Product Reviews

If you want to make the most of Vista's desktop Sidebar and gadgets, you'll need to go beyond those that come preinstalled with the OS. The Windows Live Gadget Gallery (http://gallery.live.com) is the place to go, with thousands of free downloads to wade through. This month, though, we've done the job for you.

Vista's default calendar gadget is nice enough, but doesn't exactly push the limits. With the desktop Sidebar being the perfect place for a mini-agenda application, Calendar/Agenda fills the gap nicely. With its basic monthly calendar, you can click on any date and compose or edit text notes. Dates with notes attached are highlighted when you click on the Star icon in the gadget. There are no alarms, reminders or advanced to-do options, but Agenda still does its job with style.