How to Add a Dashboard Widget on a Macintosh Computer

Macintosh's Dashboard is a piece of software that allows smaller software applications called widgets to run. There are many different kinds of widgets available from many different sources. Some are fun, while others are useful tools. All Macintosh computers come with pre-installed widgets, but you can find and install new ones as well.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Visit a site that has a collection of Macintosh widgets available for download. There are multiple sites for this sort of thing available, but to make things easy, you can start by visiting Apple's website.

2. Browse or search the widgets until you find the one that best fits your needs.

3. Download the widget to your desktop. If your system isn't set up to automatically "un-stuff" the widget, double-click on the archive file that appears on your desktop. The widget icon will now appear on your desktop.

4. Double-click on the widget icon now on your desktop. A notice will ask, "Do you want to install the widget "(name of the widget)" and open it in Dashboard?"

5. Select the "Install" button on the notification window. This will launch the Dashboard software and give a preview of the widget in a window that has a "Delete" and "Keep" button on the bottom.

6. Play around with the widget to verify that it meets your needs. If it does everything it's supposed to, click the "Keep" button. If it doesn't do everything it's supposed to or doesn't meet your needs, click on the "Delete Button."

Resources

• Visit Apple's download center to get widgets