Mac Sidebar?
I realize that maybe 90% of people out here will bite my head off for even suggesting stealing an idea from Microsoft, but hey, MS does it to us all the time, why not steal back??
So I just looked at a snapshot of the newest build of Windows Vista and notived that besides the obvious rip off of Mac's beautiful GUI that's been standard since OS X debuted, and realized that there is in fact one thing that I like. The new sidebar in Windows (I say new because the original sidebar from the firs build of Longhorn was not nearly as nice looking) is actually quite nice Vista Screenshot . I really like what they've done with the clock and photos, and couldn't help but thinking that it would look quite nice tucked at the side of my iMac's widescreen.
Has anyone heard of an application for Mac that simulates a sidebar? Obviosuly we're not talking about actual usefullness, but rather one that's asthetically appealing. If not, does anyone feel like making one? I would definitely call myself computer savy, but in the writing software dept. I'm useless.
So I just looked at a snapshot of the newest build of Windows Vista and notived that besides the obvious rip off of Mac's beautiful GUI that's been standard since OS X debuted, and realized that there is in fact one thing that I like. The new sidebar in Windows (I say new because the original sidebar from the firs build of Longhorn was not nearly as nice looking) is actually quite nice Vista Screenshot . I really like what they've done with the clock and photos, and couldn't help but thinking that it would look quite nice tucked at the side of my iMac's widescreen.
Has anyone heard of an application for Mac that simulates a sidebar? Obviosuly we're not talking about actual usefullness, but rather one that's asthetically appealing. If not, does anyone feel like making one? I would definitely call myself computer savy, but in the writing software dept. I'm useless.
Comments
Originally posted by guiness
Obviosuly we're not talking about actual usefullness...
Of course not! It's Windows.
Seems to me like we've already got all that in one form or another. I dislike clutter, which makes widgets appealing to me. 1 button, they're there. push again, they're gone.
Originally posted by guiness
Well obviously they could and dashboard is better, but I'm thinking of looks here. I mean, I kind of like the look of that clock and pictures at the side of my screen. I'm not talking about a dashboard replacement, just an app that simulates the Vista Dock. No one's seen anything?
Haven't seen anything yet, and I hate to give 'credit' to Microsoft for stealing, but I tend to agree with you. I hate clutter, but as displays continue to get larger (and go wide-screen) it sort of makes sense to think about a second repository of items. The Dock holds my applications, quick links to folders, the trash AND my minimized windows. They can be hard to see/discern from one-another down there, and might look nicer to the right of my screen, in an area populated with other "OMNIPRESENT" activities like a clock, e-mail (showing me the top 3 messages in my inbox), and more. This is more useful and appropriate than a widget that checks my mail, since that runs 'silently' in the background until called upon. I'm constantly working on documents/etc. while flipping back and forth to Entourage (or Mail) to check my incoming messages. It would be nice to have an extension of my mailbox sitting on the side of the screen, with full read/reply/delete functions built in that didn't require maximizing the host application.
There is merit in the idea of expanding the 'dock' concept now that most people have more screen real estate. I doubt Apple would give in to doing anything that mirrors Vista, but I hope that have something like this in mind for Leopard.