Gadgets

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Guest

I was wondering are the gadget downloads free or do you have to pay for them
because I want to get new gadgets but I don't know if you have to pay for
them.
 
They are all free. If they are 3rd party, they may charge. But, the ones on
the MS site are all free. They have some decent ones, too.
 
Juan Donosa said:
I was wondering are the gadget downloads free or do you have to pay for them
because I want to get new gadgets but I don't know if you have to pay for
them.Can somebody help me with this.
Click to expand...
 
I don't think your assumption is accurate. I could easily write a gadget
and charge for it.

And, let me make my standard warnings about gadgets - especially free
gadgets:

Remember the WeatherBug "gadget" in XP? Not a Vista gadget but a "gadget"
by definition. Basically a little utility that sat in the notification area
of Windows. It was nothing more than a tool to spread spyware and adware.
That is the nature of free but cool looking software.

Some gadgets will be created as interfaces or tools to use with commercial
software (including those provided by Microsoft for use with Windows) and
may or may not include spyware.

Other gadgets will be created by hobbyists for fun and shared freely without
spyware.

Still other gadgets will be given away, maybe with spyware, maybe without
spyware, as loss-leaders - to get you interested in buying the full package
software.

And other gadgets will be nothing more than the means by which to spread
spyware or worse - just as WeatherBug and other similar tools are.

If you create an HTML page and store it on your own desktop and then open
that HTML page in Internet Explorer using an Administrative account, that
HTML page cannot access your file system. That's the security built in to
Windows and IE. Vista gadgets, on the other hand, have full access to your
file system! Even those from third-parties. They install with full
installation programs meaning they can put any file or embedded DLL or
program they choose onto your hard drive. They execute with full system
permissions and can execute those programs.

Gadgets will be a favorite tool of spyware vendors. All the side-bar does
is make room for more malware like WeatherBug than the notification area
could have ever supported. The price of free software, including Vista
gadgets, can be much higher than the most expensive software you ever paid
money for.


Dale
 
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:26:00 -0800, Juan Donosa <Juan
I was wondering are the gadget downloads free or do you have to pay for them
because I want to get new gadgets but I don't know if you have to pay for
them.
Click to expand...

They're free, but I'm sure someone will try to charge for the ones they
make eventually. http://gallery.live.com/
 
Michael Cecil said:
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:26:00 -0800, Juan Donosa <Juan


They're free, but I'm sure someone will try to charge for the ones they
make eventually. http://gallery.live.com/
Click to expand...

Perhaps someone will eventually make some really cool gadgets and not want
their development time paid for by spyware. Charging would be a great way
to solve that problem.

Dale
 
Oh while I understand that, I thought the question was in relation to the
Microsoft Gadget site, in which case I don't believe any gadgets can be
charged for.
 
Remember the WeatherBug "gadget" in XP? Not a Vista gadget but a "gadget"
by definition. Basically a little utility that sat in the notification
area of Windows. It was nothing more than a tool to spread spyware and
adware. That is the nature of free but cool looking software.
Click to expand...

What a load of absolute irrational tripe, rubbish and nonsense! Such is by
definition and conception not the nature of free, rather is it the nature of
certain immature idiots.

Really, get real!
 
Thanks so I just go to the website you put and I could download them for free
right. Thanks all of you have been a lot of help.
 
What have I said all along about gadgets being nothing more than a bigger
playground for even more sinister spyware? Your link proves my point.
Right there on Microsoft's own site is a third-party download of WeatherBug.

When you click the WeatherBug download (and 195,000 + have downloaded it so
far), you get this prompt from Microsoft:

"Only install applications from developers you trust. This is a
third-party application, and it could access your computer's files, show you
objectionable content, or change its behavior at any time."

And after reading that, 195,000 + people downloaded WeatherBug anyway.

And there's not a single privacy statement or readme before the download
process starts!

I am telling you guys (and gals) stay away from gadgets. They are
unbelievably dangerous.

Dale
 
Dale said:
What have I said all along about gadgets being nothing more than a bigger
playground for even more sinister spyware? Your link proves my point.
Right there on Microsoft's own site is a third-party download of
WeatherBug.

When you click the WeatherBug download (and 195,000 + have downloaded it
so far), you get this prompt from Microsoft:

"Only install applications from developers you trust. This is a
third-party application, and it could access your computer's files, show
you objectionable content, or change its behavior at any time."

And after reading that, 195,000 + people downloaded WeatherBug anyway.

And there's not a single privacy statement or readme before the download
process starts!

I am telling you guys (and gals) stay away from gadgets. They are
unbelievably dangerous.

Dale
Click to expand...

It has always made sense to thoroughly check out any application before you
install it on a computer. In the case of the WeatherBug:
http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/support/60faq_spyware.htm
Bob
 
I was wondering are the gadget downloads free or do you have to pay for them
because I want to get new gadgets but I don't know if you have to pay for
them.
Click to expand...

Right click on the sidebar.

Select "add gadgets"

Then click on "get more gadgets online".

Everything there is free.

--
Scott http://angrykeyboarder.com

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
NOTICE: In-Newsgroup (and therefore off-topic) comments on my sig will
be cheerfully ignored, so don't waste our time.
 
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