Yahoo is launching the 4.0 version of their desktop widget platform this morning. It is substantially less burdensome on system resources (a common Yahoo Widgets complaint is that it slows down computers) and also adds Vista-like features like a widgets dock on the desktop. A video tour of the new version is here.
The new platform it a lot lighter than the current version 3.1 – they’ve cut the basic installation with bundled widgets from 11.3 MB to 6MB and reduced widget virtual memory usage by as much as 40%. This version will also lasso your widget family into a tidy collapsible dock that runs up and down the side of your desktop – an organized tile view of all widgets that’s kept on the side of the desktop. The image to the left shows what this dock looks like. There’s no limit to the number of widgets you can add to the dock. Overflow is just adds more pages to the scrolling dock.
Yahoo has both PC and Mac versions. The Mac version of Yahoo Widgets is superior to the OSX Dashboard Widgets product that comes with every Mac simply because it runs on the desktop right along with other applications (Dashboard does not). And while Yahoo Widgets isn’t particularly better than the platform offered by Microsoft on Vista, XP users will find it to be a good choice before upgrading to the new Windows operating system.
Widget developers will be happy to hear the new version also comes with canvas object support, SQLite, DOM/Vvew system improvements, and new online documentation.
Yahoo still doesn’t allow Desktop Widgets to be included on My Yahoo pages – something both Microsoft and Google already allow. Compatibility between these two Yahoo products is important if they want to keep Vista users from switching away from Yahoo Widgets over time. These widgets will also make the My Yahoo site much more compelling.
Yahoo Widgets, previously called Konfabulator, was acquired by Yahoo in July 2005.
Is this a mere coincidence that the New Google Homepage Widgets and Yahoo Desktop Widgets were released witin Two Days of one another?
I used the widgets before and didn’t like them, this seems much, much improved. Go Yahoo.
Why does this and so many of the other articles that compare Yahoo Widgets with Apple Dashboard declare that it is automatically superior ‘because the widgets run on the desktop alongside other applications’, as if this follows logically?
Most people find their computer desktop to already be overloaded and distracting without having extra flashy and animated information displays added to it. On top of that, having the widgets on the desktop means that whatever habits you’ve developed around organizing your applications will have to adapt to the presence of the widgets.
This is the reasoning behind Apple’s decision to put the widgets on a separate page. If you really want to put Dashboard widgets on the desktop, there is a freeware tool (called amnesty) that will let you do that.
I’m not sure how many people find it easier to have the widgets on the desktop, and how many like them to be on a separate sheet – and clearly people have individual preferences – but to state that one approach is superior to the other without exploring this issue is obviously biased.
Robin – I am, as you say, biased. I have strong opinions on products. I can’t help it. I even sort of enjoy it.
But I do occasionally throw a bone Apple’s way.
http://www.tech...h.com/tag/apple
Those looks kind of cool widgets. I have to try some of those.
Michael – thanks for the reply. I appreciate the strong opinions – they’re one of the reasons TechCrunch is worth reading.
I have strong opinions too – having uninstalled konfabulator (from my XP system where there was no alternative) and rarely switching to the Google personalized view because both of these were distracting, I have found Apple’s approach gives me something I can actually use.
I think what triggered my comment was the spectre of ‘worth-it’s-weight-in-bullet-points’ reviewing, all too common in product reviews in general, but rarely seen here.
why do some of the widgets look exactly like OS X widgets? and why did they make into square buttons like OS X widgets?
I really like the new widgets.
I agree they just look like mac widgets, so the question is why not buy a mac and run pc and mac os. Thats what I do not just for the widgets mind.
Does anyone have any original ideas these days?
I have always thought these widgets were nothing but a waste of time and never thought about ever installing any but this new generation looks fantastic and has some good functionality! I think it is time to give some a try!
Somebody now a good Skype widget (that shows me who’s online) for Yahoo! Widgets? I’m using now “Desktop Sidebar” (http://desktopsidebar.com) for this reason.
@eshop600 Konfabulator (now yahoo widgets) was there way before Apple my friend, in this case it was apple that wasn’t original!
Oh and I run a Mac by the way
“The Mac version of Yahoo Widgets is superior to the OSX Dashboard Widgets product that comes with every Mac simply because it runs on the desktop right along with other applications (Dashboard does not).”
Actually, there are numerous ways to get Dashboard widgets on the desktop: 1) a drag and click trick (for one widget at a time), 2) a hidden “dev mode” (for as many widgets you want) 2) and the shareware tools Amnesty and Amnnesty Singles (for widgets on the desktop with Konfab like features such as window level and opacity).
Bah, the dock isn’t an appbar on windows…which means my apps maximize under it
Can we get a YouTube widget already that plays movies on my desktop? I want to watch YouTube videos like this one without having to go to Firefox:
http://www.yout...h?v=LnRw0-d3lJw
YouTube widget makes a lot of sense! – wow nice idea …
– Yahoo Widgets; are nice, and worthy…
– Do they gain anything besides the ”psuedo” ‘change yahoo to your search engine, make yahoo your homepage?” install ?
– Rb
Widgets on the desktop are the dumbest idea ever. I can’t remember the last time I actually saw my desktop. I know it’s somewhere under all the open windows, but…
So yeah, Apple’s approach works for me. Yahoo’s is useless.
Nice article. Linked it in my blog post at http://develope...-widgets-4.html
“Yahoo still doesn’t allow Desktop Widgets to be included on My Yahoo pages – something both Microsoft and Google already allow.”
Vista Sidebar Gadgets (desktop widgets) and Live Gadgets (web page widgets) are two DIFFERENT THINGS. Different products, different coding platform etc. etc. A Live Gadget can not live on your desktop/sidebar and a Sidebar Gadget cannot live on a web page. Got it?
So I don’t get why everyone says that the Yahoo widgets are only on the desktop. They have a heads-up mode too. So if you really don’t want to ever see your widgets, except in heads-up mode (like apple dashboard) you can close the dock and hide your widgets. Then just hit the F8 key (or whatever you set your default too) and bam… there you go.. just like Dashboard.
The cool thing is, you have a choice. You can have some, all, or none of your widgets on your desktop. And even neater, you can leave the dock visible so that you can see info from your widgets (like the stock ticker and weather and such) in a clean way… instead of all over the desktop (or heads-up display)
Look for YouTube widgets here –
http://widgets....amp;x=0&y=0
It’s not worth describing at the moment, but these things are really working for me as a matter of the way I’ve been trying to work my desktop since Win95, ‘cept with broadband connectivity & stuff for all kindsa custom data delivery, etc. I think they’re cool.
Cool, I will have to give these widgets a try.
Hmmm, tried it before and was unimpressed… tried it again and am still not moved. Pretty yes… but also bulky so takes up all the space too quickly, messy because things don’t have locking alignment and often overlap, very little ability to expand contract panels/docks. Little consistency as the flashy widgets compete with each other. And definately not a great way to read RSS.
I’m sticking with Klipfolio (of which I still prefer v3 over v4) which keeps things in nice fully expandable/contractable block widgets/klips that make much more sense and keep things tidy.
Sure it doesn’t have to appeal to everyone, but I just don’t see why it would appeal to anyone who really uses a computer.
My trusted Symantec Antivirus reported that my recently installed Yahoo Widgets is a Virus…and so is my beloved media player silver bullet Democracy Player. I am not sure if Yahoo Widgets is really a virus but I am not going to use it anymore. On the other hand, I don’t think this is a false alarm. I have been using Symantec AV for a long time now and it has never let me down.
very good software
very good and attractive add-on for Xp..
grammar error.
“The new platform it a lot lighter than the current version 3.1″