Windows 7: Desktop Gadgets - am I alone in finding these useless

Hi all
They appeared first in VISTA - and have carried on into Windows 7 (thankfully not enabled by default).

Am I the only one who HATES that type of clutter on the desktop -- for me just a nice wallpaper with a minimal amount of clutter on the desktop is my preferred way of working.

I can't see any reason to know what the traffic is like in Shanghai or today's favorite menu in the "South Sea Islands" prominently displayed on a desktop while I am working - but if people like it - who am I to deny it to them.

I would much rather MS made a USEFUL facility like having a number of Virtual desktops all 100% independently configuarable like they did in XP. (The Windows 7 compatable version in the SYSINTERNALS suite isn't nearly as good as the old XP one and doesn't independently configure all the desktops).

Most Linux distros (especially using KDE or GNOME GUI's) have had this facility for YEARS.

Cheers
jimbo

Jimbo I like the fact that if they have Gadgets, they have finally made them STABLE.

I actually read the Windows 7 developers blog about how they reconstructed the way they were "drawn" or something, but that is as deep into programming as I go - however I did read it all the way through because of how impressed I was with their committment to stabilizing the Vista sidebar mess.

Yes, I did succumb to putting up the Weather in places where I live, a Calendar and the Stiky Notes which I really like since it expands as I type to remind me of how much I have to do. My list is about 2" by 6" right now.

What impresses me most is how perfectly stable they are in Windows 7, over a year now and not a hiccup, while the ones on our Vista computer are still flip-flopping all over the place.

I have never had any use for them. The only one I have ever used is the Google Calendar gadget but I trashed that one in favor of Active Desktop Calendar that displays on monitor 2. I like a clean and uncluttered desktop and I treasure every last drop of the 4 GBRAM I have.

I feel the same way, I have about 25 shortcuts and it isn't bad

@gregrocker - lol I too have enjoyed the use of the weather, calendar and sticky notes. Those are all I use on my Vista machine.

@Jimbo- I do like a clean desktop yet with a large monitor it is nice to use some of the space. The adjustments in the Windows 7 version of gadgets is great. Sticky notes is now its own process, which I'm not sure if it needs to be but I like that you can resize the windows instead of having to make multiple notes. That can begin to look a bit messy on the desktop.

I personally like some of the gadgets. Neato add-on to the operating system and definitely brings some usefulness to the desktop.

I'm one that use the Gadgets but on Windows 7 I only have the clock and local weather, on my Vista install I also had the sticky notes

Not at all.

Gadgets are extremely useful, to keep a constant eye on the exchange rates which
interest you, the weather in locations of relevance to your work or leisure, or even
for monitoring the GDP and budgetary deficits of Iceland (should it amuse you...
or if you've had poor investments there...)

Why 'knock' something that simply isn't turned on by default? At least there's no
intrusive sidebar running in Windows 7 as was the case in Vista. You can run entirely
without gadgets if you so prefer, so at least you have a choice (unlike any
number of different features of the new OS...)

I don't use them either... Here's why.
Clock : There's already one in the Notofication Area. There are also 2 others in real life beside me.
CPU/RAM Info : CTRL+ALT+DELETE -> Task Manager -> Performance Tab dot. I only go there to see when I need to. No need to have it 100% of the time.
Sticky Notes : I prefer my good old Notepad and save to text files
Weather : Already have a shortcut on my Personnal Bar in Firefox to my city's weather page.
RSS : I don't use RSS. Useless IMO.

i agree with OP i find them useless and i also like a very clean desktop, spread over bith my screens are......the recycle bin and....nothing else......just the way i like it