What Widgets Can You Not Live Without?
As a former die hard Konfabulator user, it took me some time to get used to Dashboard. I fumed when I couldn’t keep widgets on my desktop at all times (without a terminal hack that is), and generally resisted it. But as time has passed (and passed, and passed) with Tiger, Dashboard has become more and more ingrained in my daily life. I find myself hitting F12 a dozen or more times a day, and get frustrated if I’m on a mac that doesn’t have the widgets I’m accustomed to.
So that leads me to ask, what widgets can you not live without? Here are some of mine:
Ta-da List
With everything I’ve got going on, to-do lists are essential for me. It seems that no matter how on top of things I am, I always forget something. The great folks at 37signals have created Ta-da List, a free online aplication that you can use to create to-do lists. It’s a great app, but sometimes navigating to my lists in the browser is just too much work. Fortunately, Keegan Jones has created the Ta-da Lists Widget to save me the trouble.
Junior Mint
I love looking the stats for my other blog, and Shaun Inman’s Mint is the tops in my book. But most of the time I’m just interested in page views and unique visits, so looking at the entire Mint interface can be a bit of an overload. Having Junior Mint (you’ll need to login with your Mint credentials to download) on my Dashboard gives me just the info I want. Plus, if your traffic sucks for one day, you can be a bit more positive and look at the big picture.
Whooppee Cushion Widget
Sometimes when it’s quiet in the office, I have to break the silence. Or better yet, when a nearby project manager is sweating it out on the phone with a displeased client, I need to make the situation more bearable. At those times I crank up my volume, go to Jacob Rath’s Whooppee Cushion Widget, and rip a wonderful fart sound through the office. It may be juvenile, but there’s no replacement for toilet humor!
So what about you guys? What widgets can you not live without?
Fredrik on August 23rd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
- Lorem ipsum generator
- Calculator
- TV schedule
J Phill on August 23rd, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I love the dictionary widget. I find myself using it quite a bit, in addition to the Wikipedia widget.
Ryan on August 23rd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
BBC Radio 3.1
iStat Pro
Bluetooth / Firewall / Lockdown switch buttons
dave on August 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
screenshot plus (best ever screenshot snapper, custom shapes, preview before save etc, FREE)
application update (scans all apps, tells you about updates available, FREE)
Randy on August 23rd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Radar In Motion. Hands Down!
Brandon Eley on August 23rd, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Corporate Ipsum (TPS Report Lorem Ipsum)
Dashlytics Google Analytics Widget
Istat Pro
I use a lot of widgets, but those are the main ones I use every day.
Larak on August 23rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I have Dashboard disabled.
greg on August 23rd, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Weather Channel widget (use it every morning)
Xcuts (mac keyboard shortcuts)
Dashlytics Google Analytics Widget
Istat Pro
These are by far the most used widgets for me.
Suzanne on August 23rd, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Utility Button!
Galley on August 23rd, 2007 at 9:16 pm
iStat Pro
iCal Events
Delivery Status
Andy on August 24th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Movavi Online
Gmail Inbox
Delivery Status
Vitor on August 24th, 2007 at 1:13 am
-Image Upload
-PearLyrics
-Digg
bt on August 24th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Amnesty Singles is a shareware app that lets you run widgets as standalone apps. It’s only ~$10 and has a free trial.
Really, a great little piece of software.
Ryan on August 24th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I’d love to say I use dashboard but I disabled it after it repeatedly was using 100% processor. So now dashboard no more and I honestly don’t miss it.
Mike on August 24th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Doesn’t the middle scroll bring up dashboard for you? its easy for me like that. never do i ever press f12 :P
Adam on August 28th, 2007 at 3:25 am
I have to say the two widgets that warrant the dashboards existence are – Degrees Down Under, real time feed of the current temp from the Bureau of Meteorology and what one may call its sister application Weather Australia – a seven day forecast (the inbuilt Apple one just didn’t cut it).
At 7.15pm it is 15.1 and will be tomorrow – lovely.
It has coined a new saying that if anyone wants to know the weather, just F12 it.
Jak on August 30th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Wikipedia
Dictionary/Thesaurus
Radar In Motion (live local radar)
iTunes Lyrics
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