How to Find New Widgets for the Mac OS X Dashboard

Widgets are small applications that run on your Mac's dashboard. You can use a calculator, track flights, convert foreign currencies and do many other cool things with all the widgets that are out there.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Finding Widgets

1. Go to your dashboard by clicking on the "Dashboard" icon in the dock (it's the one that looks sort of like a speedometer) or by pressing "F12." Click the "+" on the lower left corner of the dashboard to open the widget toolbar on the bottom of the screen.

2. 
   Click the "Widgets" icon or "Manage Widgets" to open the Widgets Dashboard.

   Click on the "Widgets" icon in the widget toolbar. This will open a window where you can choose from a bunch of different widgets. Alternately, you can click on the button on the lower left that reads "Manage Widgets."

3. 
   The Widgets Dashboard

   Click "More Widgets" on the widget Dashboard to see what is available there. It will take you to a widgets website where you can download hundreds of different widgets.

4. Click "Install" when the widget installer opens. Click "Keep" if you decide to keep the widget. If you decided you don't want it, just click "Delete."

Installing Widgets

5. Download the widget. Go to the download location (your desktop, a folder or wherever your computer saves downloaded items) and double-click on the file to expand it. Then double-click on the widget to install it.

6. Test drive your new widget and decide if you want to keep it. Click "Install" on the widget installer window that will appear. The widget will appear on the dashboard in test drive mode. If you like it and decide to keep it, click "Keep." If you don't like it, click "Delete" and it will be discarded.

7. Find the widget files on the hard drive in the Library/Widgets folder.

Tips & Warnings

• If you close the dashboard without selecting "Keep" or "Delete," the widget will stay right where it is until you make a decision.

Resources

• Apple.com