Sidebar in next public Windows Vista build
Sidebar: Hype or function?
Monday, February 6, 2006 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
With 16x9 displays becoming increasingly important, Microsoft's new Sidebar, scheduled for release in Windows Vista and also to be back ported to Windows XP may be the right program at the right time.
The sidebar is essentially a container for "gadgets". Gadgets are similar to widgets except they don't require a special enabler in order to use. Stardock plans to support Microsoft's Sidebar in a variety of ways depending on the final implementation.
Originally, Microsoft planned to have the Sidebar support gadgets made either via DHTML or as Windows Presentation Foundation (Avalon) gadgets. However, the company seems to be focusing more on DHTML gadgets in order to allow those gadgets to be able to run on both the desktop and on web pages seamlessly (something Avalon gadgets would not be able to do since they would require the browser to support Avalon explicitly).
The question that remains to be answer is whether Microsoft's particular implementation of the Sidebar is compelling enough for users to adopt when Google and even Stardock have their own "bars" that can do much the same thing.
We think it'll boil down to two things:
1) The content of course.
and
2) Whether there is a compelling need to have a bar sticking around on the screen.
Taken together, Microsoft and others have to make the case that we need this. Sure, an RSS feed might be nice. But what else? Weather? Do I need weather info taking up screen space 24/7? Or a big clock? Or MP3 controls? This isn't a new issue.
For all the hype widgets/gadgets have received over the past few years (and we've certainly been part of that) no one seems to have answer to that question: Why. Can Microsoft come up with compelling content. Look at Microsoft's own screenshot carefully. It has a clock, an RSS feed, a picture, a couple of shortcuts, and an MP3 control. Is it worth 10% of your screen space for that?
We think that the Sidebar as a concept is good. The problem that remains to be solved is finding compelling content. Clocks and RSS feeds ain't it. Even with all the exposure Yahoo has given the Yahoo widget engine and all the press it's received, the typical widget for it gets less than 10,000 downloads (compare that to a "niche" thing like WindowBlinds or even a popular DesktopX theme or an icon package). The story seems the same -- widgets and gadgets simply don't have enough meat right now to be compelling. Someone needs to come up with content that goes beyond the mildly useful and into the realm of compelling.
What do you think?
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Reply #22 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 5:41 PM
Reply #23 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 10:24 PM
BTW , you can autohide Desktop Sidebar,just like your taskbar should you so require...!Here's a link : http://www.desktopsidebar.com/ - should anyone like to have a look . . !
Mike
( DESKTOP SIDEBAR .... Better then Vista,Mista ! )
Reply #24 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 11:13 PM
ObjectBar supports DX widgets already--DesktopX alone could make a more interesting sidebar than anything I've seen from Google or MS, as evidenced by the amazing array of themes available.
Sidebars seem like a compromise in an attempt to appeal to the masses. I think most would eventually prefer some flexibility. Why constrain yourself to a "Start Panel" and "SideBar" when you can have floating, docking, auto-hiding, and right-click enabled gadgets and navigation options?
If DesktopX, or some ObjectDesktop like suite, facilitates the organization of WPF/WinFX powered and styled gadgets into whole-desktop user GUIs, it will be in a great position to receive those users who first become intrigued by the SiderBars and want more.
In the end I feel it is customization and personalization that will be deciding factors in what method (MS SideBar, or DesktopX, or individual WPF gadgets, etc) people decide to use. That is, yes, interesting content is important in making gadgets/bars in general welcomed by the many newcomers to the concept, but eventually any SideBar content can be better presented, and even better integrated, by discrete widget type applications, or suites of them.
Reply #25 Wednesday, February 8, 2006 9:20 PM
Reply #27 Thursday, February 9, 2006 7:09 AM
It would be nice to decouple the GUI from the OS.
Reply #28 Thursday, February 9, 2006 7:37 AM
| It would be nice to decouple the GUI from the OS. |
You can always kill the explorer.exe process...and exist via the task manager....I do, frequently...
Reply #30 Thursday, February 9, 2006 6:01 PM
Reply #31 Thursday, February 9, 2006 6:13 PM
Reply #32 Wednesday, February 15, 2006 2:17 AM
My question DOES ANYONE know the name of that Lake and Mountain Wallpaper thats used on the screenshot?
I've been seeing that Wallpaper pop up on every new Vista exhibition but I have no idea where to get it or what it's called.
Anyone know? I'd love to have that wallpaper.
Thanks
Reply #36 Friday, February 17, 2006 6:30 PM
| My question DOES ANYONE know the name of that Lake and Mountain Wallpaper thats used on the screenshot? |
Since it shows up on so many Vista previews the logical assumption is that it is an included wall in Vista...
Reply #37 Saturday, February 18, 2006 3:40 AM
| Since it shows up on so many Vista previews the logical assumption is that it is an included wall in Vista |
Gee wiz you think so, and here I was thinking it was gonna be found in Linux.
For the last time I wanted the wallpaper not Vista. Since Vista is not out yet, and I don't intend to install the Beta Version just to see if it comes with a puurrty wallpaper I wanted to know if anyone knows where I can get "THE WALLPAPEEERRRR" not "VISTAAA" But "JUST THE WALLPAPARRR" I hope I made myself clear. And here's a bunch of emoticons for those who like to add pointless replies filled with them
Reply #38 Saturday, February 18, 2006 11:56 PM
This could include things like:
Autolist icons for most used programs. So the user doesn't have to go find or setup anything; if he uses Autocad every day, the Sidebar automatically makes Autocad easy to get to.
On the fly task shifting; setup desktop settings for particular tasks. Like in Autocad, i need to switch between a few programs back and forth all day long. Having something faster and more intuitive then the bottom blue bar with the program open. A way of managing multiple windows faster.
Autofile sorting. Have a sort of 'container' widget that you can drop files into and it shooes them into the right directory. Again, when i download a PDF of an autocad file it would be nice if i could just drop it into a widget and have the widget sort if and send it to the right directory.
Reply #39 Sunday, February 19, 2006 8:35 AM
| Gee wiz you think so, and here I was thinking it was gonna be found in Linux. For the last time I wanted the wallpaper not Vista. Since Vista is not out yet, and I don't intend to install the Beta Version just to see if it comes with a puurrty wallpaper I wanted to know if anyone knows where I can get "THE WALLPAPEEERRRR" not "VISTAAA" But "JUST THE WALLPAPARRR" I hope I made myself clear. And here's a bunch of emoticons for those who like to add pointless replies filled with them |
If you want the wallpaper...it's in Vista.
If you wish I can type more slowly so you can keep up...
Reply #40 Sunday, February 19, 2006 8:47 AM
Took me just on 2 minutes to find it.
But then I'm half-way clever enough to do so.
Oh....perhaps I'll post a link....or not...
Go to winvistabeta . com
You can thank me some other time.....
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Reply #21 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 4:51 PM
This has been around for ages here at Wincustomize courtesy of Martin and taking up space doesn't happen as the dock only appears on mouseover :
https://www.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=3&view=1&sortby=8&sortdir=DESC&p=1&advanced=0&searchtxt=expanding%20dock%20template