Yahoo launches Yahoo! Widgets

I can't think too many people will switch from Dashboard to Konfabulator, but it is certainly a good alternative for PC users. This also looks interesting http://www.swidgets.net/

I tried Konfabulator when I had 10.3 but I never really used the widgets and found Konfabulator to be a huge memory hog. So when Apple released Tiger I thought I wouldn't use the widgets much but have found that I use them more often then I did with Konfabulator.

This is scary for Apple OS X. If Microsoft runs with this Apple could lose one of their major selling points to Tiger. Pre-Intall it on Vista and sell it as one of its new features.

I haven't used Konfabulator, really. Well, I downloaded it to my VPN'd PC at my employer (I work remotely), but because I have the color settings low to promote faster operation, the Konfab widgets don't look all that good (graphic overlaps, illegible writing, etc.). Not their problem, of course, but just a prelim to my comment here. That said, I do not know the history of Apple Dashboard vs. Konfabulator, but I do think that the Dashboard functionality (in addition to being able to park Dashboard Widgets on the Desktop, too) adds considerable benefits to the whole Widget thing. So, I think of Yahoo!'s acquisition and marketing of Konfabulator as a form of marketing for Apple's Dashboard, i.e., if you like Yahoo! Widgets, you'll *LOVE* Dashboard. My concern is that, in the same vain that developers have focused more so on PC/Windows due to the audience size, I hope Widget developers will continue to develop for Dashboard. Or, I wonder if some rocket-scientist-type will come out with a Yahoo! Widget to Dashboard Widget Converter? Hello Rosetta, there'a a freebie for you!

I wasn't impressed with Dashboard. I don't like the Expose mode nature it uses and I don't like the way the widgets float above everything else when you move them to the desktop. Most of the Konfabulator widgets I run are ones I made myself or customized. Dashboard doesn't seem to support some of the features I use like global hotkeys so I couldn't port some of them to Dashboard even if I wanted to.

"Props to Arlo and Perry for their great idea (and let's not pretend like it wasn't a good idea. Old school stuff like Desk Accessories don't count)" I have three words for you: Stardock Object Desktop. Arlo and Perry did NOT come up with widgets.

I don't want either of them. They're not useful to me.

Dashboard does allow you to use widgets on the desktop but you have to enable devmode for it to work well. An easy way to do this is to get the devmode widget at http://www.dashboardwidgets.com/showcase/details.php?wid=671 . Another way is to open terminal and type: defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES press return and then type: killall Dock and press return. After doing this just click and hold on a widget and close dashboard at the same time. The widget will drag off. You can do this without devmode but you have to drag a new widget from the drawer and the widget will return to the dashboard when you open it again.

Apple didn't TM "Widgets"? Apple who practically has its own parking space at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office?

Since I use Konfabulator widgets long before Dashboard, I like Calendar, Weather, CPU on my desktop and Dashboard for Dictionary, Thesarus, Wikipedia and other reference widgets. So, if I need to check my Calendar I type F11 and if I need to make a quick translation or check the meaning of a word I type F12. So far, so good.