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Yahoo Updates Konfabulator
An anonymous reader writes "InformationWeek is reporting that Yahoo! has released a new version of Konfabulator, now rechristened 'Yahoo Widget Engine'. From the article: 'Widgets are useful to portals because they can draw users to their services directly from the desktop, without first having to launch a browser. By providing a more direct route, portals are trying to increase the use of their services, which are tied to online advertising. Yahoo rival search engine Google Inc. also offers widgets.'"
I hate it and can't get it to go away.
There is no "uninstall" in the program group, and it does not show up in Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs.
I just want it to go away.
We must be alert to the danger that public policy could become captive to a scientific-technological elite. - Eisenhower
I can't seem to find where the post you're making fun of even mentions Apple Dashboard.
This is one of those programs that you've gotta download to decide if you like it. I think it's good looking, and I like having a calendar and notepad on my desktop. I also like that you can change the "widgets." ie--the "slide show" had options for how long to show each slide, but I use it to show my syllabi so I know my homework and I didn't want it to change. So I got the "Widget converter" and added a "change slides never" option to the preferences menu (which now changes the slides ever zero seconds). It took me all of 5 minutes and I have essentially zero programming experience. I recommend looking through the "Widgets" to see if you think there's anything useful, and decide if it's worth its cost in RAM usage (which I haven't found to be too bad).
A little unclear on what a "widget" is, are we?
Widgets are little browser components that use Web technologies like HTTP for the static stuff and AJAX for the interactive stuff to present the user with information or provide small, single-use applications.
Google Desktop sidebar plug-ins aren't widgets, which is why they don't call them widgets. They call them sidebar plugins.
It was pretty cool for about two weeks, but once the appeal of the the cutesy gamey widgets wear out (or take up too much screen space), there are few that offer any real utility that isn't matched elsewhere more easily. A well-equipped Firefox can easily replace most of the widgets (ex. Forcastfox, Foxytunes, etc.). And really, who needs half a dozen portal widgets? Leave Firefox open and in two clicks you can select a different search function, then search away wherever (though certainly not torrentspy.com cough cough cough).
The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it. - William Gibson
I believe the point of these widget development/runtime engines is to provide a method of developing/deploying simple easy-to-create applications. With a stressing on "easy to create".
Instead of having to write alot of C/C++ or Java code and worry about compatibility and lots of other issues, you can just (from my understanding) follow a method the engine outlines (in this case I believe primarily XML, maybe some javascript) and create a small very specific desktop application.
Widgets for Konfabulator are a lot easier to make. This encourages a lot more community than the Apple widgets. However, since they are easier to make, you also see quite a few buggy widgets (although there are by no means a shortage of good widgets). You might as well give it a try, see if there are widgets out there that you like better than the apple ones.
One can ask if Dashboard is a rip-off of Konfabulator and it would be a very good question. Apple swears up and down it was an independent creation...however...
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