Apple Confirms Dashboard is Going Away After 14 Years

[Shirasaki]

Honestly I forgot it was even still there.

If this article wasn't made, I probably wouldn't have noticed lol

There is another thread talking about this, with quite a few people mourning its sunset. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/dashboard-feature-eliminated-in-macos-catalina.2184197/

Honestly, I kinda realise this is a thing while simultaneously not using it at all. But, since I have other reasons not upgrading past High Sierra, I might give dashboard a go sometimes later.
[doublepost=1560458587][/doublepost]

This will prevent me from moving to Catalina since I still use the functions daily.

And just because some of you don’t use it, does not equal to that we who use it shall be denied.

Sure, but Apple has abandoned those users for good now, after they axe the App Management features in iTunes 12.7. My MacBook Air will be in High Sierra forever.

 

[S3R6i0]

I never found a use for it. I still don't know what it's purpose was.

When combined with hot corners you had quick access to things like weather, stickies, calculator, etc. I use it all the time, it's pretty useful.
[doublepost=1560459864][/doublepost]

Still use it everyday, but I understand it is a dated feature.

How exactly is it dated? It's a lot more functional and easier to use than that ******** Notification Center they're replacing it with.

 

[skycorgan]

If I two finger swipe my trackpad from the right hand side, it opens the notification pa el where I have calendar, stocks, weather, etc. available to me.

 

[Zwhaler]

RIP! I still use it often. I won't miss it much by the time I buy a new Mac Pro, though.

 

[Shirasaki]

People stopped using it because Apple disabled it by default, and stopped teaching it to users, so Apple can't blame them for that. Users don't know what they're missing; people are quick to claim something is useless, when really they mean to say *they* don't use it, and possibly don't understand it.

Yes, just like iTunes managing apps or 32-bit support. People’s ability to quickly dismiss the history is one main reason why mistakes are made again and again, though not suitable for this context.

I’ve never understood this mentality. I don’t use Launchpad either. But I recognize some people do. Why would you actively want something removed that you don’t use, that causes you little to no harm, and that pleases other people?

I see this sort of thing all the time. It’s mean spirited. You want Apple to put its stamp of approval on the way you’ve chosen to use your computer? What does that accomplish other than letting you pat yourself on the back about being more “enlightened” as a user?
My mind. It’s boggled.

Selfishness to its finest, basically. And some of them might argue they are smart when they are not. I don’t use Dashboard, like other people who never uses iTunes to manage local library. Both use cases are fine and should be respected. Sadly, many people nowadays don’t care about such respect anymore.

Let Spotlight find them. It's super fast (Cmd-Space, type first two letters).

The thing is, remembering app name is generally trickier than remembering app icon. On my iPad I tend to spot the icon first and only use spotlight to search when I remember this method exist.

 

[boodle]

Honestly surprised with the comments from Dashboard users. There are some?!
I have never seen anyone use it in 15 years. Corporate, education, home, anywhere, even at Apple.
[doublepost=1560471485][/doublepost]

My wife still uses it for the sticky notes, I’ll get her to transfer those to the notes app.

I still use Stickes.app for leaving on-screen notes for people.

 

[Shirasaki]

Honestly surprised with the comments from Dashboard users. There are some?!
I have never seen anyone use it in 15 years. Corporate, education, home, anywhere, even at Apple.

I know this sound crazy, but even Apple may not realise how many people still rely on dashboard.

 

[coolfactor]

Steve demoing Dashboard for the first time in 2005.

GREAT example of classic Steve Jobs! Now I miss him again!
[doublepost=1560472113][/doublepost]

Honestly surprised with the comments from Dashboard users. There are some?!
I have never seen anyone use it in 15 years. Corporate, education, home, anywhere, even at Apple.
[doublepost=1560471485][/doublepost]
I still use Stickes.app for leaving on-screen notes for people.

I use Dashboard all the time to do character counts:

1. Copy
2. Three-finger swipe to bring up Dashboard.
3. Click and paste into character counting widget. Done.

Or value hashing:

1. Copy
2. Three-finger swipe to bring up Dashboard.
3. Click and paste into hash widget. Done.

And one of the most useful was a Regular Expression widget. Quickly allows me to test out different expressions.

Yes, I can do the same with websites and other applications, but Dashboard offered this functionality in an elegant "there when you need it" way. Real shame that Apple let this feature wither on the vine.

No, Notification Center widgets do not (and should not) replace what I used Dashboard for. Who goes to Notification Center to do a calculation? That's just bizarre.
[doublepost=1560472613][/doublepost]It's a ripe time for a third-party developer to create a replacement Dashboard application that lives in its own space so that it behaves exactly the same way. Heck, it would even support legacy widgets. No concerns with Apple competing with it now.

 

[john123]

I know this sound crazy, but even Apple may not realise how many people still rely on dashboard.

Doesn't sound crazy at all.

One of the things that drives me nuts about many people in product management and engineering is how they selectively listened to the Steve Jobs philosophy. They hear the "customers don't know what they really want, so don't listen to the customers" part loud and clear. And then they run too far with it, arrogantly assuming that their own product vision will be embraced by the masses.

The truth is that:
1) most people just aren't all that smart, and certainly not as smart as they'd like to think they are; and
2) just because you make a change to your product and people didn't leave in flocks doesn't mean it wasn't a boneheaded change

Apple's been notorious about turning a blind eye and deaf ear to customers on lots of things. One example: check out the ADC forums every year for the betas. Some brilliant users make suggestions, and most everyone there agrees those suggestions are intelligent, and then Apple ignores many of them. It's the way they've chosen to do business, and that's their prerogative. The idea that Apple succeeds in spite of that rather than because of it isn't crazy though.

 

[0134168]

Now just waiting to get rid go Launchpad

I hope so. It´s ridiculous.

 

[ErikGrim]

Any suggestions for a Notifications area replacement for the Unit Converter?

Just use spotlight like the rest of us has for the last half decade?
[doublepost=1560478100][/doublepost]

GREAT example of classic Steve Jobs! Now I miss him again!
[doublepost=1560472113][/doublepost]

I use Dashboard all the time to do character counts:

1. Copy
2. Three-finger swipe to bring up Dashboard.
3. Click and paste into character counting widget. Done.

1. This is much faster by installing WordService and assigning it a keyboard shortcut.

[doublepost=1560478230][/doublepost]

No, Notification Center widgets do not (and should not) replace what I used Dashboard for. Who goes to Notification Center to do a calculation? That's just bizarre.

I do all my calculation through spotlight. How is having a calculator in a sidebar any more bizarre than having to drop into a separate full screen mode with widgets?

 

[16BitArcadeGraphics]

wish apple would make a "lite" macOS version. no extra junk like dashboard. lots of things like mail and other apps not even installed (bloatware). i would love a barebones resource-light OS which just has safari, a hard drive, and you select the app to install. i HATE that i have chess as an app installed and cannot remove it. i hate playing games, and i really hate chess. junk like this should not be on machines people do not intend to use. no, i won't climb mt. everest because it's there. no i won't play chess because it exists on my machine. reminds me of that garbage minesweeper and solitaire in microsoft windows in the 90s and then in windows xp.

 

[EnderBeta]

Now just waiting to get rid go Launchpad

I haven't used the dashboard in years in for of the side bar, but I do use the launchpad all the time.

 

[ViVi555]

I use it everyday for currency conversion.
Can someone suggest a currency conversion app/wiget alternative that as convenience as the dashboard ?

 

[groove-agent]

Sometimes I feel that Apple's typically phases something out (or in) then gauges the backlash if any.

They've been phasing out Dashboard for a few versions of MacOS. Since there hasn't been a backlash, they figure it's ok.

Someone said previously that because Apple disables Dashboard by default, it doesn't even have a chance. This is a very good point. As a result, a lot of people don't even know it exists, or understand how it can be useful.

Doesn't sound crazy at all.

One of the things that drives me nuts about many people in product management and engineering is how they selectively listened to the Steve Jobs philosophy. They hear the "customers don't know what they really want, so don't listen to the customers" part loud and clear. And then they run too far with it, arrogantly assuming that their own product vision will be embraced by the masses.

The truth is that:
1) most people just aren't all that smart, and certainly not as smart as they'd like to think they are; and
2) just because you make a change to your product and people didn't leave in flocks doesn't mean it wasn't a boneheaded change

Apple's been notorious about turning a blind eye and deaf ear to customers on lots of things. One example: check out the ADC forums every year for the betas. Some brilliant users make suggestions, and most everyone there agrees those suggestions are intelligent, and then Apple ignores many of them. It's the way they've chosen to do business, and that's their prerogative. The idea that Apple succeeds in spite of that rather than because of it isn't crazy though.

 

[chevyorange]

I made the mistake of using an encryption app that was a widget. It disappeared long before I recognized it and years later I have a folder of encrypted files I cannot open!

Joke's on me!

 

[wikiverse]

If I two finger swipe my trackpad from the right hand side, it opens the notification pa el where I have calendar, stocks, weather, etc. available to me.

Dashboard gives a 5 day weather overview for as many cities as you like. NC only gives you today's weather.
Dashboard gives you a full monthly calendar view. NC only gives you 'today's events'.
Dashboard can be mapped to hot corners so you can use it with a mouse. NC requires a trackpad.
Dashboard can simultaneously display multiple currency, weight, volume, temperature, energy, power, pressure, speed and time conversions on screen at the same time. NC can't display any of these without a paid app, and then only one at a time.
Dashboard has quick language translations. NC doesn't even have a paid app for this.

Most importantly, Dashboard has stickies - which can be used to store important information at a glance, and has hot corners to access all of them laid out at once. There is no replacement for this in NC or notes. A stickies app doesn't even give the same ease of functionality and display, tucked away in a quick hot-corner, out of sight until you need it.

Dashboard is the single most useful thing built into MacOS. Much more useful than NC, launchpad and Spaces combined.

 

[john123]

Sometimes I feel that Apple's typically phases something out (or in) then gauges the backlash if any.

They've been phasing out Dashboard for a few versions of MacOS. Since there hasn't been a backlash, they figure it's ok.

Someone said previously that because Apple disables Dashboard by default, it doesn't even have a chance. This is a very good point. As a result, a lot of people don't even know it exists, or understand how it can be useful.

I think this is right. However, there's a small fraction of users — like me — who have gone to great lengths to keep Dashboard up and running, despite Apple making it increasingly difficult to do. I was using FunctionFlip on my non-Touch Bar 15", and on my Touch Bar model (which collected dust for about a year until I had to start using it lately), it has a dedicated key.

Between this and dropping support for 32 bit apps, which is understandable but makes me wince, I won't be upgrading to Catalina. This marks the first time in about 30 years of being a Mac user for me not to upgrade the OS.

Will I be in the minority? Absolutely. Does Apple care one bit about that minority? Nope. Is that OK and their decision? Yup.

 

[ErikGrim]

I use it everyday for currency conversion.
Can someone suggest a currency conversion app/wiget alternative that as convenience as the dashboard ?

You could have done this with spotlight since Yosemite. Way more convenient.

 

[Shirasaki]

Will I be in the minority? Absolutely. Does Apple care one bit about that minority? Nope. Is that OK and their decision? Yup.

This sums all us users relying on an arcane app or function to complete a workflow or boost efficiency.
Despite all bad words about Windows, at the very least Windows 10 still has a dedicated 32-bit version and 64-bit version still supports 32-bit app. I’d say in this regard Microsoft is better on supporting existing users than Apple.

 

[Reason077]

Ugh, this is annoying, albeit not surprising.

I’ll miss dashboard for its instant, one-swipe access to weather forecasts and multiple world clocks, which are features I use almost every day.

But admittedly, it’s been years since I used it for anything else.
[doublepost=1560499627][/doublepost]

For you Dashboard lovers out there, you can convert your current widgets to applications using the now unsupported Amnesty Singles utility. Just google it....

That’s not really the point. I’m sure that all the functionality of any dashboard widget is already available in apps, and in most cases those apps will be much more full-featured.

But the great thing about dashboard was how incredibly quick and easy it made accessing all the things that you just want to glance at, but often.

This is not something that is replaced well at all by the notification centre, where things move around all the time and which gives you much less space to display things clearly.
[doublepost=1560499970][/doublepost]

I have never seen anyone use it in 15 years. Corporate, education, home, anywhere, even at Apple.

You never see people using it precisely because it’s so fast and convenient to use. It’s not something that people spend more than a few seconds interacting with - just quick glance, in-and-out information!

 

[oldoneeye]

I still use it to have four clocks - for a world-clock view .... not a huge loss, but I'll miss it

 

[silvertech]

Now just waiting to get rid go Launchpad

..why would they do that? That makes no sense
[doublepost=1560506812][/doublepost]

Ugh, this is annoying, albeit not surprising.

I’ll miss dashboard for its instant, one-swipe access to weather forecasts and multiple world clocks, which are features I use almost every day.

But admittedly, it’s been years since I used it for anything else.
[doublepost=1560499627][/doublepost]

That’s not really the point. I’m sure that all the functionality of any dashboard widget is already available in apps, and in most cases those apps will be much more full-featured.

But the great thing about dashboard was how incredibly quick and easy it made accessing all the things that you just want to glance at, but often.

This is not something that is replaced well at all by the notification centre, where things move around all the time and which gives you much less space to display things clearly.
[doublepost=1560499970][/doublepost]

You never see people using it precisely because it’s so fast and convenient to use. It’s not something that people spend more than a few seconds interacting with - just quick glance, in-and-out information!

All the information is in Notification Center now

 

[justperry]

Biggest problem with Dashboard, is that you couldn't "sticky" a widget or widgets on your desktop.

Didn't read all the pages yet so excuse me if this was already in the last pages.

You actually could stick them to the Desktop, problem is, I don't know how I did that, it's a LONG time since I used Dashboard.
IIRC it was something like holding a key and dragging it onto the Desktop.


Here's a video

 

[Tech198]

Now just waiting to get rid go Launchpad

meh... It's not really getting in the way, as its "hidden." Just remove the dock icon and your good.

Didn't read all the pages yet so excuse me if this was already in the last pages.

You actually could stick them to the Desktop, problem is, I don't know how I did that, it's a LONG time since I used Dashboard.
IIRC it was something like holding a key and dragging it onto the Desktop.


Here's a video

You could have bought up Dashboad overlay and held down ALT/OPTION key to delete widgets hover over widgets... No terminal needed. Unless this was changed.