Comments on: Master!!! The Monster LIVES!!! or… the Return of Active Desktop http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/ A daily round table on the tech industry with experts and callers from all over the globe. Join us as we pick apart the news and get to the meat of what\'s happening out there. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:12:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dr. Jones http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1249628 Dr. Jones Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:27:48 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1249628 The lack of Active Desktop is actually the only reason why I have not yet switched to Vista on two of my three PC's... I simply don't understand why MS would leave out this feature! I use the AD for severeal things: On my work-PC, I have developed small apps for to-do lists, time management registration, bookmarks etc. And on my kitchen PC I have developed a "Jukebox" system for playing my music collection in the kitchen/living room. It's great that the player is permanently glued to the desktop, so guests don't accidently close or minimize it... OK, I know that AD-users are few. But on the other hand: Why deny us the possibility? I bet that MS could implement the feature in days, if they wanted to... I would even be happy with a "full desktop" gadget feature... The lack of Active Desktop is actually the only reason why I have not yet switched to Vista on two of my three PC’s… I simply don’t understand why MS would leave out this feature!

I use the AD for severeal things: On my work-PC, I have developed small apps for to-do lists, time management registration, bookmarks etc. And on my kitchen PC I have developed a “Jukebox” system for playing my music collection in the kitchen/living room. It’s great that the player is permanently glued to the desktop, so guests don’t accidently close or minimize it…

OK, I know that AD-users are few. But on the other hand: Why deny us the possibility? I bet that MS could implement the feature in days, if they wanted to… I would even be happy with a “full desktop” gadget feature…

]]> By: Earl Vergara http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1214515 Earl Vergara Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:11:15 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1214515 I think active desktop should be available on vista because it really is useful depending on how it is used. I created a small Flash application that allowed me to manage notes and display it on the desktop. It was very useful every note was neatly displayed and it allowed me to see everything at once without the need of clicking on buttons to find what i needed. And the best part is that it was optimized for performance so not much memory was being used. With the active desktop gone, it had really been a strain on productivity since i had to go open other stuff like contact lists, documents, etc before i can find what i want. Hope active desktop (displaying fullscreen html pages) on the desktop would return to vista. I think active desktop should be available on vista because it really is useful depending on how it is used.

I created a small Flash application that allowed me to manage notes and display it on the desktop. It was very useful every note was neatly displayed and it allowed me to see everything at once without the need of clicking on buttons to find what i needed. And the best part is that it was optimized for performance so not much memory was being used.

With the active desktop gone, it had really been a strain on productivity since i had to go open other stuff like contact lists, documents, etc before i can find what i want.

Hope active desktop (displaying fullscreen html pages) on the desktop would return to vista.

]]> By: webwolf http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1069186 webwolf Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:38:25 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1069186 Agreed, I use Active desktop on my desk PC at work. Basically, I designed a simple web applet control panel, So I can click tabs on my desktop to bring up useful info, and just have to click on various links to copy certain info to the clipboard ( I have to copy and paste a lot at work... ) So all in all, it makes me slightly more productive and saves me from having to have a ton of spreadhseets open on my desktop... A few other people use it too. Could just load the web page on start up, wouldnt be a massive big deal opening a web page instead of clicking minimise all. Would be nice to keep it though..... Agreed, I use Active desktop on my desk PC at work.

Basically, I designed a simple web applet control panel, So I can click tabs on my desktop to bring up useful info, and just have to click on various links to copy certain info to the clipboard ( I have to copy and paste a lot at work… )

So all in all, it makes me slightly more productive and saves me from having to have a ton of spreadhseets open on my desktop…

A few other people use it too. Could just load the web page on start up, wouldnt be a massive big deal opening a web page instead of clicking minimise all.

Would be nice to keep it though…..

]]> By: David S http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1055326 David S Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:04:43 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1055326 PS Sorry for the typos in my last post. I was too busy to check for spelling and am very busy. However I felt the urge to take this time to mention that I am aware of the mistakes. That said I'll now stop procrastinating : ) PS Sorry for the typos in my last post. I was too busy to check for spelling and am very busy. However I felt the urge to take this time to mention that I am aware of the mistakes. That said I’ll now stop procrastinating : )

]]> By: David S http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1055321 David S Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:56:14 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1055321 I think Active Desktop was good if put to good use. If all you expected was gadgets and toys then that is all you probably saw. But I used to make a clickable calander using html when most other colander software seemed to land short of what I wanted. I could then either house the website on my computer or rent space on the web. I could use the entire desktop as my Calander. I know Windows comes with a Calander but it just wasn't exactly what I wanted. But yes, Active Desktop used up the cpu usage if you didn't have one fast enough or strong enough to handle it. I wish that VISTA didn't take away that option. VISTA assumes you only want to use the cheapo calander on the right side of your screen. I know I could buy software for doing apointments and such, but I liked the control of making my own. I just heard that Windows is giving up on Vista even though the Majovah thing was tried out. I hear that they are releasing 'Windows 09' coming of course in 2009. I haven't actually looked this up but a lot of my Geek friends are saying that Windows 09 will be backwards compatable and have many of the features XP & VISTA had. Also will be far more friendlier when it comes to opening documents. Apperntly if you are not careful saving a doc on Vista will not open on a computer running XP unless you save it right. Which isnt' obvious right away, not until a paper is late.... thanks VISTA. Also 09 should recognize your scanner, fax, printer, cam, and other gedges / periferals that VISTA was so bulligerant in recogntizing. I think Active Desktop was good if put to good use. If all you expected was gadgets and toys then that is all you probably saw. But I used to make a clickable calander using html when most other colander software seemed to land short of what I wanted. I could then either house the website on my computer or rent space on the web. I could use the entire desktop as my Calander. I know Windows comes with a Calander but it just wasn’t exactly what I wanted. But yes, Active Desktop used up the cpu usage if you didn’t have one fast enough or strong enough to handle it. I wish that VISTA didn’t take away that option. VISTA assumes you only want to use the cheapo calander on the right side of your screen. I know I could buy software for doing apointments and such, but I liked the control of making my own. I just heard that Windows is giving up on Vista even though the Majovah thing was tried out. I hear that they are releasing ‘Windows 09′ coming of course in 2009. I haven’t actually looked this up but a lot of my Geek friends are saying that Windows 09 will be backwards compatable and have many of the features XP & VISTA had. Also will be far more friendlier when it comes to opening documents. Apperntly if you are not careful saving a doc on Vista will not open on a computer running XP unless you save it right. Which isnt’ obvious right away, not until a paper is late…. thanks VISTA. Also 09 should recognize your scanner, fax, printer, cam, and other gedges / periferals that VISTA was so bulligerant in recogntizing.

]]> By: jimmy changa http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1012534 jimmy changa Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:02:51 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-1012534 > whatever look petunia, flaming in the comments about the usefulness of a 2 yr old article doesn't say much for your ability to perform something as basic as surfing. what a useless and poor excuse for determining relevance. > whatever
look petunia, flaming in the comments about the usefulness of a 2 yr old article doesn’t say much for your ability to perform something as basic as surfing. what a useless and poor excuse for determining relevance.

]]> By: whatever http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-971452 whatever Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:21:54 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-971452 Active Desktop is not back, it does not live...what a useless badly written article Active Desktop is not back, it does not live…what a useless badly written article

]]> By: Leon Howell http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-868387 Leon Howell Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:39:35 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-868387 I still use windows 98, and see no reason to "upgrade." If I want the new look, I'll install the revolutions pack - and still have my active desktop! I relly want some of those active desktop gadgets. Where can I get them now? Where is the active desktop gallery? I still use windows 98, and see no reason to “upgrade.” If I want the new look, I’ll install the revolutions pack – and still have my active desktop!

I relly want some of those active desktop gadgets. Where can I get them now? Where is the active desktop gallery?

]]> By: sid9102 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-378480 sid9102 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:12:19 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-378480 Check out avedesktop sites. (http://mpj.tomaatnet.nl/vista/) its a program that adds activedesktop functionality to vista. sadly, you cannot interact with the website on your desktop. slightly better than chris' code cause it doesn't behave like an app... doesn't minimise. Check out avedesktop sites. (http://mpj.tomaatnet.nl/vista/) its a program that adds activedesktop functionality to vista. sadly, you cannot interact with the website on your desktop. slightly better than chris’ code cause it doesn’t behave like an app… doesn’t minimise.

]]> By: texruss http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/12/master-the-monster-lives-or-the-return-of-active-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-271472 texruss Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:10:52 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=2367#comment-271472 Yes...active desktop did have useful features, but if you ever had to fight off Smitfraud or the other desktop hijackers you can understand the loss of Active Desktop wasn't mourned too greatly by anti-spyware fighters. Tens of millions of PCs have been infected by the scoundrels over the past several years. Yes…active desktop did have useful features, but if you ever had to fight off Smitfraud or the other desktop hijackers you can understand the loss of Active Desktop wasn’t mourned too greatly by anti-spyware fighters. Tens of millions of PCs have been infected by the scoundrels over the past several years.

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