The Register's take on Yahoo and Konfabulator
Not everyone thinks it's good
Monday, July 25, 2005 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
The Register was the first web publication to cover DesktopX way back in late 1999. Needless to say, they haven't been quite as supportive of the tendancy of Konfabulator's advocates to imply that Konfabulator invented the widget concept.
The Register's first article on DesktopX from June 2000 can be found here.
OK, so it's scriptable eye candy on steroids, but given its potential, and coming when it does, we predict that things are going to get quite interesting very soon. Base camp for DesktopX is to recreate the funky effects LiteStep and Apple's Aqua promise - like animated desktop icons, but Wardell tells The Register a trivial next step is to get email hooked into a Windows 2000 text to speech engine. Equally DesktopX object could grab the current weather from the web and display is as an object.
Prior to Yahoo's acquisition, Konfabulator was $19.95. Once downloaded, users could make use of the hundreds of Konfabulator widgets found on their website. Yahoo has created a new site at widgets.yahoo.com. It's now a free download.
Stardock, who makes DesktopX, released DesktopX 3.1 last week, has a version that enables widget authors to export their creations as gadgets. Gadgets are like stand-alone programs. They require no additional download and maintain the advantages of widgets -- small file size, typically light on resources, etc.
The question many users have is how the "widget wars" will progress with this latest move by Yahoo. How will it affect DesktopX, Kapsules, Samurize, Avedesk and other widget enablers? Will widgets become more popular or as some have begun asserting, are widgets an overhyped concept that are about to be shown as such now that one of them has been given such a high profile distribution?
 |
|
Page 2 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #22 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 11:49 AM
Sorry Jafo hired was your job
Reply #23 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 12:18 PM
I think the Sun widget is SUPER cool, but unfortunately it interferes with my start menu being erased (or at least start menus with transparency). I'd love to see something like that done in DesktopX.
Reply #24 Thursday, July 28, 2005 3:05 PM
| Hum, sorry, but Yahoo! doesn't seem that interested in cross-plateorm either. Past acquisitions weren't cross-platform and they haven't updated Yahoo Chat for Mac in two years. I all fairness Yahoo! seems to actually be losing interest into the Mac platform. |
Yup, they are SMART businessmen indeed. Note that the ONLY people who care about "cross-platform" anymore are Mac people and the shareware OS Linux uses. Since Apple has a built in widget feature with the OS and Linux is still driven by 70's unix/vax/command line hobbyist/programmers, the market for GUI dependant products like Yahoo/Konfabulator and Stardock/Desktop X remains with the 95% of the rest of the world.
Which is why I pointed out that Google and Microsoft are both very likely to make overtures to Stardock right now. Microsoft makes the most sense since they have pockets deep enough to interest Brad and his crew and they could add a HUGE list of eye candy/functionality features to Longhorn by acquiring/partnering with Stardock. Stardock, of course, gets resources up the whazoo, and a presence on every desktop across the world. And since there really is no major competition in this market, and what competition there is has become owned by competitors (Apple and Yahoo), there shouldn't be any anti-trust issues here at all. So, my guess it that this would be an easy coup for both parties.
Stay near your phone, Brad.
Reply #25 Friday, July 29, 2005 11:55 PM
Being the download junkie that I am, after seeing a few of the Konfabulator widgets, I started downloading.
I've used Stardock apps for a long time, and am slowly learning how to do the more "techie" stuff (when I have time between classes and research), and have long been appreciative of the ways I can change the look of my desktop.
I am currently running DesktopX widgets with Konfabulator widgets. There are some pretty neat widgets over there that I wish were here - for now, I can use both.
Hmmmmmm. Both. What a concept.Suzanne
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 2 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #21 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 11:15 AM
Not only has Yahoo! acquired Konfabulator, they've highered Arlo and the rest of the team to continue to develop it.