The Vista Sidebar for Windows XP
Hated by some, loved by others, the truth is that the Vista sidebar can be quite handy – that is, if you find the right gadgets to use with it. But what if you use XP instead of Vista? The answer is Vista Rainbar V4, a Vista sidebar clone that has been especially designed for Windows XP.
Vista Rainbar V4 looks very similar to the original sidebar and includes a bunch of very varied gadgets to get you started: analog and digital clocks, sticky notes, calendar, mail checker, CPU meter, RSS feed reader, weather tool and many more. You can also choose between different skins to customize the sidebar appearance and make it suit your desktop wallpaper.
The gadgets in Vista Rainbar V4 are easy to install, though it may not seem that intuitive at first sight. Just open the gadget menu by clicking on the plus sign on top of the toolbar and click on the gadget you want to add. It will open right on the desktop, from where you can drag and drop it on the sidebar. The gadget menu includes a link to download more, but it didn't work for me.
Vista Rainbar V4 is easy to install and uninstall, but unfortunately the configuration of gadgets is generally not that easy. The main sidebar's settings are based on an INI file (which is not the easiest for a novice user), the weather gadget requires the weather.com ZIP code for your city and the email checked configuration simply doesn’t work. All of the other gadgets though work perfectly fine without any configuration requirements.
Vista Rainbar V4 is a very attractive, fully customizable Vista-style sidebar you can use without having to give up Windows XP.
User reviews about Vista Rainbar V4
by Anonymous
Nice but eats CPU.
It's a very nice program, however seems to eat up allot more CPU power then it should. :
en;e335a7c6-9b6d-11e6-a80b-00163ed833e7;Anonymous;global.content+comments.en@softonic.com;46.28.212.252;2013-01-28 01:28:26 More
by Anonymous
Wouldn't install.
Tried several times to install. Gets to 98-99% and stalls. Not much more to say. If it won't install then how can I review it?
Pros:
Won't install.
Cons:
N/A More
by Anonymous
Doesn't Work.
Does not work properly; all information in in French.
When trying to access help files, I get broken links and missing pages;
and instructions to read the .pdf that is included. (which is the document that referred me to this page that is referring me to the .pdf.)
HUHHH?!?!?!Not worth the effort; keep looking. More
by Anonymous
Great Alternative.
Currently using it for my Windows 7 Ultimate x86 PC
the best thing for me. . .
sorry for my bad english. . .
since original gadgets are such a ram hog...
vista rainbar is the best alternative for those gadgets. . . More
by Anonymous
Just installed it.
It unpacks as a .rar file, so you'll need to have winrar or any other program that will run a .rar. Beware when running it, because it wants to load other programs, like toolbars, etc. but those are easily eliminated. When it is done, it really does look like the Vista toolbar (not the Windows 7 version). I'm having difficulty getting the weather gadget to bring up the weather, but the clock (with second hand) and calendar are working great. You'll see a small "rainmeter" icon in the systray where you can make adjustments to what you see. There are more apps available in this than with Vista or 7.
Pros:
I have to have xp, vista and 7 all running in my office, so it's nice to have that gadget bar upon which I've become dependent.
Cons:
The weather app isn't working yet. Since I am in a windowless office, I depend on that to tell me if I need to carry my umbrella when I go outside. But..........what did I do before I had the gadget? More