Windows Sidebar

The sidebar in Windows Vista is a new feature that allows you to have gadgets constantly open on the desktop to keep useful features such as a clock, RSS feeds, hardware monitor, weather monitor, stock quotes, currency converter and many more displayed on the desktop at all times. This feature is similar in functionality to the Mac OS Dashboard that allows you to also have desktop widgets open.

Ig you want to change the properties of the sidebar, such as adding gadgets or changing the location of the sidebar, right click on the sidebar and you should see a popup menu, to add more gadgets to the sidebar click Add Gadgets...

As you can see above, once you click Add Gadgets, you will see a selection of gadgets already installed and ready to use with Windows Vista, you can search for more gadgets by clicking Get more gadgets online at the bottom right of the window or select one of the gadgets that are preinstalled by dragging the appropriate gadget onto the sidebar.

As you will see, there are many options for this particular gadget that can now be set once it is shown on the sidebar. Firstly, if you wish to remove the gadget from the sidebar you can easily do so by closing the gadte with the x button.

If you wish to have the gadget floating on your Windows desktop, you can do so easily by clicking the gadget at dragging it onto any part of the desktop.

You can change the currencies to suit your needs, so if you would like to convert from USD to GBP, you just have to click EUR and select a different currency.

There are various currencies to choose from, once you have made your choice you will see the new currency in place of the old one.

You can now convert your chosen currency whenever you want by just entering the values into the currency sidebar gadget.

All you have to do is type in the value that you wish to convert into the appropriate box.

When your currency tool is floating on the desktop, you can add other currencies which can be converted to at the same time, to do this, click on the green plus arrow located at the bottom right of the gadget.

Up to 4 currencies can be on your currency sidebar gadget, only 2 will be shown when you drag the currency tool back to the sidebar however.

You can drag the currency daget or any other gadget that you may have dragged of the sidebar back to the sidebar at any time by following the same procedure you did to drag it off the sidebar, except drag it onto the sidebar this time.

Another great gadget is the weather gadget included with Windows Vista, this displays the current temperature in celsius or fahrenheit along with your location and a symbol of the current weather.

If you wish to change the location that the weather gadget displays, this can be done so easily by clicking on the small icon next to the temperature in the shape of a tool, below the x icon.

Your location and temperature can now be changed easily by typing in the name of the new location and clicking the search button. You can also change the temperature from celsius to fahrenheit or vice versa at any time if you wish.

Extra Information

There are some shortcut keys you can use with Windows Sidebar to firstly bring the sidebar in front of any other desktop windows, press the [windows key] + spacebar

Also if you wish to tab through the different sidebar gadgets, you can do so by pressing the [windows key] + G

It is also possible to create your own sidebar gadgets, in the more advanced topics on Windows Vista we will show you how this is done.