Windows Sidebar: Difference between revisions
Giantsteen (talk | contribs) (added Sideshow) |
Giantsteen (talk | contribs) (cleaned up page; more consistancy) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
== Windows 98 == | ==Internet Explorer 4/Desktop Update== | ||
A sidebar-like | ===Windows 98=== | ||
A sidebar-like object was included with Windows 98 (First Edition). It was HTML based and very different from the one later included with Windows NT 6.X. | |||
==Sideshow== | ''This sidebar is not affiliated with any of the projects starting with Sideshow ane beyond'' | ||
==Evolution== | |||
===Sideshow=== | |||
Before Longhorn, during PDC 2001, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Sideshow, which was to be used alongside Windows 2000, ME, and XP. It was a sidebar where emails could be retreived, people can socialize, weather forecasts can be accessed, and so could traffic updates. One build of this program was released. It does work on Windows 95 and Windows 98 with a special fix, but it works on all operating systems up through Windows 8, but many of the tags don't work due to its old age. Some can be rejuvinated by reentering the code in the test apps located in the program's files. | Before Longhorn, during PDC 2001, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Sideshow, which was to be used alongside Windows 2000, ME, and XP. It was a sidebar where emails could be retreived, people can socialize, weather forecasts can be accessed, and so could traffic updates. One build of this program was released. It does work on Windows 95 and Windows 98 with a special fix, but it works on all operating systems up through Windows 8, but many of the tags don't work due to its old age. Some can be rejuvinated by reentering the code in the test apps located in the program's files. | ||
| Line 9: | Line 14: | ||
This developing product was soon integrated with Longhorn. A video presentation of this program is avaliable on YouTube. | This developing product was soon integrated with Longhorn. A video presentation of this program is avaliable on YouTube. | ||
== Early Longhorn == | ===Early Longhorn=== | ||
The Windows Sidebar was being tested in very early Longhorn builds, even the earliest being 3683. The sidebar began as running side by side in explorer.exe. With an analog clock, and a picture preview pane, it was slightly bare but it's typical for it to be that way in early builds. In build 3706, the taskbar was merged in with the sidebar, but was proved to be unreliable and was removed and put back into its original state. From the 3xxx to the 403x builds, the sidebar appearence was the same as the [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Plex|Plex]] theme and was automatically transparent in earlier builds without having [[Desktop Composition Engine|Desktop Composition Engine]] running. | The Windows Sidebar was being tested in very early Longhorn builds, even the earliest being 3683. The sidebar began as running side by side in explorer.exe. With an analog clock, and a picture preview pane, it was slightly bare but it's typical for it to be that way in early builds. In build 3706, the taskbar was merged in with the sidebar, but was proved to be unreliable and was removed and put back into its original state. From the 3xxx to the 403x builds, the sidebar appearence was the same as the [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Plex|Plex]] theme and was automatically transparent in earlier builds without having [[Desktop Composition Engine|Desktop Composition Engine]] running. | ||
== Later Longhorn Builds == | ===Later Longhorn Builds=== | ||
Microsoft later scrapped the [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Plex|Plex]] theme and started with a new [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Slate|Slate]] theme. The sidebar was now black and could be easily turned transparent in Longhorn build 4074 by enabling the MILDesktop registry key. The sidebar did not exist in 64-bit builds, such as: | Microsoft later scrapped the [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Plex|Plex]] theme and started with a new [[Windows:Visual_Styles:Slate|Slate]] theme. The sidebar was now black and could be easily turned transparent in Longhorn build 4074 by enabling the MILDesktop registry key. The sidebar did not exist in 64-bit builds, such as: | ||
| Line 22: | Line 27: | ||
== Omega-13 Reset == | ===Omega-13 Reset=== | ||
The Windows Sidebar is not shown in early reset builds until 5219. Windows Vista build 5219 is the first build after the reset to recieve the sidebar (after it leaked seperatly from the build itself and had given users the ability to download it) after complaints from beta testers. Builds 5048 and 5112 (Pre Beta and Beta) did not recieve a sidebar because Microsoft planned on not implementing it, but after complaints, they decided to recompile it and make it stabler and run it as a seperate application called SIDEBAR.EXE instead of running it with EXPLORER.EXE because that was what was causing memory leaks. | The Windows Sidebar is not shown in early reset builds until 5219. Windows Vista build 5219 is the first build after the reset to recieve the sidebar (after it leaked seperatly from the build itself and had given users the ability to download it) after complaints from beta testers. Builds 5048 and 5112 (Pre Beta and Beta) did not recieve a sidebar because Microsoft planned on not implementing it, but after complaints, they decided to recompile it and make it stabler and run it as a seperate application called SIDEBAR.EXE instead of running it with EXPLORER.EXE because that was what was causing memory leaks. | ||
== Vista RTM == | ===Vista RTM=== | ||
Windows Vista was released with the sidebar which contained 10 widgets. | Windows Vista was released with the sidebar which contained 10 widgets. | ||
== During Windows 7 Development == | ===During Windows 7 Development=== | ||
During the develoopment of Windows 7, Microsoft took a different approach. They removed the bar, and let the gadgets on the side now roam "freely" across the desktop without having to be on the actual sidebar. In early builds you could not align them perfectly side by side. | During the develoopment of Windows 7, Microsoft took a different approach. They removed the bar, and let the gadgets on the side now roam "freely" across the desktop without having to be on the actual sidebar. In early builds you could not align them perfectly side by side. | ||
== Windows 7 | ===Windows 7 and onward=== | ||
The | The black sidebar in Vista has since been removed, but still uses the program name SIDEBAR.EXE. It is now referred to as just "gadgets" because they are free to roam anywhere on the desktop. Windows 8 has the same program yet the Media Player/Center app was removed ever since Microsoft has removed Windows Media Center from its operating system. Since then, the Sidebar has not changed and Microsoft is most likely hindering its further development. | ||
== Windows | ==Windows Gadgets no longer avaliable== | ||
The development of Windows 8 and the small usage of the sidebar has caused Microsoft to shut down the Windows Desktop Gadget Gallery. You can no longer download or upload gadgets, though it is possible to find gadgets on third party websites. | |||
Revision as of 20:16, 29 July 2012
Internet Explorer 4/Desktop Update
Windows 98
A sidebar-like object was included with Windows 98 (First Edition). It was HTML based and very different from the one later included with Windows NT 6.X.
This sidebar is not affiliated with any of the projects starting with Sideshow ane beyond
Evolution
Sideshow
Before Longhorn, during PDC 2001, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Sideshow, which was to be used alongside Windows 2000, ME, and XP. It was a sidebar where emails could be retreived, people can socialize, weather forecasts can be accessed, and so could traffic updates. One build of this program was released. It does work on Windows 95 and Windows 98 with a special fix, but it works on all operating systems up through Windows 8, but many of the tags don't work due to its old age. Some can be rejuvinated by reentering the code in the test apps located in the program's files.
This program has a bug by turning black when trying to change its appearence in operating systems newer than Windows XP.
This developing product was soon integrated with Longhorn. A video presentation of this program is avaliable on YouTube.
Early Longhorn
The Windows Sidebar was being tested in very early Longhorn builds, even the earliest being 3683. The sidebar began as running side by side in explorer.exe. With an analog clock, and a picture preview pane, it was slightly bare but it's typical for it to be that way in early builds. In build 3706, the taskbar was merged in with the sidebar, but was proved to be unreliable and was removed and put back into its original state. From the 3xxx to the 403x builds, the sidebar appearence was the same as the Plex theme and was automatically transparent in earlier builds without having Desktop Composition Engine running.
Later Longhorn Builds
Microsoft later scrapped the Plex theme and started with a new Slate theme. The sidebar was now black and could be easily turned transparent in Longhorn build 4074 by enabling the MILDesktop registry key. The sidebar did not exist in 64-bit builds, such as:
- Longhorn 4074 x64
- Longhorn 4083 x64
The last Longhorn build to contain the sidebar was Longhorn 4093. It has a glossy touch up of Slate but was mostly broken due to the unstableness of the build.
Omega-13 Reset
The Windows Sidebar is not shown in early reset builds until 5219. Windows Vista build 5219 is the first build after the reset to recieve the sidebar (after it leaked seperatly from the build itself and had given users the ability to download it) after complaints from beta testers. Builds 5048 and 5112 (Pre Beta and Beta) did not recieve a sidebar because Microsoft planned on not implementing it, but after complaints, they decided to recompile it and make it stabler and run it as a seperate application called SIDEBAR.EXE instead of running it with EXPLORER.EXE because that was what was causing memory leaks.
Vista RTM
Windows Vista was released with the sidebar which contained 10 widgets.
During Windows 7 Development
During the develoopment of Windows 7, Microsoft took a different approach. They removed the bar, and let the gadgets on the side now roam "freely" across the desktop without having to be on the actual sidebar. In early builds you could not align them perfectly side by side.
Windows 7 and onward
The black sidebar in Vista has since been removed, but still uses the program name SIDEBAR.EXE. It is now referred to as just "gadgets" because they are free to roam anywhere on the desktop. Windows 8 has the same program yet the Media Player/Center app was removed ever since Microsoft has removed Windows Media Center from its operating system. Since then, the Sidebar has not changed and Microsoft is most likely hindering its further development.
Windows Gadgets no longer avaliable
The development of Windows 8 and the small usage of the sidebar has caused Microsoft to shut down the Windows Desktop Gadget Gallery. You can no longer download or upload gadgets, though it is possible to find gadgets on third party websites.
