Desktop Gadgets - am I alone in finding these useless

[jimbo45]

Hi all
They appeared first in VISTA - and have carried on into W7 (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 W7 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

 

[gregrocker]

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

I actually read the Win7 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 Win7, over a year now and not a hiccup, while the ones on our Vista computer are still flip-flopping all over the place.

 

[roban]

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.

 

[Billy]

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

 

[GeekinItUp]

I <3 Desktop Gadgets

@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.

 

[Joan Archer]

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

 

[reghakr]

Not at all.

 

[Qdos]

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 W7 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...)

 

[Lebon14]

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.

 

[brayway]

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

 

[jimbo45]

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 W7 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...)

Hi QDOS -- I did appreciate the fact that these aren't turned on by default as they were in VISTA.

I was actually curious to see if there was any consensus to see if these were actually liked or even often used.

Seems to be about 60 : 40 in the "I DON'T" use category.

As to the economy - I'd probably have just one gadget showing something like a Huge swimming pool with a Flow meter showing how many GBP per minute is being thrown at the UK banks at any given instant.

If you LIKE them then by all means use them.


Cheers
jimbo

 

[Qdos]

I was actually curious to see if there was any consensus to see if these were actually liked or even often used.

Seems to be about 60 : 40 in the "I DON'T" use category.

Well I'd say that asking a loaded, question like "Desktop Gadgets - am I alone in finding these useless..." is bound to attract more people who agree with that statement, than those who don't...

However you'd be unwise to take a tiny handful of replies to use as an opinion poll...

 

[gregrocker]

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

Joan - Stickies are on start menu now but if you drag and dock them to taskbar they are much handier. I just end up keeping one open all the time. Remarkably stable, always right where I left it unless video driver changes.

 

[Jacee]

I don't use them on either Vista or Win 7. I don't need to see what the weather is doing... I look out side, and I have a clock in my taskbar

 

[Qdos]

Well, I'd do the same... look out the window, but when I'm flying to one of the depots where I'm likely to be sent from time to time, and they can be several thousand miles away, and anything up to thirty-five degrees celcius lower in temperature than my own locale... well, looking out the window ain't much help!

A quick glance at my desktop is good, and saves me looking up weather sites.

Same applies for the exchange rate for these locations... it saves me a lot of time if that information can be shown under my nose rather than having to be researched...

 

[chev65]

I can't live without them anymore, finding the good ones is the hard part so I back up those little gadget files.

I agree that that vast majority of them are completely useless if not rediculous.

There are a few that are very useful in my opinion.

The good ones show the number of processor cores and percentage of use per core plus free and used memory functions. This helps to determine if any strange programs are using up CPU cycles at a glace, it also serves as a direct link to the task manager.

The network gadget shows network activity both up and down in great detail, plus the drive gadget shows how much free space and which DVD is in the drive. Keeping an eye on network activity is also a security measure for me as any strange network behavior will be spotted immediately.

When you are overclocking that type of info also seems more important for some reason. :sarc:

I like being able to see computer system information at a glance and the resources these gadgets draw are next to nothing. I honestly can't think of any reason not to use them.

 

[gregrocker]

In case you hadn't noticed, you can open that weather gadget to view 3 day forecast at all times. Couldn't do without it here.

Thanks for the heads up on the network gadget but I get no hits searching Gadgets for "network" so far

 

[whs]

The two I find really useful is the CPU Meter. That shows me if my system is spinning it's wheels. Also the AppLauncher which I use to launch most of my applications and folders. But they have to be "always on top". I reinstalled the Vista sidebar in Win7 just for that purpose and because that is the only way to make AppLauncher work.

 

[RogerR]

I don't use them on either Vista or Win 7. I don't need to see what the weather is doing... I look out side, and I have a clock in my taskbar

That reminds me. I use a Google gadget clock (just because its prettier than the 7 gadget) - but I don't need two clocks. Can I turn off the standard clock display somewhere?

In fact, I'd like to hide the Recycle icon too.

 

[gregrocker]

I don't use them on either Vista or Win 7. I don't need to see what the weather is doing... I look out side, and I have a clock in my taskbar

That reminds me. I use a Google gadget clock (just because its prettier than the 7 gadget) - but I don't need two clocks. Can I turn off the standard clock display somewhere?

In fact, I'd like to hide the Recycle icon too.

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Notification Area Icons\System Icons