Comments on: Free Up Resources With DashQuit http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/ TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:31:26 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Brandon http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24605 Brandon Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:38:30 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24605 Tod, I found a temporary solution at: http://www.askdavetaylor.com/dashboard_widgets_on_my_mac_os_x_desktop.html It seems to work well so far, but I just did it, so I'm not sure if the widgets like weather and stocks update automatically under this setup. If not, I also came across another software that's designed specifically for this, but obviously, I'd prefer the free version if it works: http://www.amnestywidgets.com/WidgetBrowser.html Tod, I found a temporary solution at:

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/dashboard_widgets_on_my_mac_os_x_desktop.html

It seems to work well so far, but I just did it, so I’m not sure if the widgets like weather and stocks update automatically under this setup.

If not, I also came across another software that’s designed specifically for this, but obviously, I’d prefer the free version if it works:

http://www.amnestywidgets.com/WidgetBrowser.html

]]> By: Brandon http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24595 Brandon Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:23:58 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24595 I have the VX Revolution mouse, and I love it. It's small enough to travel with, but large enough to use as an everyday mouse. It's got a ton of customizeable buttons, and I've got one of them set to bring up Dashboard with a simple click, highly recommended! I have the VX Revolution mouse, and I love it. It’s small enough to travel with, but large enough to use as an everyday mouse.

It’s got a ton of customizeable buttons, and I’ve got one of them set to bring up Dashboard with a simple click, highly recommended!

]]> By: Tod http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24604 Tod Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:43:03 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24604 @Brandon: That mouse button trick sounds good. Unfortunately I have a two-button mouse and the right button is the usual "control-click" that brings up context menus. How did you program your (3rd?) mouse button to bring up Dashboard? I'd be interested... And yes, I like the weather, an NFL scoreboard, Symbol Caddy, and a Pythagorean Theorem that is useful for me. WRT the calculator, I've never liked onscreen calcs. I have my trusty HP 32S at my side all the time and it's easier and faster (for me) than trying to type numbers into a screen keypad. -Tod @Brandon: That mouse button trick sounds good. Unfortunately I have a two-button mouse and the right button is the usual “control-click” that brings up context menus.

How did you program your (3rd?) mouse button to bring up Dashboard? I’d be interested…

And yes, I like the weather, an NFL scoreboard, Symbol Caddy, and a Pythagorean Theorem that is useful for me. WRT the calculator, I’ve never liked onscreen calcs. I have my trusty HP 32S at my side all the time and it’s easier and faster (for me) than trying to type numbers into a screen keypad.

-Tod

]]> By: Charles Moore http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24600 Charles Moore Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:19:13 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24600 Patrick wrote: "Just curious - have you noticed any performance difference in your daily computer use with the dashboard turned off?" Not tangibly on the 1.3 GHz G4 with 1.5 MB of RAM, athough I imagine every bit helps, but definitely a noticable liveliness improvement on my two Pismos running Tiger, which have 576 MB and 640 MB of RAM respectively, especially after several days of uptime without a reboot. CM Patrick wrote:

“Just curious – have you noticed any performance difference in your daily computer use with the dashboard turned off?”

Not tangibly on the 1.3 GHz G4 with 1.5 MB of RAM, athough I imagine every bit helps, but definitely a noticable liveliness improvement on my two Pismos running Tiger, which have 576 MB and 640 MB of RAM respectively, especially after several days of uptime without a reboot.

CM

]]> By: Brandon http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24601 Brandon Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:07:58 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24601 Thanks Tod, it seemed like I was the only one that didn't hate the Dashboard, haha. My so-so solution was to program a button on my mouse, so I just press it and the Dashboard appears. That's fast and easy, but I would still prefer to be able to keep the widgets along one side of the screen, visible at all times. With Vista, it was very handy to keep up with stocks and weather throughout the day by simply glancing over at the sidebar without any other action needed. Thanks Tod, it seemed like I was the only one that didn’t hate the Dashboard, haha.

My so-so solution was to program a button on my mouse, so I just press it and the Dashboard appears.

That’s fast and easy, but I would still prefer to be able to keep the widgets along one side of the screen, visible at all times.

With Vista, it was very handy to keep up with stocks and weather throughout the day by simply glancing over at the sidebar without any other action needed.

]]> By: Tod http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24602 Tod Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:24:45 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24602 Though I've never used Vista (or any windows after 95), I agree with Brandon above. I have a 23" display and I tend to use the edges for all sorts of things, with the Dock on the right edge. I also like the gesture launcher, Sapiens. What I'd like to see is the Dashboard available as a pop-out thing like the Dock that is easily accessible on an edge, something that could conceivably co-exist on the same edge as the Dock by just clicking the Dashboard icon on the Dock and the Dock disappears and the Widget bar appears. Or maybe a gesture-based opening of the Dashboard. In any case, I know I'd use the Widgets more if they didn't all display on my screen and were easier to access. -Tod Though I’ve never used Vista (or any windows after 95), I agree with Brandon above. I have a 23″ display and I tend to use the edges for all sorts of things, with the Dock on the right edge. I also like the gesture launcher, Sapiens.

What I’d like to see is the Dashboard available as a pop-out thing like the Dock that is easily accessible on an edge, something that could conceivably co-exist on the same edge as the Dock by just clicking the Dashboard icon on the Dock and the Dock disappears and the Widget bar appears. Or maybe a gesture-based opening of the Dashboard. In any case, I know I’d use the Widgets more if they didn’t all display on my screen and were easier to access.

-Tod

]]> By: Jim http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24603 Jim Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:24:06 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24603 Dashboard reminds me of Sherlock back in the OS 8.X days. Really cool technology that never took off because it was too much work to use. Apple really needs to make an option to at least turn it off, though an option to not install it at all would be nice. Dashboard reminds me of Sherlock back in the OS 8.X days. Really cool technology that never took off because it was too much work to use. Apple really needs to make an option to at least turn it off, though an option to not install it at all would be nice.

]]> By: Patrick http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24596 Patrick Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:09:33 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24596 Just curious - have you noticed any performance difference in your daily computer use with the dashboard turned off? Just curious – have you noticed any performance difference in your daily computer use with the dashboard turned off?

]]> By: David B http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24597 David B Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:26:21 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24597 Nice article, thanks for the tip! Nice article, thanks for the tip!

]]> By: Jason http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24598 Jason Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:30:57 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24598 Or you could just go with: defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES then killall Dock Or you could just go with:

defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES

then

killall Dock

]]> By: Noel http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24594 Noel Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:28:42 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24594 Awesome. I literally use my dashboard calculator once a week and don't need it the rest of the time. Awesome. I literally use my dashboard calculator once a week and don’t need it the rest of the time.

]]> By: Brandon http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/10/free-up-resources-with-dashquit/#comment-24599 Brandon Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:06:47 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/?p=5716#comment-24599 I've actually got a request for just the opposite. One of the things I liked about Vista was the "Sidebar" (kind of like their version of Dashboard) was always visible, just like the Dock on MACs. That made it easy to quickly glance over and see the current weather, stock quotes, etc. from any screen. But with Dashboard, you have to trigger it yourself, so do you know if there's anything that will make the widgets a permanent fixture along the side of the screen? I’ve actually got a request for just the opposite. One of the things I liked about Vista was the “Sidebar” (kind of like their version of Dashboard) was always visible, just like the Dock on MACs.

That made it easy to quickly glance over and see the current weather, stock quotes, etc. from any screen.

But with Dashboard, you have to trigger it yourself, so do you know if there’s anything that will make the widgets a permanent fixture along the side of the screen?

]]>