A Windows 8 widget to replace the Windows 7 Weather gadget?

By Elliot B.
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Grand Master

Elliot B.

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What about the default Weather app on the Start Screen? Doesn't that show the same info?

I bypass the Start screen using Start8.

I want a desktop widget.

Proficient

yowanvista

Posted
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You can install the Windows 7 gadgets..

http://winaero.com/blog/exclisuve-how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-and-sidebar-back-in-windows-8/

Grand Master

Max Norris

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Personally I'm with post #2, I'd have just stuck with a weather app, but if you prefer something on the desktop there's always stuff like RainMeter, a fair number of weather skins for it that can be easily modified and pretty easy to work with. Just for some ideas or a place to start, http://browse.deviantart.com/customization/skins/sysmonitor/rainmeter/?q=weather

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siah1214

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People really are stubborn.

The only difference between the tile and the gadget is that the gadget has a 3 day forecast.

One click and you have 10 days, another click and you get a detailed forecast of those days.

Not only that but you can have multiple towns and cities, all at a glance. So again, why are people so damn stubborn? Metro meets your needs and more, but you hate it so much you don't use it when it would help you.

Grand Master

BeerFan

Posted
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People really are stubborn.

The only difference between the tile and the gadget is that the gadget has a 3 day forecast.

One click and you have 10 days, another click and you get a detailed forecast of those days.

Not only that but you can have multiple towns and cities, all at a glance. So again, why are people so damn stubborn? Metro meets your needs and more, but you hate it so much you don't use it when it would help you.

I don't think I'm being stubborn at all. It's a matter of preference for me. Why am I still using the gadget? Because I spend 99.99% of my time on the Desktop. And i want a small, efficient, and non-full screen way of displaying weather information at all times. Gadgets fit that bill perfectly. The Weather gadget just sits there doing what it's supposed to do at all times and I can continue to work with as many different open windows as I want (such an outdated idea, i know!). I have absolutely no reason to want to switch back to the horridly busy, ugly, disorganized, cluttered (by default until you de-clutter it) Metro Start Screen to see the automagically updating "live" tile. (oooooh, wow! software that provides information to me? it's like magic! what a great brand-new concept! oh wait...) And I have even less reason to ever use the absolutely crappy Metro weather app. On my awesome 30" monitor, why the hell would i ever want to switch over to a space-wasting, inefficient, slow-loading, full screen display of information that can easily fit into a tiny portion in the upper right corner of my Desktop?

I disagree with your statement that Metro meets my needs. It may meet yours, but it simply does not meet mine.

  • Tim Beckwith, dogmatix and Dashel
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Grand Master

Steven P. Administrators

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I also use the Windows 7 gadgets. I like being able to glance at the Weather, Calendar and CPU/Memory widget right on my second screen. They are always in a visible spot as well, I agree with the OP it's better than having to toggle to the start screen or task manager to see stuff that was already included with Vista and 7 if you wanted it.

  • Elliot B. and Arceles
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Sekyal

Posted
Posted

Just so you know, you don't have to do apps full screen only, you can also snapped the Weather to one side if it is that important to you. I would think it far easier to keep the weather app open (doesn't use resources in background) and easily flip to it using Alt+tab or app switcher and get all the info you could ever want at a glance.

There are also some apps now that combine several tools to be used in the snap setup, so can do weather and other things, similar to gadgets.

Grand Master

Dashel

Posted
Posted

Yes, we are quite aware of how to snap and switch things. Reread osu's excellent post.

If you are 'flipping' or 'switching' to it, you can't also use the words 'at a glance'. That is reserved for the Desktop. Eyeballs, rotate!

Weather is fine on RT, but the gadget is better on the Desktop.

  • Tim Beckwith, dogmatix and BeerFan
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