Windows Vista Sidebar with Gadgets.

There’s a lot of talk in the press that the February CTP of Windows Vista will see the return of Sidebar (see image). Sidebar is a device designed to take advantage of the extra pixels provided by widescreen monitors.

However, since the February CTP is billed as a full-feature version of Windows Vista, that’s hardly news. And since “Gadgets” is the Microsoft name for the inhabitants of Sidebar, that’s not surprising either.

Just in case readers have forgotten what these things are, here’s Microsoft’s descriptions of Sidebar and Gadget:

Windows Sidebar
Windows Sidebar is a pane on the side of the Windows Vista desktop that organizes gadgets and makes them easy to access. Windows Sidebar is the perfect complement to widescreen monitors and also works seamlessly on standard displays. You can easily customize Windows Sidebar to suit how you want to interact with it—whether you want it always on top or resting below maximized windows. You can also move gadgets off the Windows Sidebar and place them anywhere on your desktop.

Gadgets
Gadgets are mini-applications with a wide variety of possible uses. Gadgets can connect to web services to deliver weather information, news updates, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and slide shows of online photo albums. Gadgets can also integrate with your applications to streamline your interaction with them. For example, a gadget can give you an at-a-glance view of all your online instant messaging contacts, the day view from your calendar, or an easy way to control your media player. Of course, gadgets can also have any number of dedicated purposes. They can be calculators, games, sticky notes, and more.

Microsoft Windows Vista comes with an essential set of gadgets to get you started. You will be able to easily download more gadgets from an online gadget gallery. This gallery will host gadgets from a wide variety of developers and offer an extensive selection to meet your interests.