Using Gadgets and Widgets

Abstract

This chapter will show you how to use gadgets and widgets. Gadgets and widgets are miniature programs that provide information or access to tools directly from the desktop. They are designed to allow you to do or view something quickly without having to open a full-blown program. Gadgets are convenient because they are easy to access, take up very little space on your computer, and they don’t use very much of your computer memory. Does this sound like something else you may use in your everyday life, possibly more than your computer, like an iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Android Smartphone, or tablet? In some ways, gadgets and widgets are the predecessors to apps for Apple and Android mobile devices. Since the apps you download to touch mobile devices are the heart of what you can do with those devices, out of necessity some of them can be quite powerful. Conventional Windows programs have the luxury of more desktop space to work with and easier multi-tasking. But if you like the idea of small windows and applications that provide quick snippets of information or perform small tasks from a small area of your computer, you’ve found it: gadgets.