All Search was a popular third-party web widget built for the Windows Vista Sidebar, an OS feature introduced by Microsoft. Core Functionality
The “All Search” gadget was designed to consolidate web searches into a single, compact interface. Instead of opening a web browser or having multiple, separate search widgets for different sites, this gadget acted as a unified hub.
Multi-Engine Querying: Users could type a single keyword into the gadget and select from various search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft’s Live Search).
Space Efficiency: It saved valuable screen real estate on the Vista Sidebar by replacing multiple individual search utilities.
Flyout Windows: Like most Vista gadgets, clicking search results or advanced options would reveal a “flyout” side window or automatically open the user’s default browser. The Technical Foundation
Vista gadgets were fundamentally micro-applications. They were built using basic web technologies: HTML, CSS, XML, and JavaScript. The entire package was bundled into a standard ZIP folder and given a .gadget file extension so the Windows Sidebar could install it locally. Why You Can’t Use It Today
My TOP-10 very cool Vista Sidebar Gadgets – Anand, the Architect
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