Heading Back to 2005 - Widget Apps?

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Are there any small widget apps out there that are still supported?

This all started when I had the Spotify app showing me what was currently playing on the right hand side of the window.

I then thought it would be nice to have a little widget on the desktop to show me this as I have two screens so can afford to waste some space on the desktop.  Updated the app and then the right hand panel disappeared - turns out it's experimental but now I've updated, I can't get it back.

Found that Windows 11 has it's own widget system but it's rubbish as all the widgets are in a little flyout thing that opens and closes.  The spotify widget just wants me to play whatever instead of showing me nice album art and stuff, so that's a shame.

I discovered I can press WINDOWS KEY + G and it'll open up a little thing where I can "pin" widgets but it's not that nice.

I don't really want to install another program but if there is one that plays nicely with Spotify then I may be convinced.

Cheers

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I think Rainmeter would do this?

I just took a quick look and found this Spotify Player Rainmeter Skin.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

On 09/06/2023 at 15:35, Nick H. said:

I think Rainmeter would do this?

I just took a quick look and found this Spotify Player Rainmeter Skin.

That skin doesn't work any more.

I don't think it's possible any more.  Shame really but I might take a look at Rainmeter again and see if there's anything else I may use.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

On 27/06/2023 at 08:39, Sir Topham Hatt said:

That skin doesn't work any more.

I don't think it's possible any more.  Shame really but I might take a look at Rainmeter again and see if there's anything else I may use.

Well that was just supposed to be an example anyway.

I've taken another look and it seems that Spotify support can be a bit iffy. But I would still think that Rainmeter is the best way to achieve this, and it comes with plenty of other options for desktop items as well!

[xrobwx71]

I've used Rainmeter for years and it has limits but not many.

[+mram Subscriber²]

On 09/06/2023 at 07:31, Sir Topham Hatt said:

I then thought it would be nice to have a little widget on the desktop to show me this as I have two screens so can afford to waste some space on the desktop.  Updated the app and then the right hand panel disappeared - turns out it's experimental but now I've updated, I can't get it back.

Emphasis mine ^

This.  This is completely lost on Microsoft.  Widgets shined in the era of big monitors (which still exist) and using that extra space.  Nowadays, regretfully, they seem to think that you're maximizing your screens or using your huge screens in a perfectly split window instead of, you know, having windows.

Except of course for the weather which they'll happily put on the taskbar.  But that's literally the only app they allow at-a-glance.  Everything else - all other widgets - are effectively "launched" by opening the panel.  If I wanted to "launch" something, I'd launch the app that gives me all the information.

Omnipresent minimalistic information is good, and should be a user choice.  I thought Rainmeter did this.  I also thought I heard something that said MS was considering or doing this in an upcoming release.  I mean honestly, Microsoft, what the frick is a desktop for?  If it's not to place information or data, then have all apps go through start or file manager.  Putting data on the desktop should be a user choice.  Widgets are a UX problem not a design problem -- it's almost like having a car but only being able to park it at your destination, which you constantly have to walk to.  There's just no point to minimal information when it's not at-a-glance.

Gee, do I launch the app that shows me some of the weather, or launch the app that shows me all of the weather?
Gee, do I launch the app that shows me some of the stocks, or launch the app that shows me full stock info?

The key difference is the user effort - you have to perform an action to get the data instead of just looking at that spot on your taskbar or widget that is omnipresent.