Yahoo! Widgets is now promoting the release of their upgraded widget engine that is now in its fourth installment since Yahoo started doing it with the buy of the Konfabulator Dashboard and they are touting it as a big change and improvement of the last installment.
I could not agree more, it now has reached a great ease of use compared to previous versions, the install can be downloaded to XP (post SP2), Vista and of course Mac OS X ( Post 10.3.9).
For everyone that has been using the Yahoo! Widget Engine so far the improvemtns in this versions make it worthwhile to have endured with it and it comes of as a way to stick with it too giving the improvements and gallery that includes 4000 widgets so far that you can now access from your desktop without using the browser to get them. that along with speed is what i think makes the best feature it could have because convenience will make for a more engaged user.
But as much a Yahoo has improved the experience and the engine so far they are pretty much avoiding the new realities of the widget market and are also avoiding the realization that two of the Operative System they are providing the install don´t need a widget engine because they got their own Native Widget and Gadget engines already.
Vista
Windows Vista already has the Gadget Sidebar, something that Yahoo is now obviously replicating with this release, but why anyone would want to replace their Sidebar with Yahoo Widget Engine 4 unless they are willing to marry with Yahoo Platform completely as their only Desktop Widget provider it makes no sense that Yahoo could not have translated versions of its Widget for Vista Siderbar Direct Installs now close to a year after Vista Release, most of the major Web widget distributors are now adding or are about to add Install to Vista sidebar options and there is now also 3 options for translating widget from the web to Vista Sidebar making obvious that Vista sidebar is going to be the right way to put widgets in the desktop for vista users.
Mac OS X
This is even more confusing that the Vista debacle because Yahoo Widget team got people that were at one time Hardcore Mac developers, why would anyone would want to use another system besides Mac Dashboard in the case of latest Tiger version users and who in their right mind would choose it when Leopard arrvies and integrates even more the dashboard to the dock?..
It is just don´t add up.
XP
Pretty much the only right target for the Yahoo engine and the main one of the three because XP don´t got a Widget Engine of it´s own so it makes it the right place to have it where you can use it and don´t feel cheated into using a option against another.
Conclusion
So if you got a up to date XP (and if not, you should ) this is for you, if you are in Vista or Mac OS X is pretty much a preference thing that you need to evaluate. the other interesting development in the case of of widgets and gadgets is the arrival of the next get Runtimes (Silverlight and AIR) that liberate widgets and gadgets into the desktop without having to install a specific widget engine or choose one over another but use it as a case by case choice and that also empower the actual native engines for Mac OS X and Vista allowing them to work together and be able to use more advanced and powerful widgets and gadgets, where does that leave Widget Engines?.
I think the answer would be : nowhere, they are going have to transform themselves into development and distribution Widget services only; something that makes things look better because there will be no need of engines to have widgets and because widgets will be able to blur the lines of web and desktop by providing a marry of the two and stop being just web app launchers or just displays. i look forward to that.
Now lets wait for Yahoo! to get the memo and liberate their widgets.
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I installed this a few days ago and was having problems with my pc freezing. The Widgets looked cool, but I didn’t have long to enjoy them.
What a drag Russ, sorry to hear that you experience was so poor, mine was good but as i said, we have finally reached the point where the widgets engines are obsolete thanks to Silverlight and AIR, so lets hope Yahoo does get`s it act together.
Russ,
The Yahoo! widgets are pretty resource hungry. Was your video and ram up to par for their requirements?
If so I don’t know what to say. I have had no problems with it either. However, Avatar has a very valid point about Silverlight and AIR.
Yes, my system is fully capable of handling the Widgets, but it could have been conflicting with some other programs.
I have installed on another computer and all appears to be working fine. Downside is the working computer is not my main machine. Oh well. Maybe I’ll gusto the gumption to try again later. Thanks kids!