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Widgets on the Windows 7, 8, 10 desktop: what are they for and how to install them?

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Not all people know what widgets are. Although the funny thing is that most of them still continue to use them. In some versions of Windows, they were installed initially, although later the developers abandoned this idea in favor of "facilitating" the system and offloading the interface.

What are widgets and why are they needed?

In order to imagine what widgets are, you just need to draw an analogy with the desktop. It is rare for anyone to find a completely “clean" workplace without any individual things. It can be a favorite watch, a pen, some necessary appliances, in the end, even a homemade cup. With the same ease, you can add widgets to your desktop, as in fact, they are virtual "objects" that simplify, streamline work, or are styling elements.

Widgets on the Windows 7, 8, 10 desktop: what are they for and how to install them?

On the one hand, it may seem that widgets are rather useless elements that only clutter up the desktop. If you want to add them all at the same time and not for a specific purpose, then this statement may well become true. On the other hand, for many people, widgets are as necessary as a watch. Widgets are essentially little indicators on your desktop that will notify you of anything from the weather and time to the number of visitors to Disneyland or the number of passengers who flew to certain countries today. This means that you can choose any indicators that are important to you and have constant access to them. Naturally, all information can be found on the Internet, since widgets draw it from the World Wide Web, but this will take time,

The word widget itself appeared due to a change in the concept of a gadget, which means a device. The first letters have been changed to express that the tools belong to the Windows operating system. If even 10-15 years ago almost no one knew about widgets, and those that existed were turned off immediately after the installation of the system, today they can be used without much difficulty in almost any quantity. The thing is that on very weak PCs that were 10 years ago, the operation of each widget could have a significant impact on performance loss. At the same time, modern technologies have developed so much that today you can install widgets on your desktop in an unimaginable amount. At the same time, performance will not drop even by 1-2%, which gives a green light for their use.

Most Popular Widgets

Of course, the most popular widgets on the Windows 7 desktop, and on any other version of this OS, are precisely the clock. Many people will ask why the extra clock is needed at all, if they have existed in the lower right screen since the Windows system itself appeared and they will be partly right. But as it turned out, widgets are more of a styling element that is optional, but in general helps to save the time that the user spends getting information.

Videos about Windows Desktop Widgets

There are a huge number of widgets on your desktop that will show you the time. At the same time, they will look incredibly stylish, complementing the overall style of desktop design. There are all kinds of neon lights, hourglasses, puzzles, perpetual motion machines and an unimaginable number of other clock variations. There are people who will say that adding such indicators to the desktop is superfluous, but for some reason, almost everyone tries to personalize their desktop on a computer and laptop by changing the wallpaper and adding various effects. Moreover, if the wallpaper is purely visual in nature, then the widgets also have a practical purpose.

For example, consider the weather widgets on your Windows 7 desktop. Think about how often you watch the weather on the Internet? Usually no more than 1-2 times a day, and even then mainly to find out if it will rain and what kind of weather it is better to dress before work. With the help of a widget on your desktop, which is a small window, you can constantly monitor any changes in the weather, gaining constant access to information. Just imagine how long it would take you to view the weather on the Internet if you did it 10 times a day, and it will immediately become clear for what purpose the widget is simply necessary.

Widget evolution

It can be noted that mobile technologies and tablets have played a significant role in the development of widgets. This showed the developers that users want to get the most information they need, which will be displayed on the main screen. If we look at the latest news in the field of show business, the latest tracks of our favorite band, news, any specialized information on the network, then we will spend hours of extra time on this. It is for this purpose that we came up with widgets that make your desktop look like a dashboard in a car. At the same time, you can customize the visual style and any other details yourself.

Widgets on the Windows 7, 8, 10 desktop: what are they for and how to install them?

The number of widgets today is truly amazing. For example, Yandex desktop widgets have almost one and a half thousand different options, including not only such “simple” things as time and weather indicators, but also the ability to receive any necessary information. In the general list, you will find any sites and informational directions from car sales to browsing instagram. Among the popular groups of widgets, the following categories can be distinguished:

  • Games.
  • News.
  • Business.
  • Sports.
  • Entertainment.
  • Reference Information.
  • Technology.
  • Ads.

Just imagine that thanks to small windows on your desktop, you can have round-the-clock access to any news and details for each selected category. For example, you can easily track how fast tickets for your favorite concert are being bought or see what’s happening right now in gaming, sports and other areas. It is widgets that can be called the element that has become available due to the development of technology and the Internet.

How to install widgets?

Installing widgets is as simple as possible. As a rule, in Windows 7 and earlier versions, it was carried out using the installation from a regular file, that is, you download the widget installation file, double-click on it and launch the assistant you need.

Widgets on the Windows 7, 8, 10 desktop: what are they for and how to install them?

In 8 and 10 versions of Windows, installing a widget will require downloading a special manager. Since Microsoft has abandoned the official support for widgets, including many of their functions in the standard Windows interface, you can install your favorite items on the desktop only thanks to special programs.

Widgets in Windows 8 and 10

You can often find a huge number of widgets on the Windows XP desktop, while for 8 and 10 versions of the operating system there are much fewer of them. It’s not at all that the XP version appeared much earlier and they just managed to release more gadgets for it. For some reason, the developers decided to initially disable the widget function altogether, because in Windows 8 and 10 you will not find standard clocks, weather, exchange rates and other elements. However, there is a fairly simple solution that will allow you to use the full range of widgets, regardless of their "version". To do this, you need to download the GadjetPack program or its analogues, which will not only restore the old indicators, but also allow you to install any widgets on your Windows 8 desktop. You can use both the old versions that you are already used to, and any other options from the Internet. Also, after installing the “widget pack”, your computer will be able to recognize the gadget file format. This allows you to install them from any downloaded file, which opens access to any devices.

Although the latest version of the operating system from Microsoft received a heavily modified design and interface, users still did not see widgets on the Windows 10 desktop. This further contributed to the development of special file managers that allow you to manage the elements on your desktop.

Video on how to install widgets on Windows 8, 10 desktop

Summing up, we can say that widgets have the following advantages:

  • Allow you to get the information you need right on your desktop.
  • Do not load the system.
  • Significantly save time.
  • Decorate your desktop.

Although they are optional, as evidenced by the release of Windows 8 and 10, many people are used to them and it is extremely inconvenient to do without additional information on the desktop. They allow you to save time on viewing any information. There are widgets for checking mail, viewing important news in different categories, because their functionality has long gone beyond the boundaries of a conventional clock or weather indicator.

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