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Five Free Alternatives to Kick Windows Sidebar to the Curb

Florence Ion — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0600

Windows Desktop Gadgets was a feature first introduced in Windows Vista. They are widget engine gadgets calmly docked on either side of the screen for easy access and can performs tasks like displaying the time, updating you on the current weather conditions and showing you CPU usage. Windows already comes equipped with default gadgets and includes an online widget library for additional downloads.

However, the standard Windows sidebar can seem limiting at times. And even though Windows 7 hides the Sidebar in the background, it's still a resource hog and not very customizable. Why not free yourself from Microsoft’s shackles and venture forth to discover other sidebar alternatives that work just as well and enable you to do some really awesome customization.

Vista Rainbar V4

Vista Rainbar looks exactly like it’s been plucked from Vista’s original Aero interface, but packed with twenty gadgets and applications to decorate your desktop with. After you’ve downloaded it, simply Right click on the icon in your tray, or a gadget on the desktop, to configure the sidebar to your liking.

Rainbar comes equipped with add-ons like CNN and BBC RSS feeds, several analog clock skins, and monitors for various system functions, even arbitrary ones like your optical drive. It also contains some of the original default Vista gadgets, like a Windows Media Player controller and desktop wallpaper view, as well as 14 different skins to bring a little more flare to your desktop environment. To edit your preferences, however, you will need to edit a text file for each gadget, which can be tricky for the computer shy.

We would like to add that Rainbar is bilingual and seems to have been transplanted from France, so don’t be intimidated if you get a little confused with some of the menu items; the preferences and options are all easily understandable for the native English speaker.

Google Desktop

While it may seem cliché to include one of the biggest internet companies on such a niche list about sidebars, Google Desktop is a candid choice because it integrates iGoogle’s user-friendliness and utilitarian functionality onto your desktop. This downloadable client allows you to tack on gadgets to your sidebar, which can display computer statistics, tempt you to play a game, and keep you connected to the web without an open browser window. The desktop application also comes loaded with a photo slideshow for easy distraction from your work, a weather monitor, and a to-do task list, which can be saved to your desktop as an individual file for later archiving.

Google Desktop also indexes files from your hard drive and enables you to bring up a quick Google search dialog box with two hits of the CTRL key. Preferences are simple and easy to set up; the real customization happens with what types of gadgets you choose to display in the sidebar. If the width is too thin for you, each individual gadget pops out into a resizable window. For users with more than one Gmail account, Google Desktop also allows you to sign in with one account and remotely send and receive emails, allowing you to log into a second account with your browser.

It all comes down to whether or not you want one more app in your life swaying you towards Google’s way. Frankly, we think that Google Desktop is a worthy replacement for the Windows Sidebar and it’s the only one out of the five we played around with that we can confidently say is 100% stable.

Thoosje Sevenbar

Want all of the beauty and grace of Windows 7 implemented into your outdated machine running Windows XP? Thoosje’s Windows 7 sidebar brings you the goodies without having to pay the price of a new OS. Each gadget works just as well as it does with the original Windows 7 sidebar and includes standard ones like the Windows Media Player remote, Google & Yahoo search, real-time weather, a Wi-Fi monitor, and a notepad. You can also set up a POP3 email account from the preferences menu for instant email notifications, and change the color scheme of the widgets, though they do look a bit distorted when that option is engaged.

We would like to warn you that in the installer, it will query you on whether or not you’d like the Google and Amazon toolbar installed on your system—be sure to select that you don’t want the added bloatware freely roaming on your system.

LongBar 2.0

We were a bit confounded when we noticed that our LongBar download was only 1.3MB, but then we realized it was because it only came packaged with a drive monitor and a built in notes widget. LongBar may seem like it’s really very minimal and simple, but that’s because it comes with the ability for any user to develop their own .NET based widgets. This application was designer to be an alternative “tile-based” sidebar for the three latest Windows operating systems based on the Longhorn Sidebar, but it leaves all the customization entirely up to you.

LongBar comes with a few themes of its own and pairs nicely with the Windows Aero UI. Since this application was developed for the open source community, it’s perfect for the code junkie who wants an ultra personalized desktop.

Samurize

What haven’t we said about Samurize before? Well, it’s a great way to customize your computer to the point of no return, that’s for sure. There are numerous ways to use Samurize to equip you with the ultimate desktop with the ability to create and run custom desktop widgets. Though Samurize gives you the most options for desktop customization, you do have to take some time either creating your own gadgets or downloading new ones to get the desired desktop environment. Read our how-to for a comprehensive look at how you can use Samurize to achieve the same effects as the Windows sidebar.

Hard Case: Games for Windows Live versus PC Gaming

Loyd Case — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:45:00 -0600

Whenever I think about Games for Windows Live, I feel like Charlie Brown, trying to kick the football that Lucy is holding. Ever optimistic, Charlie runs at the ball, only to have it jerked away at the last second. Games for Windows Live is like that – heavy on of promises, light on delivery. Someone needs to wrestle Windows gaming from the gaming group at Microsoft and give it back to the Windows team.

In other words, give the Games for Windows task to someone at Microsoft who actually cares about the PC. Windows 7 has been an impressive success, and it would be great of the team that’s responsible for making a better Windows for the PC take on the chore of making a better gaming experience for Windows.

Right now PC gaming at Microsoft lives in the Entertainment and Devices division, those edgy folks who brought you the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune, Windows Mobile and Windows Automotive. While the Xbox 360 is finally profitable, the system has certainly has had its issues – red ring of death, anyone?

The real issue is that Games for Windows Live feels clunky and just gets in the way. While it’s come a long ways since the fiasco that was the PC version of Shadowrun, it’s far from an elegant experience.

Steam and Impulse, as examples, usually offer day one downloads of tier one titles. New stuff appears on those services practically daily. There’s little new that ever appears fon GfW Live. Or maybe it does, and you can’t see it (more on that in a moment.) Games for Windows Live offers no games, but does offer downloadable content and an auto-patching mechanism. However, that autopatcher is intrusive and annoying, unlike the way Impulse updates its games.

There are other oddities. For example, it had been some time since I’d played Fallout 3. So I’d forgotten exactly which DLC I’d bought. So I logged into the Games for Windows Live client to see which packages were available. Imagine my surprise when I saw nothing for Fallout 3 at all.

As it turns out, I had to install the game, which wasn’t on my latest production PC. Once done, the Fallout 3 DLC list “automagically” appeared. That’s pretty dumb behavior, assuming that you’re always going to log into the client from your gaming system. I can install the Steam client and see what games I’ve bought, even if I don’t necessarily want to download them.

What’s really going on, of course, is that Games for Windows Live is the bastard stepbrother of Xbox Live. All the attention goes to Xbox Live and the Xbox 360, which is the big moneymaker. What’s worse, Microsoft seems intent on making Games for Windows Live become more like the console connectivity experience, and less like the PC. All those cool features on Steam, like the Steam Cloud? Nope.

Services like Steam and Impulse certainly have their own set of problems, but both services are updated on an ongoing basis, adding new features and new technologies.

I suggested, somewhat tongue in cheek, that Microsoft move Games for Windows Live over to the Windows group. In truth, I’m not sure that’s a good idea either – just take a look at the lack of functionality in the Games Explorer. Well, with Windows 7, you can now at least see your games in the Start menu.

What I really think Microsoft should do is become a tool provider for online gaming infrastructure, much the way they make tools available to applications developers in general. Instead of trying to manage a patching system, make the tools available for game developers to do it themselves, in a consistent, uniform way. Instead of game publishers relying on broken technology (I’m looking at you, Gamespy), offer a rational, uniform set of online connectivity APIs and tools.

Or maybe it’s just hopeless. Anyone remember DirectPlay? That was Microsoft’s attempt to supply wide area networking connectivity APIs inside of DirectX. It was abandoned after DirectX 8 in favor of – you got it – Games for Windows Live.

More Details Emerge on "xpPhone"

Ryan Whitwam — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:15:42 -0500

The upcoming xpPhone from ITG is, as the name suggests, running the Windows XP operating system. You may be thinking, “Why would anyone want a phone based on Windows XP?” Well, it’s probably going to be fast thanks to some sort of “AMD Super Mobile CPU”, and it has a massive 4.8-inch touchscreen. Most people probably don’t want to carry a phone that weighs almost a pound no matter how fast it is, but some will.

The xpPhone promises netbook-like specs including the aforementioned AMD CPU, 512 MB RAM, a USB port, full QWERTY keyboard, and up to 120 GB of hard drive storage. The phone will be available with GSM frequencies for three carriers: AT&T, Vodaphone, and Orange. A custom unified phone interface will be built into the device that allows the user to make calls and access applications.

No one has actually used the unit, so it is possible that the phone isn’t all that fast by computer standards. Would anything that makes a computer easy to use even transfer to this form factor? MIDs worked out so well, right? We’ll have to wait and see. No pricing or availability has been announced.

Windows 7 Upgrade Guide for RC (Release Candidate) Users

Alex Castle — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:30:00 -0500

For a lot of MaximumPC readers, the fuss over Windows 7 launch week might seem a little unwarranted—after all, many of you have been happily running Windows 7 for months now, so what’s so exciting about a retail launch? In fact, if you’re in that boat, the launch poses more of a hassle than anything else, since your free RC version of Windows 7 is closer than ever to shutting down. And when it does, you can't even do an upgrade install of Windows 7, you have to either re-install Windows Vista first, or buy a standalone version of Windows 7.

Or do you? Even though Microsoft’s official stance is that you can’t upgrade from the Release Candidate to the RTM/Retail version of Windows 7, it’s actually possible to do so using a quick, easy hack. This means that you can use the cheaper upgrade version of Windows 7, and do a "Custom Upgrade" to get a clean install. Or, if you don't mind the risk of additional headaches down the line, you can do an in-place upgrade from Windows 7 RC to RTM. Here’s how to do it, in 7 simple steps

Step 1

Insert your Windows 7 retail disc into your DVD drive. Make sure to put the 32-bit installer disc in if you’ll be installing 32-bit Windows and the 64-bit installer disc in if you’re installing 64-bit Windows. If you downloaded an ISO from TechNet, simply proceed to step two.

Step 2

Extract all the files from the DVD (or ISO) into a folder on your desktop.

Step 3

Open the folder you moved the files to, then open the “sources” directory.

Step 4

Using Notepad, open the “cversion.ini” file.

Step 5

This file specifies which versions of Windows are eligible to upgrade. Right now it says the minimum client version able to upgrade is 7233—change this to read 7000 and you’ll be able to upgrade the beta or RC to RTM.

Step 6

Save cversion.ini, overwriting the old file.

Step 7

Install Windows 7 using these modified installation files. The easiest way to do this is by following our boot from USB guide. If you want, it’s also possible to create a new installation disc from these files using the free burner ImgBurn. You can find a guide on how to do this here.

Now, even though Microsoft has intentionally made this possible (and spilled the beans about how to do it in a blog post), they don’t officially support this kind of upgrade, and they warn that it may result in “some oddities,” so proceed at your own risk. Still, we’ve had good results upgrading this way, and it’s a heck of a lot more appealing than paying full-price for a standalone copy of Windows 7.

New Windows 7 Ads - "That was my Idea!"

Justin Kerr — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:56:26 -0500

When you write the single most popular operating system in the world, its only a matter of time before people step up and start claiming that many of the cool new features were "my idea!". Playing up on this notion, Microsoft's ad agency has released a new TV campaign aimed at making fun of the unwashed masses who are lining up to take credit for Windows 7.

The first wave of ads will highlight the Windows 7 snap feature that allows you to easily resize windows by simply dragging them to a corner of the screen. They do however conveniently forget to mention that this can be done a whole lot faster by pressing the win + arrow keys, but if they did, you wouldn't need to read our handy shortcut tips now would you?

Take a look at the first batch of ads below, and let us know what part of Windows 7 was your idea.

Murphy's Law: The Post-Windows-7 Freeware Survival Guide

David Murphy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0500

What's the first thing you're going to do after installing the Windows 7 operating system? If you live in Japan, perhaps you'll go celebrate your new, wallpaper-shifting desktop with some cardiac arrest. If you're one of the stalwarts still clinging to your XP or Vista operating system, well, you're probably going to spin your chair around in smug defiance of Microsoft's latest bit of software. And if you're a Maximum PC reader, I would hope that you're going to treat your fresh new installation of Windows 7 as an October spring cleaning of-sorts.

In fact, I urge you to. One doesn't often get a chance to reinstall an operating system from scratch. Or, rather, it's always easier to think of the hundreds of reasons why it's just not the right time to wipe-and-reinstall the contents of your primary hard drive. Resist the temptation to take the easy route. Backup your drive, give it a good format, and install Windows 7 onto your clean-as-a-whistle partition.

And once you've done that, read the rest of this article. While my colleagues at Maximum PC have given you some good first steps into your new Windows 7 world post-installation, I'd like to go one bit further and list out my typical post-installation routine for any Windows operating system. There are a number of key freeware choices that you'll want to slap onto your system to establish a baseline environment that's as efficient as it is secure--that, and you should really take this time to establish preventative measure that will keep your PC as clutter-free as can be throughout its new Windows 7 lifespan.

After all, bloated systems make Kylie sad.

Step One: The Interwebs

After I've gone through the various Windows 7 settings and tweaked them to my personal preferences (I like my hidden folders shown, damnit), I fire up Internet Explorer for its first and last time... to download Mozilla Firefox. I'm not a Firefox fanboy through and through--especially given the memory leaks that continue to plague the browser in various ways. However, just about anything is more useful, less cluttered, and better secured than Internet Explorer. The helpful IE View extension ensures that I'll always be able to load up the IE rendering engine if I'm in a jam (or navigating Microsoft's Windows Update site). Better still, I can immediately grab all my cherished bookmarks from the Cloud using the much-loved Xmarks add-on.

Step Two: Security

Before I start downloading programs and files en masse, I like having some kind of virus scanner either running in the background or easily available through a context menu. When's the last time I actually had a virus? I couldn't tell you. But I could tell you when the next time is that a virus is likely to infect my PC: never. There's been a lot of chatter about Microsoft's free Security Essentials application. I haven't honestly tried the scanner myself. I'm a time-tested fan of good ol' Clamwin, the open-source virus scanner that's quick to install, easy to run (and update), and relatively scare in its footprint. Whatever your choice, an antivirus scanner is worth its weight in easing your own personal stress over potential computer infections... even if it never ends up finding a virus at all.

Step Three: Decrapping

Just so I can get a good habit started before I forget, I make sure to grab the latest version of Spybot S&D and set the program's advanced configuration so that it always runs on my machine at particular intervals. I like Spybot S&D for this very fact: You can literally "set it and forget it," as the popular infomercial saying goes, and have a constantly updating, spyware-free system without having to worry about starting the application manually. Another nice feature of Spybot S&D is its ability to "immunize" your system against certain spyware "infections." In short, the program adjusts your browser's settings to block out known problems before they occur--a nice bit of preventative maintenance that you don't always find in a typical "scan and delete" application.

Get ready for steps Four and Five on page two!

Step Four: Isolating and Removing

If you're one of the lucky users to get your hands on Windows 7's XP Mode, congratulations--you've just acquired a wonderful virtualized operating system for testing new files you've downloaded. If not, don't sweat it. XP Mode is merely a free, virtualized version of the Windows XP operating system that's designed to run on Microsoft's Virtual PC application. You can download Virtual PC for free and install a version of Windows all by yourself (or grab VirtualBox if you want to run non-Microsoft operating systems). It's not a complicated task by any means, and you'll receive the same virtual functionality as those fancier Windows 7 users and their XP Mode.

The bigger question remains: Why bother? Well, a virtualized operating system running overtop your Windows 7 client is a perfect sandbox for testing new applications without having to gunk up your main operating system. Unsure of whether a piece of freeware is really a fit for you? Worried that something you've downloaded might be more problematic for your PC than good? Do you only need to install a particular application for a single use (like, say, obtaining a screenshot)? These are all scenarios where the sandbox environment of a virtual operating system becomes a useful tool. If your virtual OS gets too cluttered, you can always delete it and reinstall... while still going about your daily activities in your normal Windows 7 environment.

If you're still not convinced, or if you've already found yourself with some unwanted applications on your Windows 7 OS, don't uninstall them--not using their default uninstallation routines, that is. Grab Revo Uninstaller, a third-party freeware application that goes to great lengths to eliminate all traces of a program from your machine. Included in this elimination are leftover files in the installation directory, registry settings that were somehow overlooked by the normal uninstaller application, and anything else that's been introduced into your PC by said program. Using the program is no more difficult than Windows' "Add/Remove Programs" option in the Control Panel, but it's many, many times more thorough than the uninstallation routines you'll find on most apps.

Step Five: Saving

I'll hand it to Microsoft, their built-in "Backup and Restore" feature for Windows 7 ain't half bad. If you're sick of installing freeware at this point, then it's worth your while to fire up this Windows 7 application and schedule a drive backup to run on whatever interval you're most comfortable with. If you're a gambling person (or otherwise too impatient to wait for a full system restore should your primary drive hit the fan), you can select the individual files and folders you want Windows to copy over to a new location per your schedule. You can also bundle this piecemeal approach with the creation of a full system image. You won't be able to pick and choose files to restore should you, say, erroneously delete a folder that you didn't include in your piecemeal backup. However, if your computer goes haywire, you'll be able to restore the full. working contents of the your drive elsewhere.

I prefer to use Syncback Freeware for my backup needs--here's why. The program comes with a strong set of filters for the inclusion or exclusion of files or folders, as well as a solid list of "if this file does/does not exist on the backup drive, what should I do?" options for further specificity. I use both of these elements to customize a file synchronization between my primary hard drive and a secondary drive.

Why's that? I don't really want to waste time backing up files I'm never going to need in the event of a complete system meltdown. I'm the kind of guy who opts for the format-reinstallation of an operating system when danger arrives. It's the easiest way to turn back to a blank slate of perfection for my system, and I really don't mind copying the contents of my music, picture, and video folders from the backup drive to the primary. Well, that and all those program reinstallations... but, really, a meltdown is kind of like a forced spring cleaning to me. Consequently, I only want to back up the files that I'm going to need to copy back to the drive. I'd much prefer to reinstall everything else.

Step Six: Your Turn

Of course, these five topics are the first steps I take when my system's brand-new desktop screen pops up for the first time. This list is hardly comprehensive, however--there's much more I install after-the-fact, mostly programs that are less critical to my system's general operations than those represented by these five categories. What about you? What are some of the first steps on your Windows post-installation to-do list?

Ten bonus points and a traffic cone if anything with the word "plants" and "zombies" shows up within the first five items.

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Share Your Favorite Windows 7 Tips

Alex Castle — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:42:37 -0500

Earlier today, we asked you, our loyal readers, to share your early experiences with Windows 7. We like the responses we've gotten so far, so we'd like to hear from you again.

We've posted several articles sharing our favorite Windows 7 tips and tricks, but we know that there's no way to cover every single awesome Windows tip in just a couple articles, so we're hoping you can tell us what we've missed.

So give us your two cents: What are your favorite Windows 7 tips or timesaver? Hit the jump and let us know!

What do You Think of Windows 7?

Alex Castle — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:48:30 -0500

Today’s the day: the official launch of Windows 7, and the culmination of Windows 7 Week. By now you’ve heard a lot from us about Windows 7. You’ve heard what we think of the OS, and you’ve read about how to make the install process go smoothly and how to get the most out of it once it’s installed.

But now we want to hear from you! If you bought Windows 7, or if you’ve been using the beta or RC for the last couple months, we want to know what you think. Is it a big improvement over Vista? XP? Was the install process easy? How do you like the new taskbar?

Hit the comments and share your experiences with Windows 7!