We show you how to get working with widgets
In the old days, if you wanted to run even the simplest of applications, a clock or calculator, say you would have to hunt through your Start menu to run the program and then wait while it launches. Wouldn’t it be easier if the application was on screen whenever you needed it? Well, that’s precisely where widgets come in.
Computer ‘widgets’ are a type of mini-program or web tool that run on your computer’s desktop and can be used or referred to without having to go through the hassle of launching a full-blown application.
It’s possible to add widgets to Windows XP easily and free of charge. Windows Vista, meanwhile, comes with its own built-in widgets, except Microsoft doesn’t call them widgets. In Vista they’re known as ‘Gadgets’ and they’re usually found in the Windows Sidebar.
Side orders The Sidebar is a strip that runs down one side of your desktop (usually on the right) and acts as a dock for a selection of widget-like mini applications.
If you don’t see the Sidebar on screen, go to Start, then All Programs, then Accessories and click on Windows Sidebar. Right-click (click the right-hand button on your computer's mouse) on the Sidebar and select Properties. Here you can put a tick next to ‘Start Sidebar when Windows starts’ to make sure your Gadget dock is always visible. It’s also possible to switch the Sidebar to the left of the screen or make it appear over the top of other windows.
A handful of Gadgets are included with Vista and you should find three of these – a news ticker, an old-fashioned clock and a picture slideshow viewer – in the default Sidebar selection. It’s possible to remove any or all of these (hover your mouse over the Gadget, then click the small ‘X’ that appears) and replace them with others of your choice.
Gadget freak To add more Vista Gadgets, look at the top of the Sidebar you should see a plus sign (+) next to a pair of left and right arrows. Click on the plus sign and this will open Vista’s Gadget browser.
