History
Sidebar originated in a Microsoft Research project called Sideshow (not to be confused with Windows SideShow.) It was developed in the summer of 2000, and was used internally at Microsoft. It had many similarities to current desktop gadget software, including a clock, traffic reports, and IM integration.
The Sidebar appeared in "Longhorn" build 3683 (Windows Vista) builds as early as September 2002, and was originally intended to replace the notification area or Quick Launch toolbar in Windows, but these plans were scrapped after the Longhorn "reset" in mid-2004.
The Windows Sidebar was rebuilt for and began to appear in Windows Vista builds in the second half of 2005. Some reviewers and Macintosh enthusiasts have pointed out the Sidebar's similarities in form and function to Konfabulator (now Yahoo! Widget Engine), which appeared several years previously, and the Dashboard widget engine first included with Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X v10.4, which had been released a few months earlier.
In Windows 7, Windows Sidebar was renamed Windows Desktop Gadgets, and the sidebar itself is not included in Windows 7. But it can be reinstated on Windows 7 if the program files are copied over from Windows Vista.
As of Q4 of 2011, Microsoft retired the Windows Live Widget Gallery, stating on their gadgets page that "In order to focus support on the much richer set of opportunities available for the newest version of Windows, Microsoft is no longer supporting development or uploading of new Gadgets." The page also has links to help users disable the Sidebar and Gadget functionality of Windows out of concern for vulnerabilities.
Read more about this topic: Windows Desktop Gadgets
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