Windows Sidebar is a long, vertical bar that is displayed on the side of your desktop. It contains mini-programs called gadgets, which offer information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools. For example, you can use gadgets to display a picture slide show, view continuously updated headlines, or look up contacts.

Why use Sidebar?
Sidebar can keep information and tools readily available for you to use. For example, you can display news headlines right next to your open programs. This way, if you want to keep track of what’s happening in the news while you work, you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to switch to a news website.

With Sidebar, you can use the Feed Headlines gadget to show the latest news headlines from sources you choose. You don’t have to stop working on your document, because the headlines are always visible. If you peripherally see a headline that interests you, you can click that headline, and your web browser will open directly to the story.

To open Sidebar, click on Start -> Accessories -> Windows Sidebar.


Getting started with gadgets

Windows comes with a small collection of gadgets, but only some of them appear on Sidebar by default. To understand how to use gadgets, let’s explore three gadgets that you’ll see on Sidebar when you first start Windows: the Clock, Slide Show, and Feed Headlines.

How does the Clock work?
When you point to the Clock gadget, two buttons will appear near its upper-right corner: the Close button—which is the top button—and the Options button.
Clicking the Close button removes the Clock from Sidebar. The button below the close button displays options for naming the clock, changing its time zone, and showing its second hand.

How does Slide Show work?
Next try resting the pointer on the Slide Show gadget, which displays a continuous slide show of pictures on your computer.
When you point to Slide Show, the Close and Options buttons will appear near the upper-right corner of the gadget.
Clicking the Options button allows you to choose which pictures appear in your slide show, control the speed at which your slide show plays, and change the transition effect between pictures.

How does Feed Headlines work?
Feed Headlines can display frequently updated headlines from a website that supplies feeds, also known as RSS feeds, XML feeds, syndicated content, or web feeds. Websites often use feeds to distribute news and blogs. By default, Feed Headlines won’t display any headlines. To start displaying a small set of preselected headlines, click View headlines.
When you point to Feed Headlines, the Close and Options buttons will appear near the upper-right corner of the gadget. Clicking the Options button allows you to choose from a list of available feeds. You can add to the list by choosing your own feeds from the web.