Although they have been in use for a while, desktop widgets have become more popular with the influx of smartphones. As simple shortcuts to commonly accessed information, widget design has been more popular on the small screen of a cell phone than in desktop use; however, desktop widgets have begun to make a comeback, showing up in news, weather, calendar, calculator, and sticky note applications. Apple has been a huge proponent of desktop widget design and use, offering the Dashboard in desktops and laptops and widgets in the iPad.
Dashboard
Apple’s Dashboard has encouraged widget use by streamlining the Apple desktop. The Dashboard tool allows users to place multiple invisible widgets on the desktop, offering a clean desktop unless the widgets are activated. Through hot keys, hot areas, or the Dock, users can make the widgets visible whenever necessary, but the widgets can again disappear with the click of a mouse, hot key or hot area. Popular widgets such as weather and news allow users to stay abreast of developments with simple connection.
iPad
Apple’s iPad uses widgets to design individualized “desktops.” The applications can be purchased through Apple’s iTunes, and the widgets vary from iBooks to Netflix to Angry Birds with new applications being introduced daily. Widgets have revolutionized the computer era by making tablets easy to use, an introduction that has allowed users from 4 to 80 years old to easily comprehend tablet tasks and uses. Recently, Apple has updated the iPad to make widget use even easier; double clicking the home button allows users to switch between high-use widgets at the (double) click of a button.
Widgets are becoming the wave of the future, and desktop widgets may soon increase in popularity as home users discover the benefits to widget use. Quick, informative and easy, desktop widgets will offer users their most-used applications in up-to-date formats.