Programs Explorer Replaces Add/Remove Programs
Legions of Windows users have become accustomed to using the Add or Remove
Programs dialog box in the Control Panel to uninstall applications that they no longer
want taking up space on their hard disks. So, in its frustrating way, Microsoft has renamed
this feature to make it even harder to find than it was before. To reconfigure or completely remove an application, you now use the Programs Explorer (see Figure 4). This applet also enables you to turn on or off many of the built-in features that come with Windows Vista, such as the Indexing Service. Fortunately, the Programs Explorer is still available through the Control Panel. You just
need to know to look for it in the Ps instead of the As.
Put Some Gadgets in Your Windows Sidebar
Apple users have long been able to take advantage of the Mac OS X Dashboard, and
Windows users have been able to download Yahoo Widgets (formerly Konfabulator
Widgets). Those things are still available, but now Vista has its own little tools, known as
gadgets.
Vista gadgets live in the new Windows Sidebar (see Figure 5)—which you can move to
the left or right side of the screen by right-clicking it and selecting Properties. Or you can
put Gadgets on your Desktop by dragging the little context menu that appears when you
hover your mouse over a Gadget.
Using the Properties dialog box, you can configure the Windows Sidebar to start every
time Windows starts or only when you want it to appear. If you configure it to require
manual intervention, get it back by clicking Start?All Programs?Accessories?Windows
Sidebar.
Windows Sidebar with gadgets. In this view, the Windows Sidebar holds five
gadgets: Calculator, CPU Meter, Currency Converter, Notes, and the Recycle Bin.
The main window shows the data providers you can choose for near-real-time updates
in various gadgets.
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