tinkering with on the side in an experimental version of DisplayFusion, and I think it's ready for prime time. This feature is something I have wanted for quite some time, and I think now is the right time to introduce it.

Also, with the significant interface re-design and the huge addition of features I'm also thinking about bumping this release to v3.0 instead of v2.3. There really isn't any set rules for bumping the major version number, I usually only do it when the application changes significantly enough. If you are a current Pro user you don't have to worry - your license is a lifetime license, and is valid for any major versions.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

@Carsten: It would operate something like that, except the caption buttons would make it more UltraMon-ish... and this is a feature that has been often requested. As I am waiting for some language translations I am basically sitting on my hands, and have already started working on the next version of DisplayFusion. However, this caption bar feature is getting quite stable and I'm thinking of rolling it into this version, pushing the release date a couple more weeks and calling this whole thing v3.0. As far as my "roadmap" goes this makes the most sense, I just hate the idea of having over 20 betas. But, I guess that's what you get when you "release early, release often".

The DisplayFusion implementation of the windows caption buttons will be much more configurable than UltraMon, but it's been a long time since I've used UltraMon so it may have improved. When you edit a HotKey you can assign it a window caption button image (from 18 pre-defined buttons) and then it will show up in the caption bar. This way you can create a custom HotKey, like one that sizes a window to 800x600 for example, and bind that HotKey to a window caption button for easy access.

That is an interesting difference in the languages, but "my hands are bound" is also a common expression in English as well. I'm not exactly sitting here twiddling my thumbs either, I work for hours every night on the next DisplayFusion Beta. It's just that I seem to have more time lately, and as a result the caption button feature has gained quite a bit of stability.

The language file suggestion is very good, and is something that was actually in an alpha (non-public) version of DisplayFusion v2.2. The reason I ended up taking it out was (at the time) the lack of free time for testing/localizing/stabilizing a new feature like that. Perhaps this is something I can look at adding back in for DisplayFusion v2.4 (or v3.1, whichever is next).

Oh, on a side note, I hate the name "Window Caption Buttons". If anyone has a better name for this feature I am definitely open to suggestions. Here are my uncreative ideas so far:

- Window Caption Buttons
- Window Title Bar Buttons

A picture is worth 1,000 words. In this image, you can see an extra button in the caption bar. This button maps to a HotKey, so clicking it will perform the same action as the HotKey.

That's correct. This new feature is, of course, completely optionally and can be disabled as well. I know there are people who prefer to use only keyboard shortcuts, but there is another group of people who want visible buttons and don't want to memorize keyboard shortcuts. I'd like to cater to both sides, with the option to enable/disable any features you don't want.

Very good point. One thing I have always tried to avoid is interface bloat. That is one reason why I can't implement everything that everyone suggests. This new feature will only add 1 checkbox to the settings window, and a listbox for adding "excluded" applications (ones that won't use this feature). This shouldn't add too much, as I already left space on the "Window Management" tab for this feature. That's why the tab is currently 90% empty - I was planning to implement this in a later version.

Thanks guys - I really appreciate your feedback. I have come to my senses and will push this new feature to the next release of DisplayFusion. I have also decided that this release is so substantially different from the previous versions (both in layout and features) that the version we are currently testing will be released as v3.0. Thanks again!

I was never going to offer any less support for the taskbar feature, it just meant a delayed release date. However, now I am fully focused on releasing the final version ASAP. I'm just trying to clear up a few last bugs.

Full Windows 7 is what I will be working towards with v3.1. As for a 64bit version, it is already there. Because it is a .NET application it can target whatever CPU architecture it is running on. If you look in the installation folder you will also see a compiled 64bit DLL that contains specific 64bit system calls.

Have fun John - software development is definitely a great hobby (I might be biased though), if you've got the patience.