What is Digg?115 Comments
- fuckingusername, on 01/12/2009, -1/+84nice but I'm keeping mine bloat free
- Skooma714, on 01/12/2009, -1/+6212 great ways to waste CPU cycles and RAM.
- murk, on 01/12/2009, -10/+70"12 great ways for spicing up"
since when did digg become a woman's magazine? - kd420, on 01/12/2009, -8/+50People are asking for a mirror, but it's working for me. Just bury this if the server comes back to life...
Gadgets, Widgets and Customization
1. Yahoo Widgets
Yahoo Widgets, formerly known as Konfabulator, is a Windows or Mac add-on that installs to your local PC and gives you the ability to add many different individual apps or ‘widgets’ that can access anything from weather, to RSS, to your online photo collection. These widgets can then be placed throughout your desktop. With a huge and growing online community, and with thousands already in place, I doubt you won’t find one you won’t like. Yahoo’s widgets platform is one of most popular in the genre, so you may want start here if you like the concept.
2. Google Desktop/Gadgets
Google Desktop originally began as just a Windows add-on that gave you incredibly fast search capability of your entire PC or network. As it has grown, Google has added a sidebar and a huge collection of ‘gadgets’ that you can add to your sidebar, or spread throughout your desktop. Google as well has thousands of gadgets already to choose from, and an online community as well. Not to mention, some gadgets integrate with your Google account quite nicely. The gadgets may not be as pretty as Yahoo’s, but they aren’t that far behind.
3. Klipfolio
Klipfolio is another great product, similar to the previous two, but they define themselves as specifically directed towards the ‘business’ user. They offer PC monitoring, YouTube Videos, E-Mail Access and much much more, amongst their 4000 ‘Klips’. The business side that they are referring to includes Google Analytics, Wall Street and Help Desk information to name a few. However their business product(s) are not free.
4. Samurize
Samurize is incredibly advanced Desktop customization tool for the Windows Desktop, that is designed mainly for monitoring in depth information on your PC, but has nearly limitless customization capability. Configuration files can be customized for weather, RSS, E-Mail, or whatever your programming mind desires. The included WYSIWYG editor helps you along the way, but it may take some help from the online community to get into the true power of Samurize.
5. Rainmeter
Rainmeter is a very similar product to Samurize. It includes customization capability and a community of ’skins’ to choose from. The community may not be as large as Samurize, but it does offer some pretty awesome skins and could be a nice alternative or used in conjunction with Samurize as well.
6. Real Desktop
Real Desktop adds 3D to your Windows Desktop. It let’s you view your desktop icons in a whole new way, and uses an incredible physics engine to do so. A program like this can become very resource intensive, so be forewarned. The product is more eye candy then anything, but some may actually find some great use out of it as well.
Desktop Wallpaper
7. Dream Scene for XP or Animated Desktop for Vista (or XP)
Dream Scene for XP is exactly what it states. It adds the beauty of Vista Ultimate’s DreamScene to your Windows XP machine. Now you ask, ‘What is Vista’s Dreamscene?’. DreamScene simply changes your Windows wallpaper from static to image to dynamic video. This is specifically designed for XP, so please check out Animated Desktop below if you are a Vista user. See below video, to get an idea what I’m talking about.
Aibek originally wrote about Animated Desktop back in early 2008. It adds the ability to add video to your desktop, just as XP scene and Windows Dreamscene does as well. However Animated Desktop is Vista compatible.
8. Desktoptopia
Desktoptopia is random wallpaper generator for both Windows and MAC, that randomly displays user submitted images to your desktop wallpaper. Easily flip to the next photo, go to the previous, go to the next or pause the current to stay at one you like, for as long as you like. Submit some of your own wallpaper to get your photography name out there. You can even rate the art/photos as well.
9. John’s Background Switcher
John’s Background Switcher is an advanced wallpaper tool, that can really take advantage of multiple images for your background. It can not only randomly select an individual photo from a folder, Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, to name a few, but it can also display many images in a tiled or collage format as well.
10. Wallpaper Shifter
Wallpaper shifter is simply your own personal wallpaper generator for your own locally stored images. You point the application at your own directory, at which time it will randomly generate one of the images to your background. Think of it as John’s Background Switcher, but not on steroids.
Futuristic Virtual Desktops
11. 360 Desktop
360 Desktop is one of the more original virtual desktops out there. It doesn’t create multiple virtual desktops. It creates one huge virtual desktop, that you can scroll at will. It also includes a gadget and widget platform, similar to what we’ve seen from Google and Yahoo. The video below, gives you a great idea of what I’m talking about.
12. DeskHedron
DeskHedron is one of the few free 3D like Virtual Desktop applications out there. There are many free virtual desktop applications out there, with the same capability, but they lack the cool effects that DeskHedron gives you. Another video below to give you a better idea.
So, there you have it. Some of the best tools out there to spice up your boring Windows desktop. I know there are plenty more out there, so throw them at us, we’d love to hear about them. - zombiecarlin, on 01/12/2009, -2/+35Sadly my windows desktop is usually covered with, um, windows.
- chanop, on 01/12/2009, -2/+26I haven't had a single reliability/security issue with either of my vista computers. I'll save $1000+ and just use stardock, thanks.
- bxjdmox, on 01/12/2009, -0/+24It should say - 12 ways to slow down your pc
- cheule, on 01/12/2009, -2/+18Uuuuh it's 2009 guys. His stats aren't 10 days old, they are a year and 10 days.
- createcontent, on 01/12/2009, -3/+17http://www.flickr.com/photos/28817565@N03/31238004 ...
- Wesside, on 01/12/2009, -1/+13Where's your #'s to prove that Mac's are more reliable?
Also the more you Mac fanboi's claim its more secure (sure its secure, but its not invulnerable), the more pissed off you make the people writing virus's, which gives them even more reason to want to ***** your day up. - Scrappy1850, on 01/12/2009, -1/+12some people can afford a computer that has resources to spare and can multitask.
- ArthurSucks, on 01/12/2009, -0/+11Calender FAIL!
- boydrew, on 01/12/2009, -3/+13I know its a mac ripoff but I always install Stardock ObjectDock on my computers as it gives a more polished professional look.
- mhelal2, on 01/12/2009, -2/+12May be they mean 12 ways to slow down your pc.
- bbhill, on 06/16/2009, -2/+12maybe they need 12 ways to spice up their server. . .
- fishpen0, on 01/12/2009, -0/+10Gadgets and widgets are nice, but they just take up much needed space on the desktop. Some of them also like to kill performance.
- Hraes, on 01/12/2009, -0/+916. Huge Carbon Fiber Spoilers
17. A Dash of Paprika - gmiley, on 01/12/2009, -0/+915. Flames!
- aherman, on 01/12/2009, -0/+913. Racing Stripes.
14. Speed Holes. - >mark, on 01/12/2009, -1/+9These don't mean it has to look bloated. I've seen a lot of desktops that use these programs to make their desktop more streamline and less cluttered. This is my current desktop - http://www.flickr.com/photos/34101975@N07/31760021 ...
- GuitarDood, on 01/12/2009, -0/+8Joined Jan, 2 2008 with 72,238 diggs...holy *****.
- jamangold, on 01/12/2009, -2/+10The server's back up but it still looks a little wobbly. Here's the links...
1. Yahoo Widgets
http://widgets.yahoo.com/
2. Google Desktop/Gadgets
http://desktop.google.com/en/
3. Klipfolio
http://www.klipfolio.com/
4. Samurize
http://www.samurize.com/
5. Rainmeter
http://www.ipi.fi/~rainy/legacy.html
6. Real Desktop
http://www.real-desktop.de/
7. Dream Scene for XP or Animated Desktop for Vista
http://dreamscene.org/download.php#xpscene
8. Desktoptopia
http://www.desktoptopia.com/
9. John's Background Switcher
http://www.desktoptopia.com/
10. Wallpaper Shifter
http://cyber-d.blogspot.com/2008/06/cyber-d.html
11. 360 Desktop
http://www.360desktop.com/
12. DeskHedron
http://tokyodownstairs.blogspot.com/2008/10/deskhe ... - GoonPowerX, on 01/12/2009, -2/+10#13: Right-click on pr0n, click "Set As Desktop Background".
- jamangold, on 01/12/2009, -1/+8My bad. I got my years mixed up, which isn't the first time this month. It works out to a more beliveable average of 8 per hour if he dugg 24/7. Still, this guy needs to take up gardening or something to get him out in the sunshine.
- KaiUno, on 01/12/2009, -2/+9... and throw most of your software out the door!
- killdeer03, on 01/12/2009, -0/+7You are completely correct sir or ma'am...
- bbhill, on 06/16/2009, -5/+11worst article ever. why would you want to clutter your desktop with all of this *****? Reminds me of days when adding 5 toolbars to internet explorer was acceptable. I never want that to happen again. . .
- ladyattis, on 01/12/2009, -0/+6I've always tried to find a justification for these widgets on my PC, but at the end of the day they take too much in resources when I'm busying doing any sort of multitasking or gaming. So, why even bother enying them again?
- fuckingusername, on 01/12/2009, -7/+13JD Rucker (oboy)
A 34 year-old male from Orange, CA (US) who joined Digg on January 2nd, 2008
look at this guys profile http://digg.com/users/oboy
***** power user! - Scrappy1850, on 01/12/2009, -0/+5dugg because i smoked pot with george zimmer
- Aceanuu, on 01/12/2009, -0/+5How doth I do that?
- techdever, on 01/12/2009, -0/+5so i says to her i says...
- danlowlite, on 01/12/2009, -0/+5I use Samurize to keep my to do list always visible. Also it tells me if I have a wireless network connection and other random administrative stuff. It also shows what song is playing in whatever media player is going. I mean, I got 4 gigs of RAM...and it's a pretty lean program (5-6 megs).
I find that having the to-do list on the desktop helps me get things done.
I guess though, since you said "usually," that this kind of usage is acceptable. - KaiUno, on 01/12/2009, -0/+4Touché!
- mitikomon, on 01/12/2009, -2/+6very useful too.
- aherman, on 01/12/2009, -0/+4But then it wouldn't be a "Windows Desktop" and the title of the article would be inaccurate.
- jamangold, on 01/12/2009, -0/+4It's because the submitter's shouts are going out and his friend's are digging up the story without reading it.
- jsffive, on 01/12/2009, -0/+4I really like Compiz Fusion on my PClinuxOS system. Desktop Hedron gives me some of that functionality in WIndows, but I still prefer my linux desktop to Windows. And I agree with the previous poster, who couldn't believe that RocketDock wasn't on the list.
And I also think Real Desktop is pretty neat.
But I get all the widgets I need with the Windows sidebar. - serpentis, on 01/12/2009, -0/+3ok :) i can understand this. but nevertheless... voting without knowledge sounds stupid :)
PS the apps listed in the comments above are really usefull :) - Condottieri, on 01/12/2009, -2/+5Rainmeter + HUD.Vision skin = You'll like the way your desktop looks; I GUARANTEE IT
- LilRabbitFooFoo, on 01/12/2009, -0/+3Docks predate Apple.
- TruthKid, on 01/12/2009, -1/+4***** you
- skye999, on 01/12/2009, -3/+6you mean ***** linux has had for years already?
- WoollyMittens, on 01/12/2009, -3/+6Yeah, like you ever paid for any of it. ;)
- Hraes, on 01/12/2009, -0/+3Woooo Opera's Micro Breeze Simplified skin. Best damn thing ever.
- Scrappy1850, on 01/12/2009, -0/+3it was at the company xmas party. we werent watching infomercials
- Jektal, on 01/12/2009, -1/+3Watching infomercials doesn't count
- Sneezyx, on 01/12/2009, -0/+2The Dream Scene tutorial gets my vote for Worst How-to Video of All Time.
- Hraes, on 01/12/2009, -0/+2Savage.
- ScottoGato, on 01/12/2009, -1/+3I've used RocketDock in the past and it worked pretty good. Of course, since Windows 7 new taskbar, I haven't had a need for it.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 115 discussions
Check out the new & improved 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is