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goMac · Jan 11, 2007, 12:20 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2382

What really gets me is this:

"During its presentation at Macworld, Microsoft also previewed My Day -- a stand-alone widget-like application that allows users to track priorities and stay on top of daily activities no matter what application they’re currently working in. It interfaces directly with Entourage -- another component of Microsoft Office -- offering at-a-glance schedule and task viewing without having to launch Entourage."

Widget like? Does Microsoft not understand what the Dashboard is for? The Dashboard keeps windows like this from floating over all my work and getting in the way. Why is this not an actual Dashboard widget?

Dark Helmet · Jan 11, 2007, 12:22 PM

Even then who leaves word running to track their day?

powerbook867 · Jan 11, 2007, 12:25 PM

I don't want that thing floating on my desktop all day.

Ical does a very nice job in tracking my daily tasks...

shifuimam · Jan 11, 2007, 12:27 PM

I think it'd be Entourage you'd leave running all day, which many people in the business world do indeed do. I never close Lotus Notes (my company's email server/client of choice) during the day, or else I'd miss out on a ton of reminders, emails, and meetings. It looks like this tool would keep you from having to use system resources to keep the actual app open all day.

I'm not a fan of dashboard, so if I used Entourage, I can see why it would be nice to have a non-widget, especially if you happen to have a dual-monitor setup. You can then keep something like this on your secondary display and check it whenever necessary. Although, it's entirely possible that Microsoft (or someone else) WILL release a widget that can use the same information this application uses. It's got to be getting it somewhere.

Dakar² · Jan 11, 2007, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

I'm not a fan of dashboard.

I'm not surprised.

shifuimam · 08:53 PM

Was it worth it?

davesimondotcom · Jan 11, 2007, 12:32 PM

Just shorten the thread title to: "Microsoft doesn't understand"

Welcome to the social.

Dakar² · Jan 11, 2007, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

LOL. I'm sure that there are those who only use Macs and Tiger and yet still want to disable dashboard.

<edit>
Dashboard can have its uses. However, I have a dual-monitor setup on both my home and work computers, and I find it indispensable. I'd much rather be able to keep things like buddy lists, sticky notes, calculators, and other apps on my second monitor where I can see them as I'm using another application than to need to hit a hotkey to see them, only to have them disappear when I want to go back to my application. On a laptop, Dashboard could be great for some people, as you don't have the option of a second monitor. Fortunately, with Yahoo! Widgets (aka Konfabulator) being both Mac and Windows compatible, users can have the best of both worlds - Dashboard and always-on-top widgets.
</edit>

Somebody's feeling defensive.

turtle777 · Jan 11, 2007, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

AppleInsider | Microsoft previews development version of Office 2008 for Mac (images)

What really gets me is this:

Looks too busy. I dunno, more like Windows.

-t

ink · Jan 11, 2007, 12:36 PM

What, there's no Growl plugin for Entourage?

Gossamer · Jan 11, 2007, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Fortunately, with Yahoo! Widgets (aka Konfabulator) being both Mac and Windows compatible, users can have the best of both worlds - Dashboard and always-on-top widgets.

What's that about always on top widgets?

shifuimam · 08:53 PM

...

shifuimam · Jan 11, 2007, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gossamer

What's that about always on top widgets?

That is one of the awesomest hacks I have ever seen for OS X. A+

::maroma:: · Jan 11, 2007, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Just shorten the thread title to: "Microsoft doesn't understand"

Welcome to the social.

Yeah when has Microsoft understood anything in this industry? They are nothing more than a carbon copy company that has used bully business tactics to become a giant monopoly. They have never innovated, not once. They consistently and unapologetically rip off other people's ideas and call it their own. And they do it poorly.

zro · Jan 11, 2007, 01:42 PM

I thought that pic was of a PDA.

turtle777 · Jan 11, 2007, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by zro

I thought that pic was of a PDA.

There are cases were thinking doesn't help

-t

Y3a · Jan 12, 2007, 07:47 AM

If more is better, then too much must be just right!

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 07:48 AM

That must be why the zune is so big.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 08:39 AM

Who the heck cares about MS anymore.

My somewhat related rant - I don't like dashboard for the very reasons people like it, and vice versa.
Sometimes a widget is so useful, that I would like it on my desktop when I'm working on other stuff. For example, the flight tracker, package tracker - even Shira mini.
At the very least, I would like the option in Dashboard to keep widgets visible (and usable) when I am on the desktop.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

Who the heck cares about MS anymore.

My somewhat related rant - I don't like dashboard for the very reasons people like it, and vice versa.
Sometimes a widget is so useful, that I would like it on my desktop when I'm working on other stuff. For example, the flight tracker, package tracker - even Shira mini.
At the very least, I would like the option in Dashboard to keep widgets visible (and usable) when I am on the desktop.

There's a hack for that and its linked in this thread.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

There's a hack for that and its linked in this thread.

It should be an option in dashboard, not a 3rd party hack.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

It should be an option in dashboard, not a 3rd party hack.

Dude, how about you read the thread before you keep makin' an ass out of yourself?

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Dude, how about you read the thread before you keep makin' an ass out of yourself?

What are you talking about?

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:46 AM

It's not a 3rd party hack.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

It's not a 3rd party hack.

Oh, excuse me, a terminal command.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:48 AM

Huge difference.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Huge difference.

True.

Gossamer · Jan 12, 2007, 09:09 AM

It would be amazingly easy for Apple to make this terminal command a checkbox in a preference pane somewhere, but they chose not to.

scottiB · Jan 12, 2007, 09:10 AM

I, for one it seems, like the My Day thingee. I rarely have the calendar aspect of Entourage open (and hate flipping to it), so when my meetings approach, I get the reminder pop-up (in 1 hour, in 5 minutes, etc.). Having this floating (or minimized in the Dock) is convenient.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Gossamer

It would be amazingly easy for Apple to make this terminal command a checkbox in a preference pane somewhere, but they chose not to.

I'm surprised there's not a dashboard widget to enable/disable the feature.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I'm surprised there's not a dashboard widget to enable/disable the feature.

Geez, I just said that, but was accused of making an ass of myself. go figure.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:22 AM

When you said option I was thinking the Dashboard prefpane.

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

When you said option I was thinking the Dashboard prefpane.

I wonder why Apple excluded this. I does make so much more sense!

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:28 AM

Seems every point release they disable a few features that people would appreciate. Like dock pinning.

Kerrigan · Jan 12, 2007, 09:28 AM

You've all been ZNUNED!!1

besson3c · Jan 12, 2007, 09:42 AM

This is probably purely a resource allocation issue for MS. It's probably easier to keep their code base and interface similar enough to the Windows version of Office. They are not in business to make Mac users happy.

Kerrigan · Jan 12, 2007, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by ::maroma::

Yeah when has Microsoft understood anything in this industry?

I've never been happy with the stuff that comes out of the MacBU. Years ago I bought Office v.X to run on a PBG4, and it turned out that MS Word had a very noticeable typing lag. WTF, how could they release a word processor that was annoying to use even on the most high end laptop of the day?

These days Office gets the job done but it's ugly and unpleasant to use. Feels like a CCP.

Explorer was a total nightmare, especially in the days before OSX. Do you remember how many times it would crash, or how the page would load and then disappear so you'd have to scroll up and down to see it? How lame the interface was?

Their software is always packed with features, but at the same time, so buggy and annoying to use, that I just don't bother with it anymore.

mdc · Jan 12, 2007, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

Who the heck cares about MS anymore.

My somewhat related rant - I don't like dashboard for the very reasons people like it, and vice versa.
Sometimes a widget is so useful, that I would like it on my desktop when I'm working on other stuff. For example, the flight tracker, package tracker - even Shira mini.
At the very least, I would like the option in Dashboard to keep widgets visible (and usable) when I am on the desktop.

I haven't tried it in a while, so I'm not sure if it's still there, but you used to be able to drag a widget out of it's "dock", keep holding the mouse button and press F12 to get rid of Dashboard. You'd still be holding onto the widget and can drop it onto your desktop.
When you go back into Dashboard it would move from your desktop to Dashboard.

If this "feature" is still in Dashboard it would be one easy way to have one widget on your desktop when you need it. Flight or package tracking comes to mind.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 10:30 AM

^ Another person who read this thread.

mdc · Jan 12, 2007, 10:34 AM

I don't remember ever having to turn on Dev mode to drag one widget out of Dashboard.

glideslope · Jan 12, 2007, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by ::maroma::

Yeah when has Microsoft understood anything in this industry? They are nothing more than a carbon copy company that has used bully business tactics to become a giant monopoly. They have never innovated, not once. They consistently and unapologetically rip off other people's ideas and call it their own. And they do it poorly.

...and the SOB's use the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to keep Apple out of a lot of schools with Education iMacs. Bill Gates is the Anti-Christ.

analogika · Jan 12, 2007, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I've never been happy with the stuff that comes out of the MacBU. Years ago I bought Office v.X to run on a PBG4, and it turned out that MS Word had a very noticeable typing lag. WTF, how could they release a word processor that was annoying to use even on the most high end laptop of the day?
[...]

Their software is always packed with features, but at the same time, so buggy and annoying to use, that I just don't bother with it anymore.

Another typical Microsoft is their attitude of "hey, it's a function! - It's gotta be ON (even if nobody on the planet is ever going to need it)!!!" That alone has accounted for a LOT of Windows' security idiocy.

Hint: First thing on ANY installation of Office under OS X: Turn OFF automatic background grammar check. You're NEVER EVER going to need it, and it makes a very noticeable difference.

Salty · Jan 12, 2007, 10:39 PM

I've always found it crazy that word manages to feel slow on flat out new Machines. It's pretty pathetic when a text editor feels slower than Photoshop.