Try visiting Windows Live Gallery at gallery.live.com and you will be greeted not with rows of gadgets, plugins, emoticons and more, but a short statement by Microsoft, stating that the Windows Live Gallery has been retired.
The Windows Live Gallery has been retired. In order to focus support on the much richer set of opportunities available for the newest version of Windows, Microsoft is no longer supporting development or uploading of new Gadgets. However, some of the most popular and highest-rated gadgets are still available on the Gadgets page of the Windows Personalization Gallery.
With Windows Developer Preview, developers can create rich app experiences where customers focus on their important tasks. Apps are at the center of the Windows Developer Preview experience and are alive with activity and vibrant content. Users immerse themselves in your full-screen app while Windows gracefully gets out of the way.
Windows Developer Preview allows you to leverage your existing skills and code assets so you can create great experiences for your customers. Gadget and web developers can now use their HTML5 and CSS3 skills to build native Windows apps. .NET Developers can use XAML, C#, and Visual Basic to build beautiful Metro-style apps. Game developers can use the power of DirectX 11.1 to build amazing, immersive gaming experiences. Driver developers benefit from increased productivity with the new, integrated Visual Studio development environment.
With Windows Developer Preview, you’re ready to imagine, build, and sell the next great app.
Many must be feeling sad to see it go, but I guess these are signs of changing times, and we can only expect it in a better avatar maybe!
W8 is horrible W7 is way better. I hope they keep selling Windows 7 after the release of Windows 8
Whether or not Win8 is inherently “better” is not really the issue. Although, that said, I, for one, am not intersted in using an OS which is fundamentally indistinguishable from that of a smartphone. But that notwithstanding, this boils down, in the end, to whether or not Microsoft is still supporting Vista and Win7.
Sidebar/desktop gadgets are decidedly Vista/Win7 items. And both Vista and Win7 are still supported. Therefore, sidebar gadgets must still be supported, else Microsoft is, in effect, beginning to roll-back Vista/Win7 support prior to the dates published in its product lifecycle information.
I can understand if Microsoft doesn’t want to grow the existing gadget world; and so it’s perfectly okay with me if gadget developers are no longer allowed to upload new gadgets. But the complete library of existing gadgets needs to remain available until BOTH Vista and Win7 are no longer supported.
This message needs to be conveyed to Microsoft by as many people as possible, so that Microsoft will not only notice the outcry, but might actually listen. The fact that many peoplee did not like or use the sidebar, or gadgets in desktop form, matters not. Enough people do use them that readers here should not just shrug their shoulders and dismiss it as not all that important just because they don’t happen to use the Sidebar or desktop gadgets.
Please. The bottom line is that this is an effective breach of the published lifecycle because it is an effective halting of support for otherwise still supported operating systems. People depend on the published life cycle data, and make business decisions based on it. When Microsoft goes against what it, in effect, pledged and promised by its lifecycle publication dates, it fundamentally harms those who took Microsoft on its word.
Believe it or not, because of that, this may actually be a matter for the United States Department of Justice. Seriously.
Please, everyone… let the movement begin here, now. Contact Microsoft and insist that since the Sidebar and desktop gadgets are an integral part of both the Vista and Win7 operating systems, and since the published lifecycle data shows that those are both still supported, it is a fundamental breach of said published lifecycle data to begin discontinuing support for any part of either Vista or Win7. Users rely on said lifecycle data, and act based thereupon. When Microsoft breaches its promises as published in the lifecycle data by early termination of its support of any part of its operating systems, it induces users to act based on published lifecycle data to their detriment. Retiring the gadgets site is a constructive termination of support prior to the published lifecycle data. It MUST be restored. If Microsoft refuses to allow uploading of new gadgets, then that’s another matter; and we’re all probably fine with that. But all existing gadgets MUST continue to be accessible until BOTH Vista and Win7 support has ended.
That’s the message. Please inundate Microsoft with it!
____________________________
Gregg L. DesElms
Napa, California USA
gregg at greggdeselms dot com
Microsoft leadership is only surpassed in incompetence by HP (to date). By the time the Microsoft era truly passes, few will shed a tear because of idiotic moves like this. Why would any developer want to develop anything for Microsoft platforms knowing they can pull the plug and shut your work out on a whim?
Im not a big fan of gadgets, I even turn-it off but as long as Vista and Windows 7 are still available, gadgets should too 😉
another way of MS to force to update people to upcoming OS (Windows 8) and buy another hardware that people can fully use the touch interface (Metro UI), just like Vista and Windows 7, they forced people to buy a new hardware to enjoy Aero…
why i said forced? because you cannot fully enjoy the new features of OS if you don’t buy a new hardware that supports it. Period.
I agree with you on the “forced” part of the experience. I think that is why so many people have stayed with Windows XP. In 2014, it will no longer be supported by Microsoft. It is sad that people can’t use just any old machine for Windows 7 or even Vista. Fortunately, I could afford a new computer and know enough about computers that I could. Many people aren’t so lucky. I see why linux is popular and why some people prefer Macs.
Its good to change to newer OS & because there is more Security and Newer Experience & Cheaper Products which makes everyone(even poor) to experience, learn & adopt to new technologies. If you have a old computer and old OS, it will create more problems & environment problems including radiations. The newer technology in hardware & newer OS makes it Eco-friendlier, fast, secured, long-lasting and a lot more cheaper than very old products. In Hollywood Movies, you might have looked more advanced products but they all are graphics & animation only. If you want to make it real, then every one must use new advanced products and development must also be advanced(like ARM, etc)
What a crock of shit. I have several gadgets that I deploy on EVERY dual monitor Win7 setup we use. Now what? Thanks for nothing Microsoft – you really do suck!
This is a stupid move by Microsoft! Bring back full support for new Windows Vista and Windows 7 Gadgets, Microsoft. I want to see new Gadgets continuously being made available to me on Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
Just when you thought Microsoft couldn’t get stupider.
Now they discontinue Gadgets to “support the much richer set of opportunities available for the newest version of Windows” and “with Windows Developer Preview, developers can create rich app experiences where customers focus on their important tasks. Apps are at the center of the Windows Developer Preview experience and are alive with activity and vibrant content. Users immerse themselves in your full-screen app while Windows gracefully gets out of the way.”
What a bunch of bullshit.
I don’t give a rat’s ass about rich app experiences. All I’m interested in are useful gadgets for my Windows 7. Hell, Windows 8 isn’t even out yet.
Don’t worry, Gadgets will be back with Windows 8 (and likely available again for Vista and Win7). They will just be called “Apps” and you will have to pay for them. That is what they mean by a RICHER set of opportunities – MS gets richer. By killing them off now, they are creating a demand for them as “Apps” when Windows 8 launches. You can also bet that there will be a way to purchase “Apps” for Vista/Win7 that will “magically” work with the SideBar. Gregg is absolutely correct that Gadgets are an integral feature of Vista/Win7 and should remain available until the OSs are no longer supported. That is likely why they left a few still available – to cover their butts legally (they also wouldn’t want the function to go away completely as they plan to sell “Apps” in the future). The capability to use gadgets combined with the lack of available gadgets serves as a “tease” to new users and creates demand for their replacement. It burns me that MS thinks so little of their customers.