Widget Row Click to see a larger image

Besides the dozen or so Widgets that come with Mac OS X for use on the Dashboard, there are thousands more available from Apple on their website. (In fact, there are around 3800 Widgets available .)

To download more Widgets:

1. Activate the Dashboard by clicking the Dashboard icon on the Dock or pressing F4 (look for the speedometer icon) or F12 on older keyboards.
2. Click the plus sign in the circle that is on the bottom left corner of the Dashboard. The Dashboard will raise up and a row of your available widgets will be shown.
3. Click Manage Widgets...
4. Click on the More Widgets... button at the bottom of the Widget Manager. Apple's Widget website will open in Safari,
5. Search for Widgets by category or by favorite lists. When you find a Widget you want to download to your Mac, click on the Download button.
6. Once the Widget is downloaded, you will get a dialog box asking if you want to install the Widget. Click Install.
7. The Widget appears on your Dashboard in a testing mode. You can try out the Widget and the choose Delete or Keep.

Widget Manager Click to see a larger image

Most Widgets are free, but some are "shareware", meaning that you need to pay a small fee to be able to use them.

More about the Dashboard

Related Items: Dashboard | Widget