There is nothing like the thought of a good gadget to get people downloading, and popular application Thoosje Vista Sidebar is no exception. This toolbar which, despite the name, works on XP, lets you create a slick sidebar on your desktop and fill it with fun and useful gadgets to keep you entertained for hours.

Thoosje Vista Sidebar's applications range from the obligatory clock and calendar to more advanced options, like RSS feeds, network activity monitor and torrent search. These functions are chosen from a menu and then dragged to wherever you want them on the sidebar. Some of the gadgets and the Thoosje Vista Sidebar itself can be further customized, although on the day I tried, many of the links to download skins etc. were broken and the ones I did find had to be modified before using.

The gadgets all appear to work well, but configuration options for the toolbar are limited. You can't choose the size of the icons, or select when you want the toolbar to appear and disappear, for example, when you open another window. In fact, it was difficult to decipher when exactly Thoosje Vista Sidebar does appear, as it seems to minimize and maximize whenever it feels like it.

Thoosje Vista Sidebar is perfect for sidebar freaks, but really doesn't cut it for the rest of us. All of the functions carried out by the sidebar can be performed more efficiently (and with more configuration options) by other tools, and the overall look of the sidebar is clunky and unappealing.

Dedicated sidebar fans will love Thoosje Vista Sidebar, but it will probably leave the rest of us cold.