"Google has announced the official release of Desktop Gadgets for Linux and is distributing the source code under the open-source Apache software license. Although there are still bugs and the implementation is not yet entirely complete, it works well enough for day-to-day use."
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Member since:2005-11-12
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2005-09-29
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2006-01-31
If you'd know better what Plasma is all about you would come to a different conclusion.
In fact, Google is looking into Plasma:
http://groups.google.com/group/google-gadgets-for-linux-dev/browse_...
Regards Harry
Member since:2007-02-17
http://groups.google.com/group/google-gadgets-for-linux-dev/browse_...
"Actually, we have written some code which can let Google gadgets running as plasmoids. "
Member since:2005-07-06
this is not true for a few reasons. first off, google gadget devs are working on plasma integration. that means that due to having a widget canvas as part of the desktop, one will be able to use google gadgets without having to grab add ons that don't really integrate very well with the rest of the system.
it also means you can mix and match with other widget types out there in one canvas. no more having to choose.
but most importantly, plasma is not just a way to write widgets, it's a way to present them, manage them, build workflow out of them and get access to advanced features you just don't get elsewhere.
not to mention i haven't exactly seen a taskbar, pager, application launcher, battery monitor, etc coming from these other widget systems.
with plasma we're trying to create a universal canvas, both for whatever content you want to put in it as well as for whatever sort of device you want to put it on.
i think it's a bit unfortunate we have so many widget systems and i don't think in the long term many of them will ever really "matter", but at least with plasma we have a way around the mutual exclusivity of them while also having good integration and advanced functionality.
Member since:2005-09-27
The way I see it is that for example, I wan't to write a widget that shows X functionality, I have two options:
1: A plasmoid, the advantages are the integration with KDE4, ann some extra presentation goodies like rotation (not terrible useful), I get to use the plasma data engines to get the result, but the disadvantages would be: It wouldn't be cross desktop. inclusive won't be cross OS.
2. A Google gadget, no plasma data engine? no problem, the plasma engines is just a layer anyway, I can skip that layer and go directly to the data (dbus anyone?).
Advantages: Desktop,OS agnostic.
And when someone saids:
"I got Y widget in my plasma desktop", then someone else would say "I got the same one in my Windows machine, so what's cool about it?".
If I can get pretty much the same results with Google widgets then I'd use them.
As I see it and is just my very personal opinion, plasma won't be the woow factor anymore.
BTW, teh battery monitor widget is a bad example, I have one in my desktop (XP right now) with Google Widgeds and a pager widget too, and is not plasma.
Edited 2008-06-06 16:42 UTC
Member since:
2005-09-27
A kick in the nuts for plasma.