Does anyone use the sidebar other than an ornament?

[steve sonsino]

I personaly think that the vista sidebar is worthless....
there are many products that give you sidebars too...google desktop search
and yahoo have their own versions.. and there are many more.

but after using all of them.. I lost interest very fast.

They don't offer much and the extra resources they take up is not worth the
effort...

I am sure they just wanted something different for Vista and added the
sidebar.... their need for distinction from XP was big... and they didn't
have any real advantage to throw to the consumer.

I mean ok.. the gadgets look nice for 10 minutes.. then you want to get rid
of them.

This might have been different if Microsoft would develop many of the
gadgets themselves making them high quality... but they didn't even make
vista good.. they would make the gadgets good?

Now as with most such eyecandy.. they have left most of the development to
amateurs or 3rd parties...

I have not seen even one gadget that I MUST have....

 

[DP]

I have the sidebar turned off. I have four gadgets that I detached from the
sidebar. Those still show up on my desktop, but the sidebar itself has been
gone since about Day Two or Three for me.

 

[steve sonsino]

yes Good point.. for those who are reading this thread and dont know.. you
can right click on the sidbar itself and close the sidebar and the gadgets
remain on...

I have the sidebar turned off. I have four gadgets that I detached from
the sidebar. Those still show up on my desktop, but the sidebar itself has
been gone since about Day Two or Three for me.

 

[Peter]

Yes, but I don't have it start with Windows. I have all kinds of useful
tools on it. I just call it up when I need it.

Peter
Toronmto, Canada

 

[PTravel]

I personaly think that the vista sidebar is worthless....
there are many products that give you sidebars too...google desktop search
and yahoo have their own versions.. and there are many more.

but after using all of them.. I lost interest very fast.

They don't offer much and the extra resources they take up is not worth
the effort...

I am sure they just wanted something different for Vista and added the
sidebar.... their need for distinction from XP was big... and they didn't
have any real advantage to throw to the consumer.

I mean ok.. the gadgets look nice for 10 minutes.. then you want to get
rid of them.

This might have been different if Microsoft would develop many of the
gadgets themselves making them high quality... but they didn't even make
vista good.. they would make the gadgets good?

Now as with most such eyecandy.. they have left most of the development to
amateurs or 3rd parties...

I have not seen even one gadget that I MUST have....

I have a weather radar gadget that, for me, is a must have. I fly for
business quite a bit and it gives me a head's up for likely weather delays.

 

[PTravel]

yes Good point.. for those who are reading this thread and dont know.. you
can right click on the sidbar itself and close the sidebar and the gadgets
remain on...

I didn't know. That's great! Thanks!

 

[DP]

You have to detach them first, Ptravel.

yes Good point.. for those who are reading this thread and dont know..
you can right click on the sidbar itself and close the sidebar and the
gadgets remain on...

I didn't know. That's great! Thanks!

 

[steve sonsino]

may I ask about what sort of business you are involved?

thanks

I personaly think that the vista sidebar is worthless....
there are many products that give you sidebars too...google desktop
search and yahoo have their own versions.. and there are many more.

but after using all of them.. I lost interest very fast.

They don't offer much and the extra resources they take up is not worth
the effort...

I am sure they just wanted something different for Vista and added the
sidebar.... their need for distinction from XP was big... and they didn't
have any real advantage to throw to the consumer.

I mean ok.. the gadgets look nice for 10 minutes.. then you want to get
rid of them.

This might have been different if Microsoft would develop many of the
gadgets themselves making them high quality... but they didn't even make
vista good.. they would make the gadgets good?

Now as with most such eyecandy.. they have left most of the development
to amateurs or 3rd parties...

I have not seen even one gadget that I MUST have....

I have a weather radar gadget that, for me, is a must have. I fly for
business quite a bit and it gives me a head's up for likely weather
delays.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Actually it's much more practical if you have two monitors, with just
one it seems to get in the way more that it's worth.

I have the sidebar turned off. I have four gadgets that I detached from
the sidebar. Those still show up on my desktop, but the sidebar itself
has been gone since about Day Two or Three for me.

 

[Lang Murphy]

I personaly think that the vista sidebar is worthless....
there are many products that give you sidebars too...google desktop search
and yahoo have their own versions.. and there are many more.

but after using all of them.. I lost interest very fast.

They don't offer much and the extra resources they take up is not worth
the effort...

I am sure they just wanted something different for Vista and added the
sidebar.... their need for distinction from XP was big... and they didn't
have any real advantage to throw to the consumer.

I mean ok.. the gadgets look nice for 10 minutes.. then you want to get
rid of them.

This might have been different if Microsoft would develop many of the
gadgets themselves making them high quality... but they didn't even make
vista good.. they would make the gadgets good?

Now as with most such eyecandy.. they have left most of the development to
amateurs or 3rd parties...

I have not seen even one gadget that I MUST have....

I use the Weather, Clock, and Calendar gadgets detached from the sidebar
with the sidebar closed. Could I live without them? Sure. That said, I like
them and refer to them when I want to know the time and date without having
to look at the taskbar and the current temperature, give or take a few
degrees, outside. Nothing earth shaking, to be sure, and convenient
nonetheless.

Lang

 

[Guest]

Wonderful. Can someone tell me how to turn that thing off? It is just a
distraction on a desktop I am having trouble working with anyway (Vista is
giving me a fit but I am perserving). Also, I am trying to download a CD for
the Mix N Match Collection. Someone yesterday helped me get rid of what I
attempted yesterday and I almost got through the entire installation. Until
at one point I got an error message 'c:\\Windows\system32\stdole2.tlb' could
not be opened. Please check disk isn't full & that you have access stot he
destination directory. Access is denied. I searched for this system 32,
that is all that came up, and I do have access (personal computer). Any help
out there? Thank you

I have the sidebar turned off. I have four gadgets that I detached from the
sidebar. Those still show up on my desktop, but the sidebar itself has been
gone since about Day Two or Three for me.

 

[Peter]

Turning the sidebar off? It's already been posted but here
goes....right-click a spare area on it then click Properties.
Uncheck the window that says "Start Sidebar when Windows Starts". Click
Apply then OK.
Right-click it again and click "Close Sidebar".


--
Peter
Toronto, Canada

Wonderful. Can someone tell me how to turn that thing off? It is just a
distraction on a desktop I am having trouble working with anyway (Vista is
giving me a fit but I am perserving). Also, I am trying to download a CD
for
the Mix N Match Collection. Someone yesterday helped me get rid of what I
attempted yesterday and I almost got through the entire installation.
Until
at one point I got an error message 'c:\\Windows\system32\stdole2.tlb'
could
not be opened. Please check disk isn't full & that you have access stot he
destination directory. Access is denied. I searched for this system 32,
that is all that came up, and I do have access (personal computer). Any
help
out there? Thank you

 

[Guest]

Thanks! didn't see that post. Can anyone help with the game installation
error message? Patricia

 

[Peter]

You should post that in vista.games