I've just read a blog post by Leah Calver titled "Widgets suck".
She says:
...It's not only widgets, the entire mashup phenomenon that isn't really working. I'm not usually such a naysayer, but for the sake of fellow developers I think perhaps I could call this one out.
From a business perspective, widgets are leeches..."
So I've decided to share my thoughts here.
My personal take on widgets is this:
It is a nice and cool technology which allows to create a single peace of software which does one specific thing. What cool about it, is that you choose to decide the graphics, the appearance, the functionality - its like writing a short story. If you do it well enough, many others will use it gladly and happily.
But my problem with Widgets is that they force you to put an effort to use them.
I'll explain: these things are supposed to make my life more fun, and easier and more interesting. But they are different application than what I already have on my computer. I have to "manually" see them: on Mac it's pressing the key, on Windows its minimizing all windows. That's a usability problem.
Not to mention, that widgets are huge time burner, of course.
I think though, there's a solution possible to this. As our screens are getting bigger in size, time will come when 30 incher will sit on my desk. After working awhile with such a monster, I know that my field of view doesn't catch full 30" without turning my head over. So, dissecting screen area estate to a "constant" part where widgets would sit and give me useful information, and "dynamic" part which will serve as today's monitors (for applications that is), I'd have a benefit of both Widgets (as available to me at all times) and normal work (not interrupted by operation needed to check a weather on a widget).
A temporal solution may be in form of small (say, 15") additional screen nearside your main one, or Lebedev's Mini Three.
Just my thoughts though.
Feedback is welcome.
