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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > Widgets? Do you still use em?

Widgets? Do you still use em?
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shabbasuraj
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Feb 26, 2011, 02:13 AM
 
yay or nay?
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AKcrab
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Feb 26, 2011, 02:34 AM
 
Nay.

Dashboard should die. I'm sad that it's still in Lion.
     
lpkmckenna
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Feb 26, 2011, 05:38 AM
 
I haven't used them in a long time, but that's because I use the iPhone for that functionality.

I used to use Apple's Movies widget for theatre info, now I use IMDB on the phone. Same with weather or flight traffic.

I don't think Apple should remove Dashboard, though. That would be a pointless d!ck move.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Feb 26, 2011, 06:44 AM
 
^ Same here.

The iPhone has completely replaced Dashboard for me.

It's still a revelation for iPhone-less/iPod touch-less users, so I'm all for keeping it in there; it's just outlived its usefulness for me.
     
PhilCat
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Feb 26, 2011, 07:51 AM
 
Always,
5 times zones set from Melbourne to Sweden to know
at a glance the best time to call. It's not cool calling at 3am.

Flight arrivals.
The convertor is used all the time.

As long as it's not a resource hog.
Dashboard Client, real-95.1 MB Intel (64 bit) virtual-287.8 MB.
I guess it's more than thought.
     
Oisín
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Feb 26, 2011, 07:52 AM
 
Yay.

I still use Dashboard constantly. It’s much faster for me, if I want to check the spelling or definition of a word, to hit F12, type the word, and hit enter, than it is to grab my phone, slide-to-unlock it, go to the dictionary app, wait for that app to load, type in the word on a sorta-cumbersome keyboard, and wait for it to fetch the definition from the Web. Or just to hit F12 to see what the outside temperature is, rather than doing it on the phone. Or using the calculator or currency converter (though these require an extra mouse click).

Much faster, much easier.

I also still have a Yahoo! Widget (i.e., Konfabulator widget) on my desktop, bottom left, that tells me what song is currently playing in iTunes. It’s second nature by now to have that there.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Feb 26, 2011, 09:54 AM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín View Post
Yay.

I still use Dashboard constantly. It’s much faster for me, if I want to check the spelling or definition of a word, to hit F12, type the word, and hit enter, than it is to grab my phone, slide-to-unlock it, go to the dictionary app, wait for that app to load, type in the word on a sorta-cumbersome keyboard, and wait for it to fetch the definition from the Web. Or just to hit F12 to see what the outside temperature is, rather than doing it on the phone.
Type word. Move cursor over it. Ctrl-Cmd-D.
     
ghporter
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Feb 26, 2011, 10:51 AM
 
Yep. I use it frequently. I get such information as local movie show times, weather prediction/observation data, computer performance information and more with just a click on the Dashboard icon. I have not gone looking for more widgets lately, but I haven't done a lot of new stuff lately...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Chongo
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Feb 26, 2011, 12:01 PM
 
I just downloaded a widget from Qwest to manage my voice messaging service.
45/47
     
Cold Warrior
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Feb 26, 2011, 12:22 PM
 
All the time. 2 weather widgets, 2 clocks, calculator, calendar, and tv forecast. It's easy to use, much faster than reaching for my iphone, waking it, and accessing a particular (and single-focused) app.
     
CharlesS
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Feb 26, 2011, 03:03 PM
 
I use it all the time, particularly the weather widget, the dictionary, the Yellow Pages widget, the calculator the unit converter, and EasyEnvelopes.

Yes, I know a lot of those functions are available via the Web or via standalone apps, but not via one click like the Dashboard is.

Ticking sound coming from a .pkg package? Don't let the .bom go off! Inspect it first with Pacifist. Macworld - five mice!
     
freudling
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Feb 26, 2011, 03:21 PM
 
I use the calculator.
     
macforray
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Feb 26, 2011, 03:32 PM
 
All the time. Weather, clock, calendar, calculator, stock portfolio, news (my #1 use, BBC, CNN, Time, MacWorld), iStat Pro, stickies, etc.... It can be a resource hog on my 2005 Mac Mini, but I have a widget that shuts it down when not in use.

I would be VERY upset if Apple decided to get rid of it. My kids check it every night before bed to see tomorrow's weather so they can plan what clothes to wear. It was actually one of the selling points when I bought the Mini (my first Mac).

If you don't like it, don't use it.
macforray
     
Curiosity
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Feb 27, 2011, 02:36 AM
 
I have a few widgets that I use occasionally.
     
turtle777
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Feb 27, 2011, 02:45 AM
 
About 3 times a week.

Weather and exchange rates.

-t
     
Andy8
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Feb 27, 2011, 05:57 AM
 
No.
     
shabbasuraj  (op)
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Mar 1, 2011, 01:46 AM
 
Hmmm.. interesting..

Seems like some love and some hate.

I think the key is to really find those must have widgets....

I use a dictionary, a local traffic cam viewer, converter

Dashboard is bound to f1.

fast easy and simple...
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Spheric Harlot
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Mar 1, 2011, 03:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by shabbasuraj View Post
Hmmm.. interesting..

Seems like some love and some hate.

I think the key is to really find those must have widgets....
I haven't seen *anyone* that "hates" (except, possibly, AKCrab).

Most seem to either find it useful, or no longer care.

Do any of those who still find it useful own an iPhone?
     
P
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Mar 1, 2011, 05:36 AM
 
I own an iPhone, although only the last week or so. I check the weather widget on occasion, I use the calculator, I take some notes on the stickies, but mostly I check TV programs. It works well enough for what it's supposed to do, although I guess you hack up a replacement with Spaces if you like.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
-Q-
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Mar 1, 2011, 07:27 AM
 
Nope, haven't used it in years.
     
slugslugslug
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Mar 1, 2011, 09:20 AM
 
I have a bunch of widgets installed in my dashboard, but I think I only actually use Delivery Status. And pretty much only when I’m tracking a package (which has become a tiny bit less fun now that I have Amazon Prime—half the time it shows up by the time I remember to add it). I very occasionally use the unit conversions, but I use Spotlight for calculations and a Safari bookmark keyboard shortcut for weather.
     
Oisín
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Mar 3, 2011, 05:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
I haven't seen *anyone* that "hates" (except, possibly, AKCrab).

Most seem to either find it useful, or no longer care.

Do any of those who still find it useful own an iPhone?
Yup, I do. I use the weather widget on that, too, but only if I’m out (or in bed and too lazy to go to the computer).

Type word. Move cursor over it. Ctrl-Cmd-D.
For some reason, that never worked very reliably for me. Sometimes it’ll work, sometimes not. I haven’t been able to figure out what’s the deciding factor.

One drawback of the dictionary pop-up is that its window is non-resizable (at least as far as I can tell), so you end up having to scroll a lot to read long entries. My dictionary widget in Dashboard is quite big, so most entries fit in it just fine.
     
ginoledesma
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Mar 10, 2011, 05:31 PM
 
I use a couple of widgets:

Daily Comics
TimeScroller (clocks in different timezones)
Delivery Status
IP Subnet Calculator - (when I'm too lazy to do things by hand and can't be bothered to do them in my head)
     
fisherKing
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Mar 10, 2011, 10:24 PM
 
weather, calc, dictionary. istat pro. amazon art widget.
just cool that these things (and others) are there at the drop of a hat (or the push of a key...)
"At first, there was Nothing. Then Nothing inverted itself and became Something.
And that is what you all are: inverted Nothings...with potential" (Sun Ra)
     
Eug
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Mar 10, 2011, 11:22 PM
 
Weather
Calculator
Dictionary
Converter
Translate

Hitting the Dashboard key is a heluvalot faster than finding the iPhone, unlocking it, and then finding the appropriate app.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 10, 2011, 11:28 PM
 
I use it all the time.

Weather
World Clock
Calculator
iStat
Converter
Translate

I hope Apple keeps it around. And now, I don't own an iPhone.
     
Brien
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Mar 11, 2011, 12:23 AM
 
I use it for Weather, Calculator and iStat.
     
Salty
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Mar 12, 2011, 03:04 AM
 
I think Dashboard would be infinitely more useful if Apple allowed iOS developers convert iOS apps into Dashboard apps. Personally I sometimes use it regularly for weather (also the iPhone app depending on whats in my hand) sometimes though rarely for stickies, and every now and again for the calculator.

I think Dashboard has a lot of potential, and thus shouldn't be removed, but it should be overhauled. The fact is people find those sorts of things very useful on Android, the unfortunate thing is that Apple hasn't developed it any more for OS X... partly cause they got addicted to iOS.
     
CharlesS
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Mar 12, 2011, 05:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by Salty View Post
I think Dashboard would be infinitely more useful if Apple allowed iOS developers convert iOS apps into Dashboard apps.
Developers can do that right now. Dashboard widgets are able to call helper tools containing Objective-C code, so you can put all the underlying code in there, and all that needs to change between the Dashboard widget and the iOS app is the display layer.

Ticking sound coming from a .pkg package? Don't let the .bom go off! Inspect it first with Pacifist. Macworld - five mice!
     
ghporter
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Mar 12, 2011, 08:53 AM
 
Originally Posted by CharlesS View Post
Developers can do that right now. Dashboard widgets are able to call helper tools containing Objective-C code, so you can put all the underlying code in there, and all that needs to change between the Dashboard widget and the iOS app is the display layer.
Sort of a Dashboard wrapper for the functional guts of an app? That's pretty cool. I wonder if anyone will bother to make that connection and start putting out widgets that mirror their iOS apps. It would be very cool, I think.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
pendragon
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Mar 12, 2011, 09:18 AM
 
I use Ambrosia's: EasyEnvelopes | Ambrosia Software, Inc.

Perhaps it's not as feature-rich as other address/envelope printing apps, but the price is right (free) and the support is first-rate. I just wish it were made a real app.
Harv
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angelmb
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Mar 12, 2011, 02:45 PM
 
I use Ambrosia's: EasyEnvelopes | Ambrosia Software, Inc.
Seconded.
     
philm
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Apr 3, 2011, 01:44 PM
 
I tried it when it was first launched, thought it was great, and never really used it again. Just doesn't fall into my workflow.
     
hart
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Apr 6, 2011, 02:28 PM
 
I don't actually like it but I use it all the time. Calculator and dictionary. I also keep some stickies there.
     
chris v
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Apr 8, 2011, 12:07 AM
 
EasyEnvelopes is great, although I don't mail stuff as much as I used to. Pay bills online & save a tree & a stamp.

I still use Dashboard now and again, but I keep the active widgets down to a minimum to keep down RAM/CPU usage, as my old G5s struggle a bit these days. I probably think to use the Unit Converter or something a couple times a week, though I wouldn't really blink it it went away someday.

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
   
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