75 replies to this topic

[TituFama]

Widgets are getting popular because in a single program you get different things on your desktop for fulfilling various needs, now you don't require different programs for different purposeand and it's skinning is very easy.

I'm posting the links of some of the best widget programs for those who are new to widgets.

Konfabulator
Samurize
DesktopX
Kapsules
AveDesk
SysMetrix
Rainmeter

Now tell me and others, which is the best of the best?

[south_anger]

i choose avedesk coz more simple..no coding at all..not use lot of resource...n easy to install..lol...btw im still learning how to use samurize..

[Caleb]

Litestep + xLabel

Dashboard is cool. I don`t really like the use of widgets so its not that useful to me. I just use Garageband.

Edited by aekiov, 19 July 2005 - 03:53 PM.

[Areus]

Avedesk as of right now. Its the only thing I'm used to.

[BellaAle]

i don't like samurize... imho konfabulator is the best.

[Tech]

Avedesk....and some Samurize....

[Power User Z]

My Widget Programs Review

Neither I have any knowledge about developing programs nor I can write widget scripts. In this review I just want to convey what I feel about all the widgets programs as an ordinary user. If anyone finds something wrong in it you please quote and correct it in your reply.


Konfabulator
After getting famous as a great Mac OS X widget program, now it's available for Windows also. This is one of the nicest and easy to use program which provides users an option to use various cross-platform (Mac and Windows ) widgets available without any headache. But there is no tool available for making the widgets till now.
Making Widgets
Widget Gallery

Samurize
It has made it's ground and I don't think it'll ever loose it's root. In my opinion it is the most used freeware widget program. Littlebit complicated to use but once one is used to it, he willn't like to use any other program At the other hand by looking at the new easy to use widget programs it is doubted that it's number of users may decline slowly.
Skins, Configs, Scripts Plugins

DesktopX
This program has developed a lot. If you used it an year ago and didn't like it or found it a memory hogger, now it's the time when you can try it again and you will find that it has changed entirely. DesktopX Pro users can make widgets and then convert them in to gadgets (stand alone applications) which work without the need of DesktopX.
DesktopX Widgets
DesktopX Themes
DesktopX Objects

Kapsules
This is a new freeware program created by andrew which is getting popular day by day. All of the popular type of widgets are available for it. Kapsules makes use of the Microsoft Active Scripting Engine, which is a part of Windows. Using this built-in scripting engine, Kapsules can allow widgets to be written in a multitude of scripting languages, provided that a user has a language's add-on engine installed.
PS: It requires .NET framework
Widgets
User Guide

AveDesk
This is the program which has got popularity with a very high speed. People started using this freeware for using big PNG icons on their desktop. After the release of AveDesk v 1.2 by AndreasV it became a complete widget program of whose number of users are increasing rapidly.
It's main feature is that all the ObjectDock's docklets can be used with it.
Desklets and Docklets

SysMetrix
I don't know it's called widget program or not. SysMetrix is a skinnable clock and metering application. It's purpose is to provide system metrics in a variety of interesting, useful, and cool ways. A lot of it's skins are available on various skins websites. This is one of the oldest freeware and was popular before the arrival of all the new widget programs. It's skins are very easy to make and use.
SysMetrix Skins

Rainmeter
Rainmeter is a customizable performance meter, which can display the CPU load, memory utilization, disk space, network traffic, time and many more things.
A freeware skinnable program by Rainy whoes another app Rainlendar has been very famous these days. But Rainmeter is getting old without any much fame. It is due to lack of it's promotion but it looks equivalant to SysMetrix.
Rainmeter Skins

DashBoard (Mac OS X)
I haven't yet used Mac OS X Tiger but because all the widgets programs are being inspired by it, then it can be certainly quoted that it must be the best.
BTW Konfabulator first introduced widgets for mac OS X and then Apple liked the concept so much that it includes a widgets dashboard in the Mac's operating system.
Dashboard Widgets

Edited by Power User Z, 02 August 2005 - 03:24 AM.

[andrew_]

Kapsules hands down

[zxmn]

i like mac osx dashboard although i dont have mac...

look at this,

http://images.apple....-dashboard2.mov

Edited by zxmn, 21 July 2005 - 02:16 PM.

[Flash848]

I like to use Avedesk because it's free and easy to use.
Plus there are lot's of ObjectDock's docklets which works with AveDesk

[Sushee XP]

Konfabulator, because it's free now

[Siraka_Serion_Semi]

I love Konfabulator but it is using a lot of resources
I hope the next version (Yahoo Widgets) will be better

[gaz-545]

I use both Konfabulator and AveDesk

[Laughing Man]

Used Konfabulator, Samurize, and Rainlender.

Samurize is a toughy to figure out how to create with. Konfabulator and Rainlender are better (at least for me) so I'll vote for one of those two.

[ZingMan]

Quoted from here

Now DesktopX is the only paid widget software.
Will it be able to survive in such circumstances?

DesktopX widgets can be converted to gadgets and using gadgets don't requires installation of DesktopX, that means using DesktopX is also free but making DesktopX widget requires money

Edited by ZingMan, 29 July 2005 - 11:18 PM.

[Integrated System]

Making Konfabulator free will not result in failing of any other program because Konfabulator is a memory hogger
I think AveDesk and Samurize are still the best

[Neofall]

I like the gadget feature of DesktopX
I just switched from Samurize to Konfabulator and still testing it rightnow.

[Shinde]

I'm using AveDesk only for the big PNG icons

[Neutron Nine]

I think DesktopX is the best because of it's possibilities but I don't want to pay for it so I'll select one from Kapsules or Samurize

[Power User Z]

Read my review at the first page