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Patent: Organizing Multiple Dashboard Widgets
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I hear the Rubiks Cube is back in fashion..... color coded widgets on a cube, 9 per side, then you shuffle them and spend endless hours solving the puzzle.
You gotta admit this is just the latest in a long line of rumors/news concerning 3D elements in the UI.
I simply don't see the benefit here... It's all eye candy, no functionality. Sure, it may save space in the Dashboard if you have 6 widgets on a cube, but the extra time/effort it takes for the user to show the other "faces" eliminates any possible benefit that I can see...
I must be missing something.
I must be missing something.
There simply arent enough useful widgets in the world for this to be at all useful. I hope they arent actually putting resources into developping this.
If you ask me, I don't think they're really looking to throw lots of development into a 3D widget space, for the obvious fact that widgets, though nice and fairly useful (the ones I use for myself personally anyway), aren't that big of a deal to beef up their "work"space.
I'd be much more interested in the multiple desktops.
I'd be much more interested in the multiple desktops.
Nostradamus predicted the first Apple computer, and Forest Gump was lucky that Lt. Dan invested his Bubba Gump money into it.
Yeah, was thinking along the same lines. I wonder if all these Leopard delays are due to OS X looking kind of old and clunky in terms of eye-candy compared to Beryl. Apple really has some catching up to do.
Eh, like some of you, I think this is just eye-candy without much functionality. But I could see why Apple would want to try to improve them this way as Vista offers the same thing right now (just not as good )
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The only configuration I want for Dashboard and Widgets is completely, totally and absolutely OFF.
Right!!! Audio engineer here. I always worry about what is going on in the background on my mac. If I don't need it... shut it off!!! Maximize the memory / graphics. These widgets don't seem to have a completely, totally and absolutely OFF. Am I wrong?
If you don't have any widgets open and you have a decent(ish) mac, Dashboard won't be taking enough CPU or ram to worry about.
(I'm a very heavy Logic Pro user and have been since the OS 8 days... back then I used to trim and cut my extensions folder etc, but it's really just not needed these days. In my experience, a stock OS X install is perfectly set up for high powered app use.)
Trust me, there's no way M$ will catch up. The current Vista Sidebar Gadgets are much harder to develop for and have less features. It'll take ages for M$ to even get to the point of where Dashboard widgets are, if ever.
I'm surprised how much widget-hate there is... Widgets helped me remove about 4 things from my Dock. That's a very good thing.
Just click the close button on each widget. Done
You can drag the Dashboard icon off your dock and forget it.
Check the CPU usage on OS X in Activity Viewer: you'll see Dashboard isn't wasting resources when not in use.
PS, I like widgets a lot. Space saved in the Dock, productivity boosted. I run 25 widgets, including 11 stickies and just one frivolous one.
Great advice above. Yes. I like widgets, too. I downloaded one that shows where the stars are positioned above my house at night. My daughter runs in, turns it on, and we go outside and look for constellations. How cool is that...
Give this a shot:
http://amnesty.mesadynamics.com/WidgetBrowser.html
In some cases, you can right-click a widget, choose Show Package Contents, and open the enclosed HTML file in a browser. You can bookmark it and access it that way any time--even the "i" button often works to get to the back side. This is pretty hit or miss, though. Works with Calendar and Clock, not with Calculator or Unit Convertor.
I don't care too much for eye candy, as long as stuff is more functional.
I hope this isn't one of those Secret Features.
I hope this isn't one of those Secret Features.
Creative Possibilities
I like the Dashboard...it is simple, clean, organized, easy to access and elegant...just like my mac.
I love the idea of Dashboard categorization. I wonder if each of the Spaces in Leopard will have its own dashboard? Like a dashboard for your workspace, a separate dashboard for your personal space, a dashboard for your creative space, (or however you use or label your spaces), with each space's dashboard fully customizable!
Peace, we must be on the same wavelength!
I like the Dashboard...it is simple, clean, organized, easy to access and elegant...just like my mac.
I love the idea of Dashboard categorization. I wonder if each of the Spaces in Leopard will have its own dashboard? Like a dashboard for your workspace, a separate dashboard for your personal space, a dashboard for your creative space, (or however you use or label your spaces), with each space's dashboard fully customizable! Peace, we must be on the same wavelength!
Every time I see a new patent I keep wondering when the heck are we going to see the appearance of piles. I useful tech left to rot.
