DesktopX 3.0: Loading Widgets (Newbies #13)
Cordelia's Corner for the Complete No0b #13
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 by Cordelia | Discussion: Tutorials
My most challenging work to date, DesktopX 3.0 for the no0b! (You gotta imagine fanfare and drums here, and people cheering).
Yes, thank you. Welcome to another exciting episode of Cordelia's Corner for the Complete No0b. Would you like to be a complete no0b? Need some tips and tricks to complete your no0biness? Look no further! Today we are going to discuss DesktopX 3.0. By the end of this episode you will find that you can at least use DesktopX to run widgets on your desktop, which will make you cool and desirable and help you get the chicks. Not that you need help getting the chicks, or maybe you aren't into that kind of thing, or you could even be a chick yourself (although it seems unlikely) but I'm just saying you could-
What's that? Ah, yes, my producer is telling to...um...move on. At least I think that's what that hand gesture meant.
On to DesktopX! What is DesktopX? Without going into too much detail, it is a program that will allow you to run widgets on your desktop. So really the question is, what in the world is a widget?
A widget is a mini program that runs on your desktop. A common example of a widget might be an analog clock as seen here. Uh...can we get a close-up of this? Hello? You there, asleep behind the camera, can we get a close-up?
The clock does nothing but sit on your desktop and tell the time. In order to run a lovely clock like this, you will require DesktopX. You can get it here: https://www.stardock.com/products/desktopx/downloads.asp
Once you have downloaded and installed the program you are ready to begin using it. When you open the program for the first time, you get the following menu:
This menu will allow you to load widgets and objects. It doesn't get much more simple than that - want to load a widget? Click on "Load Widget". This is what you will see:
DesktopX 3.0 comes with some pretty fancy widgets. Clicking on load Widgets should take you to C:\Program Files\Stardock\Object Desktop\DesktopX\Widgets, unless you've specified another location to save them.
Clicking on "Download more Widgets" takes you to the Stardock Website.
The "Options" button will allow you setup hotkeys that will trigger access to your widgets.
Clicking on an already loaded widget and then on "configure" will bring up a menu that allows you to hue shift the widgets, configure the shadow, the accessibility (add an icon to the system tray or taskbar), and then my personal favorite: setting a widget to run on startup. Take for example the "Silica To Do List"; I clearly need that to run all the time, or I'd never remember what I was supposed to be doing. I mean, I was re-reading this script and got most of the way through it before losing intere- Oooooo! What's that shiny thing in the parking lot?
*We interrupt this program for a brief station break while the management locates it's host. In the meantime, check out the screenshot of widget manager dialog box.*
Aaaaaand...we're back. Thank you! I had to run outside and look at the shiny thing. Turned out to be a gum wrapper: very exciting! And then there was a squirrel...but where was I? Ah, yes, DesktopX. DesktopX is useful for people like me who constant reminders about what it is they are supposed to be doing. Here is a "To Do List" widget that I find very useful in day to day living. When I can remember to look at it, that is.
I think learning to load widgets is about as much as a person can possibly handle in one day without their head exploding, and I see that we are out of time. Join us next time when we discuss "Loading Objects". Yet another opportunity to make your head explode next time on (let's all yell it out together now) "Cordelia's Corner for the Complete No0B"!
Reply #2 Sunday, July 31, 2005 12:20 PM
Nice tutorial, even though I'm not a no0b...well, a complete one.
Reply #3 Thursday, September 22, 2005 4:10 AM
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Reply #1 Sunday, July 31, 2005 6:48 AM
https://www.stardock.com/Kristin/DXNewbSS/DXWidgets2.jpg