- Softonic Rating:
- Good
- License:
- Free
- Added:
- May 24, 2006
- Publisher:
- Website
- File size:
- 934.64 KB
- Downloads:
- 132,094
- Download Free
“Install the Vista Sidebar on Windows XP”
by James ThorntonUnless you’ve been living in a hut in the Gobi desert for the last few months, you’ll know that Microsoft Windows XP is no more, having being replaced by Vista. The new Operating System brings about a bevy of changes, including a revamped desktop environment, designed not only to look good, but also to improve your productivity. One of the key new features is the Sidebar, which replicates the Dashboard in OS X and allows you easy access to certain tools, such as news, web searching and your digital photos.
If you haven’t got the money (or indeed, the inclination) to upgrade to Vista, then you can recreate the Sidebar with this popular application. Despite a rather strange installation process, which fails to provide an auto-run function, the app can be set up and configured pretty quickly and comes with four useful preset ‘widgets’. The tools are a search function, image preview window, RSS feed and a rather elegant analogue clock.
Visually, all these widgets are pretty faithful to the Vista sidebar, although they lack they customisation options that you get with the new OS. For instance, the image tool doesn’t allow you to set the folder from which to display pictures, merely picking photos at random from your hard drive . All the tools are locked within a transparent bar that runs down the right-hand side of your desktop, which gets annoying after a while as there’s no way to minimize it and it ends up squashing any application window you open. Nevertheless, it represents an accurate taste of the instant-access functions you can expect in Vista.
Languages:
English
Minimum requirements for Vista Sidebar XP:
- OS: WinXP
- Quick to configure
- Aesthetically consistent with Vista
- Impossible to minimize
- Widgets lack options
From the publisher of Vista Sidebar XP
If you just can't wait to get your hands on the new Vista Sidebar, one of the new operating system's premier features, this little program should quench your thirst for the time being. Patched together from early Vista beta releases, you can install and run this Microsoft me-to feature in your current Windows XP installation.
The sidebar runs along the... side of your monitor and provides access to "Gadgets" which are basically mini applications such as clocks, weather checkers, RSS readers, etc... They work similarly to Apple's Dashboard Widgets and Yahoo Widgets.
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37 ratings- usability
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- Currently 4/10.
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- Currently 5/10.
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- Currently 5/10.
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so crapy, don't bother with this version!
I thought to give this sidebar a try, and I ended up with a big deception. It is first of all TOTALLY useless, not to mention that it doesen't have an Auto-hide feature. Do you guys think that I c... read more
U got other options!
Hey why not try Thoosje's Sidebar. Just Google for thoosje sidebar and u'll find it. Don use that much resources and it's free!. Is a great program dude. Give it a try...... read more
Thoosje Vista Sidebar
You should Use the latest version Thoosje Vista Sidebar it's stable and has more functionality. Look at the developers website www.thoosje.com for the latest version.... read more
Desktop Sidebar.
After trying many sidebars I find Desktop Sidebar the best. http://www.desktopsidebar.com/ It is freeware and has hundreds of plugins and skins.... read more
Better sidebar
I Have a Tip for a much better sidebar. Check www.thoosje.com Great sidebar with lots of different skins, gadgets for weather, torren search, has a special media player gadgets and lots more... read more
Download Vista Sidebar XP