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AveDesk is a tool that enables desklets on your desktop: desklets are small graphically pleasing mini-applications that are useful and fun to use. A desklet can be anything, a small sticky note, a weather foresight, a calculator, etc. It all depends on the imagination of the desklet creator.

In recent years desklets —or widgets, as they are also called— have been rising up. Many different applications were born after AveDesk that also host widgets. However, AveDesk has a unique set of features that make it distinct from any other widget application out there:

* Desklets are skinnable. Instead of recreating endless piles of the same desklet with different looks, there are a couple basic desklets that can be skinned. This makes it much easier for skinners and customizers to change the look of a desklet, since they don't have to hassle with code.
* Scalability. Each desklets can be scaled to whatever size the user prefers.
* AveDesk provides a Control Panel in where all running desklets are listed and can be modified.
* Desklets are installed, rather than run; allowing for tight control over which desklets can be running.
* Effectlets allow to apply all kind of extra effects to desklets, such as glow on mouse-over.
* Easy interface for options. Each desklet has the same interface for dealing with options.
* 3D accelerated effects. AveDesk provides special hardware accelerated 3D effects, such as 'flipping a desklet' or special remove animations.
* Built-in library of UI-controls. Instead of having each desklet create their own set of controls which feel and work differently, AveDesk has a built-in library of skinnable, alpha-blended controls.
* ShowCase. With ShowCase desklets can be hidden until needed. Just press the ShowCase button to reveal the hidden desklets.
* Extensibility. AveDesk is extensible with modules, effectlets and new scripting desklets (e.g. AveScripter, SysStats, MultiMeter).
* Themes. With themes, users can save their favorite configuration and quickly switch between different configurations.