Very quick vista sidebar question

RossG

RossG

RossG

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Can you get custom clocks? I don't like any of the standard ones. Had a quick hutn around but can't come up with much really. Anyone know? I was thinking about getting an Omega Seamaster face or something on there :p
 
The sidebar is only any use if it happens to have stuff on it that you want to be easily and constantly visible, otherwise it's a bit gimmicky.

I haven't found a good use for it yet, but perhaps someone will come up with a killer app for it at some point.
 
all sidebar gadgets are just html/css for layout and vbscript/javascript for functionality. just find/make a transparent 130x130px .png file with the image you want and replace one of the original files in

\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets\Clock.Gadget\images
 
The only useful gadgets ive found or used are:

Remote desktop connection - Dead useful when regularly doing work on 30+ servers

Google Searchbar (self explanatory)

Notes (only one of the 3 which comes with Vista)
 
I see my desktop for about 3 minutes after boot. I even stopped putting icons or backgrounds on desktop, because there's just no point, I never look there, I always have loads and loads of tasks open. I often wonder who on earth sits looking at dreamscene background, refreshing image gallery and a clock in sidebar and don't they have something better to do with their PC?
 
v0n said:
I see my desktop for about 3 minutes after boot. I even stopped putting icons or backgrounds on desktop, because there's just no point, I never look there, I always have loads and loads of tasks open. I often wonder who on earth sits looking at dreamscene background, refreshing image gallery and a clock in sidebar and don't they have something better to do with their PC?
Click to expand...

DreamScene being a moving wallpaper does not make it any worse than to being looking at a static wallpaper.

The sidebar gadgets allow me to see what my pc is doing & doing in the background at a glance & not having to click through option to see it the normal way & just today its alerted my to the fact that a task was playing up because of high 50% cpu usage that i would not of been aware of as responsiveness was not affected.
Network Meter is really usefully as well.
 
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I use Vista Sidebar for the BBC Radio Player, NRES Train Announcements and the Weather.

These are things I like to have open all the time, but I don't want an additional app window.
 
I do find the sidebar useful. Its on my second monitor so it isn't distrating either. The CPU meter and a couple of other gadgets are useful.
 
Final8y said:
The sidebar gadgets allow me to see what my pc is doing & doing in the background at a glance & not having to click through option to see it the normal way & just today its alerted my to the fact that a task was playing up because of high 50% cpu usage that i would not of been aware of as responsiveness was not affected.
Network Meter is really usefully as well.
Click to expand...

So you keep your sidebar "always on top" or something or do you actually always see part of your desktop?
 
v0n said:
So you keep your sidebar "always on top" or something or do you actually always see part of your desktop?
Click to expand...

30" 2560x1600 plenty of room. :D
The sidebar has its uses for many & is no less important than the taskbar & Dock Bar that people use.

Just because its of little or no use to you does not make it fact that is has no use to others.

There is a hell of a lot of Software out there that i don't use that is no used to me & i will not for a moment think that it is of no use to others.
 
Have date, 24 style digitial clock (which amusingly is a 12 hour clock), weather, cpu meter, share tracker, a news reader and the gmail checker.

Shame we don't have vista at work cos the remote desktop app would be very useful.

I have to admit I was a bit skepical about the sidebar when I first got Vista but I wouldn't be without it now (at least on a large widescreen monitor).
 
I too find it really useful.

People on about the RAM it takes up are talking rubbish. It takes a few KB (depending what you have on there) not GB's. Trying to squeeze every last KB out of your O/S is pointless nowadays when 4GB can be had for around £50.

Favourite ones at the moment are:

Multi-Meter (4 Cores)
Remote Desktop Gadget 2.0
UK Radio Player
Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor

Occasionals:

System Monitor 2



M.
 
J.B said:
True

Its one of those things which is fun for a couple of weeks when you first get vista, I had a '24' style clock on mine then I thought "what a waste of RAM"
Click to expand...

i thought that, but then i thought what else is the ram going to be used for and left the sidebar on. if i was really that bothered about ram usage, i would close the sidebar before playing a game.
 
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