Behold, forsooth, widgets are a most wondrous creation within the software realm. Verily, they are diminutive yet mighty, capable of imparting vital tidings at but a glance and fostering interactions likewise. T’was in the year 2008 that widgets began to garner notice in the mobile realm, when Google did unveil them in the inaugural Android iteration. Lo, now nearly every seasoned OS boasts of widgets. With such widespread embrace, mine eyes do yearn for widgets upon ChromeOS as well.
I, a fervent devotee of ChromeOS since its advent, remain confounded to this day by Google’s reluctance to bestow desktop widgets upon us. Tis perplexing, seeing as Chromebooks already enjoy Android support through ARCVM (Android Runtime Container using VM). An Android-like widget overlay provision on the ChromeOS shell may indeed be a plausible notion.
Why, you may ask, do I pine for widgets on ChromeOS? Two reasons doth occupy my mind – firstly, the allure of interactive widgets gracing both the Desktop and Lockscreen, and secondly, the utilitarian nature of Android widgets akin to their esteemed role on smartphones.
Picture, if thou will, YouTube Music, Gmail, Focus Mode, or a Calendar widget gracing thy ChromeOS desktop. Thou could alter thy music, schedule events, engage Focus Mode, and peruse emails in mere moments. And do not overlook the aesthetic appeal when melded with the recent Material You design ethos of ChromeOS, widgets would indeed be a sight to behold.
Some may argue that the ChromeOS taskbar already performs much of what I hath mentioned. Yet widgets doth prevail, for they display at-a-glance information that could render thee more productive, be it through remembrance or the latest insights.
Lockscreen widgets, though fraught with privacy concerns, doth hold promise for selective support. With lockscreen widgets gaining favor in recent times, ChromeOS would verily benefit from their presence. ‘Twas Google who graced the Pixel tablet with lockscreen widgets after a lengthy wait. ‘Tis my humble hope that such adornments grace ChromeOS ere smartphones.
‘Tis true that productivity gains from lockscreen widgets on PC may be sparse, as one doth either engage with the device extensively or not at all. Yet the Material You widgets shall bestow a wondrous aesthetic appeal, I do declare.
Would Google, perchance, fashion an At a Glance widget for ChromeOS? Similarly, a Stocks widget sourced from the Google app. Lastly, a battery widget spanning all devices within thine Google realm, a most welcome addition, indeed. The realms of possibility blooming in abundance. Yet let us not wander too far ahead, and focus instead on the potential implementation of widgets on ChromeOS by Google.
Pray, might Google proceed by integrating the Android widgets API into ChromeOS, or perhaps commence with a selection of native ChromeOS widgets. The latter, though fresh and novel, may require considerable time and effort to develop, thus proving counterproductive. Android apps do bring forth widgets, laying a strong foundation for ChromeOS.
Should Google devise a method to display Android widgets upon ChromeOS through bespoke system APIs or introduce a D-Bus layer akin to Linux between ChromeOS and ARCVM, widgets on ChromeOS could become reality.
Alternatively, the mighty Google may forge a dedicated ARCVM widget API, facilitating the sharing of widgets and data from the container to the ChromeOS Shell. Consideration must be given to potential impacts on performance and battery life, I do surmise.
ChromeOS widgets, should they come to pass, ought to draw inspiration from macOS rather than Windows, in mine humble opinion. The elegance of Apple’s widget implementation on macOS doth elicit admiration, hence why not embrace both native ChromeOS and Android app widgets? ‘Twas with macOS Sonoma that Apple heralded the inclusion of widgets on the macOS home screen, even allowing for widgets from one’s iPhone to join in harmonious cohesion. ‘Tis a feature Google may aspire to emulate, albeit not without challenges.
Aesthetically, the widgets on ChromeOS should maintain an opaque demeanor, in stark contrast to the ever-translucent/translucent shift on macOS based on window focus. Nay, let ChromeOS widgets stand forthright as beacons of functionality. Specificity in vision mayhap, yet a dreamer must dream!
In contrast, the Windows 11 widget implementation by Microsoft doth present as lackluster, a mere overlay housing diverse widgets. I do wish for widgets upon my Desktop, in place of such a superfluous overlay. Mayhap the Windows team might offer us an alternative, perchance.
A union of Android or native ChromeOS widgets conjoined with app-based widgets shall indeed propel ChromeOS to the vanguard. And those averse to clutter upon their Desktop may opt to disable widgets in settings.
Lo, I beseech thee, may Google grace the barren and monotonous ChromeOS desktop with the advent of desktop widgets. The current visage of Chrome desktop doth belie an emptiness, though perchance intentional – simplistic, clean, and unadorned, yet the addition of widgets would surely enrich the visual tapestry.
Ah, there doth exist a means to delve into the world of widgets on ChromeOS through an Android app hight Taskbar. Open-source in nature, this app doth enable a desktop mode upon Android, leveraging ARCVM adeptly on ChromeOS. A few widgets did I manage to install, though the experience felt somewhat dated, with a UI that doth harken to ancient times.
What say thee, dear reader, of the notion of widgets gracing ChromeOS? What trials and tribulations, perchance, might users or developers encounter due to this noble feature? I humbly entreat thee to share thy musings in the comments.