Desktop Sidebar

Desktop Sidebar is a software solution that provides instant access to a number of programs installed on your computer, but it also allows you to read news, access the weather forecast and view system information.

The application acts just like any regular sidebar and it quietly sits on your desktop while updating information and offering instant access to a number of user-defined applications.

Desktop Sidebar comes with a wide array of so-called panels, which are more or less gadgets that perform a different kind of action. By default, you get an analog clock, a weather service, a slideshow utility, a quick launch feature that enables you to start a program with a click, the newsroom, a mail checker app and performance stats.

Of course, you can add many more tools and in case the ones included in the app aren't enough, you can always download new ones from the Internet.

This way, you can control Winamp and Messenger applications straight from the desktop, monitor disks, search the Internet or the computer, check email or save notes on the go.

The customization options are absolutely amazing, allowing you to change not only the skin of the application, but also transparency and position. Again, you can find more skins online, so there is no problem if none of the built-in skins suit your taste.

Desktop Sidebar has just a minimal footprint on computer performance, although the fact that it remains always on top might bother you.

Nevertheless, it's still a good tool for Windows XP, since Windows Vista and 7 users already benefit from a built-in sidebar in the operating system. It offers tons of customization features and so many applets that it's almost just as good as the standard Windows tool.