Google Gadgets vs. Yahoo! Widgets vs. Vista Gadgets [modified]
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I will be working soon on a desktop widget/gadget project, I am beginning to gather information on these and trying to pick the best road to success. ;) I googled some and found a few[^] of comparison[^] blog posts[^] but am not sure which platform/framework I should use. I have used only Google Gadgets before (on WinXP) but threw them away when I switched to Vista because of the integrated sidebar in the newest Microsoft OS. Now I need to develop a widget in order to boost some business and there are just a couple of items that I find interesting: user base (the more attention we can get the better), ease of development / tools / capability (as in - how sophisticated widgets can be created using a particular framework). So, which one would you choose if you wanted to get to as many people as possible? It seems like the highest widget count belongs to Yahoo!, but this may only mean they have been there first. Also, I know Vista sales are not so high, but still every Vista user gets his sidebar pre-installed and there's no requirement of installing any 3rd party products. Oh, I forgot to add - it would be nice if the widget was cross platform and could run on Windows and Mac at least, Linux is not so important. Vista Gadgets are out of question then, I guess. ;) But from the two left - perhaps one is better on that field? I know Yahoo! (Konfabulator) was on Macs first.
Kind regards, Pawel Krakowiak Miraculum Software[^]
modified on Monday, December 10, 2007 6:17:31 AM
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I will be working soon on a desktop widget/gadget project, I am beginning to gather information on these and trying to pick the best road to success. ;) I googled some and found a few[^] of comparison[^] blog posts[^] but am not sure which platform/framework I should use. I have used only Google Gadgets before (on WinXP) but threw them away when I switched to Vista because of the integrated sidebar in the newest Microsoft OS. Now I need to develop a widget in order to boost some business and there are just a couple of items that I find interesting: user base (the more attention we can get the better), ease of development / tools / capability (as in - how sophisticated widgets can be created using a particular framework). So, which one would you choose if you wanted to get to as many people as possible? It seems like the highest widget count belongs to Yahoo!, but this may only mean they have been there first. Also, I know Vista sales are not so high, but still every Vista user gets his sidebar pre-installed and there's no requirement of installing any 3rd party products. Oh, I forgot to add - it would be nice if the widget was cross platform and could run on Windows and Mac at least, Linux is not so important. Vista Gadgets are out of question then, I guess. ;) But from the two left - perhaps one is better on that field? I know Yahoo! (Konfabulator) was on Macs first.
Kind regards, Pawel Krakowiak Miraculum Software[^]
modified on Monday, December 10, 2007 6:17:31 AM
Gadgets? You mean those things that take up valuable screen space and add yet more distraction, so that we all are turning into ADHD adults? After UAC, the second thing I did was kill my Vista gadget sidebar. Marc
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I will be working soon on a desktop widget/gadget project, I am beginning to gather information on these and trying to pick the best road to success. ;) I googled some and found a few[^] of comparison[^] blog posts[^] but am not sure which platform/framework I should use. I have used only Google Gadgets before (on WinXP) but threw them away when I switched to Vista because of the integrated sidebar in the newest Microsoft OS. Now I need to develop a widget in order to boost some business and there are just a couple of items that I find interesting: user base (the more attention we can get the better), ease of development / tools / capability (as in - how sophisticated widgets can be created using a particular framework). So, which one would you choose if you wanted to get to as many people as possible? It seems like the highest widget count belongs to Yahoo!, but this may only mean they have been there first. Also, I know Vista sales are not so high, but still every Vista user gets his sidebar pre-installed and there's no requirement of installing any 3rd party products. Oh, I forgot to add - it would be nice if the widget was cross platform and could run on Windows and Mac at least, Linux is not so important. Vista Gadgets are out of question then, I guess. ;) But from the two left - perhaps one is better on that field? I know Yahoo! (Konfabulator) was on Macs first.
Kind regards, Pawel Krakowiak Miraculum Software[^]
modified on Monday, December 10, 2007 6:17:31 AM
From what I understand you have to create a Gadget/Widget and you are having problems choosing the right Gadget/Widget framework. Well as you said, Vista gadgets runs only on Vista and are not cross platform in nature. So I guess it boils down to either the Google gadgets or the Yahoo Widgets. Well both have their advantages and disadvantages. Google gadgets work on Windows 2000+, Linux(not sure) and the Mac OS whereas Yahoo widgets are available on Windows and Mac. The same Google gadget works for the desktop sidebar as well as the iGoogle page which means you create one gadget and it works for the desktop as well as the web. I believe you can create cross platform gadgets as well. I do not think such is the case with Yahoo widgets. But the recent version of yahoo widgets supports Flash as well as HTML. I am not sure whether the Google gadgets support a flash based gadget. Why don't you try out Extensio's[^] gadgets/widgets? They also do have gadgets/widgets but I doubt if they meet your requirements. Have a nice day. :)
--- :beer: Hakuna-Matata :beer: It means no worries for the rest of your days... It's our problem free, Philosophy :jig: "I think my response was 'What idiot dreamed this up?'" -- Mary Ann Davidson, Oracle's chief security officer, in typical blunt manner, remembering her reaction to the company's scheme to brand its databases as "unbreakable."
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Gadgets? You mean those things that take up valuable screen space and add yet more distraction, so that we all are turning into ADHD adults? After UAC, the second thing I did was kill my Vista gadget sidebar. Marc
Marc Clifton wrote:
You mean those things that take up valuable screen space and add yet more distraction, so that we all are turning into ADHD adults?
Yes, the very same. :-D
Marc Clifton wrote:
After UAC, the second thing I did was kill my Vista gadget sidebar
I killed UAC, too. Or silenced it actually with UAC Tweak or whatever the tool was called. I run three analog clocks in my Vista sidebar, resource meter and weather widget. That's all. I have a widescreen monitor, so it doesn't really take up my screen real estate. I am not a heavy widget user, nevertheless my customer wants a desktop widget. I just installed Yahoo! Widget Engine and am playing with it. Aesthetically it beats Google in every way, it's highly probable that I could say the same about functionality, but it's just too early yet to tell...
Kind regards, Pawel Krakowiak Miraculum Software[^]
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I will be working soon on a desktop widget/gadget project, I am beginning to gather information on these and trying to pick the best road to success. ;) I googled some and found a few[^] of comparison[^] blog posts[^] but am not sure which platform/framework I should use. I have used only Google Gadgets before (on WinXP) but threw them away when I switched to Vista because of the integrated sidebar in the newest Microsoft OS. Now I need to develop a widget in order to boost some business and there are just a couple of items that I find interesting: user base (the more attention we can get the better), ease of development / tools / capability (as in - how sophisticated widgets can be created using a particular framework). So, which one would you choose if you wanted to get to as many people as possible? It seems like the highest widget count belongs to Yahoo!, but this may only mean they have been there first. Also, I know Vista sales are not so high, but still every Vista user gets his sidebar pre-installed and there's no requirement of installing any 3rd party products. Oh, I forgot to add - it would be nice if the widget was cross platform and could run on Windows and Mac at least, Linux is not so important. Vista Gadgets are out of question then, I guess. ;) But from the two left - perhaps one is better on that field? I know Yahoo! (Konfabulator) was on Macs first.
Kind regards, Pawel Krakowiak Miraculum Software[^]
modified on Monday, December 10, 2007 6:17:31 AM