Tip #3912 - Messenger Gadget
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Messenger
Gadget
After reviewing many
articles done on Windows Vista, I got to thinking about new gadgets I
could download and integrate into the Vista
sidebar. I was able to find several of them on the Windows Live Gallery
Web site and one that I found was the Messenger Gadget.
And if you use MSN's Messenger (also known as Windows Live Messenger),
you can download and install it for yourself too! Allow me to explain
myself a little more.
Mostly, users find
it difficult to synchronize their contacts and they often get error messages
they are unable to handle. Maybe this has happened to you too. Well, the
Messenger Gadget can help and today, we will explore the features of this
gadget, which can mainly be used to interact with your Windows Live Messenger
contacts. With it, you will be able to see the contact's status, start
chat sessions with them, change your status and so much more. Let's begin!
First of all, the
system requirements for the Messenger Gadget are Windows Vista and you
must have Windows Live Messenger downloaded on your computer. If you don't,
you can get it from this Web
site. Once you've got that installed, you'll want to think about getting
the Messenger Gadget. Here's why!
Here is a list of
features you will be able to experience with the Messenger Gadget:
Unread E-mail
Counter:
When you have unread
e-mails in your e-mail account, this counter will show you the number
of e-mails that are unread. When you double click on the counter, it will
take you to your e-mail account as well. By default, the counter shows
only unread e-mails, but if you want something different, you can change
that by using the gadget settings.
Improved Readability:
The text displayed
in your contacts list is made much bigger and it's a lot sharper for you
to read. This is done to make you feel at ease when reading the text.
This even works with CRT monitors.
Status Drop
Down:
Your username is added
to the drop down list and the status drop down then blends in with the
background. This enables you to know which username you have used to sign
in, in case you have more than one.
Scrollbar:
There is a new and
much better looking scrollbar that comes with the Messenger Gadget.
Contact Emoticons:
Emoticons can be seen
on your contact list.
Settings Dialogue:
A more organized settings
dialogue box is provided, with additional settings that can be seen from
the image below:
Update Bar:
This is a very cool
feature that allows you to know when there is a new version of the gadget
available.
Error Handling:
The gadget will give
you an informative message if your sign in fails, along with instructions
on what you can do to fix it.
Chat Sessions
and Games:
This gadget allows
you to chat with your friends and family from Live.com. Next to this basic
feature, you can also use the "Activities" feature with each
other. The activities are games and applications that were originally
built for MSN's Messenger. The games you can play are Pool, Hangman, Gwaam
and TankWars.
If you want to add
any gadgets to your computer (including Messenger Gadget), here's how
you can easily get the job done:
Before a gadget can
be added to your Vista sidebar, it must be installed on your computer.
First, open up your
sidebar by going to Start, All Programs,
Accessories, Windows Sidebar.
1.) At the top of
the sidebar, click the + (plus) sign to open the Gadget
Gallery.
2.) Double click the
gadget you want to add and it will go to the sidebar.
Now, if you ever want
to remove a gadget for any reason, just right click the gadget and select
Close Gadget. That's all there is to it to enjoy some
of the best gadgets Windows Vista has to offer!
Hope you enjoy this
one!
~ Natarajan Kumaraswami
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