Growl For Windows Adds Mac-Style Notifications

@[lifehacker.com]

@CaptainSquishy: ha.

@Ahmad Nassri: I'm afraid Mario is not open source.

@xxdesmus: It would be nicer than having to run a gmail notifier or firefox.

I'll try it on my brand new Windows 7 installation today. It better be sexy|transparent|slick|gradiently like the mac one is. =)

@Ahmad Nassri: That background only runs on windows, sorry.

@ProfWho: that would be awesome to receive Gmail notifications. Maybe some brilliant nerd can get this working for us.

@Phoshi: You can force it to complain by making an AutoHotkey script that way and then directing it to Growl. Now who would want that? :P

Definitely going to be watching this one. I am a total "out of sight, out of mind" person so anything that can jump into my sight is a blessing. :) Looking forward to more applications being supported.

@jarhead: Taken care of.

Does anyone know how I can get this to work for gmail?

@ArJay: "First" posts are not allowed.

I think it would be appropriate to add "jealous of your Mac/Ubuntu" friends!

I ran it the first time this post popped up several months back. Still in beta huh? Need lots more Windows events in it. It's ok...

cgarduc

I didn't expect this to come for Windows but it's a welcome addition.

And I'm getting fonder and fonder of seeing that Super Mario desktop used with various utilities. =)

@jarhead: +1 with the First crap.

PixelProphet

No thanks. I do not care for more apps or notifications popping up.

PixelProphet

@ArJay: Take that 'first' shit elsewhere.

PixelProphet

This confuses me. I typed "Growl for windows" into Google the other day and it didn't really get me anything. Oh well. I'll be using this.

@Phoshi: No it does not :3

Awesome! I use a mac, but my wife's PC will be getting this one soon!

vinthomas

Does it complain if you're not running Explorer?

Looks like we have another program to skin. Anything to escape the system tray pop up ballon!

I'll be taking Snarl and Growl for Windows on a test drive this afternoon. I'm sure they both pale in comparison to Ubuntu's built in notification system, however.

It's about time, Snarl was the next best thing but still wasn't quite the same

This was one of my biggest joys when I switched to a Mac. Glad to see it is coming to windows.

@Ahmad Nassri:

Article 1

Article 2

LouisCameron

@Ahmad Nassri: you are dead to windows

@Ahmad Nassri: Yes. Search Lifehacker... they posted the walls and links in prior posts.

jarhead

Windows is dead to me, I use linux and open source softwares, but that Mario background is interesting, anybody knows where i can get it?

:)

Ahmad Nassri

I really dig Snarl but I will try out Growl.

And Lifehacker should automatically ban anyone who thinks it's cool to post the First bullshit in post.

jarhead

Widows is dead to me, I use linux and open source softwares, but that Mario background is interesting, anybody knows where i can get it?

:)

Ahmad Nassri

Not smooth enough, better then nothing tho

---First---

Looking good. I will, indeed, be giving this app a go.

ArJay

@PixelProphet: That was a worthless comment.

Piemonkey

@Rett Gerst: Wow, for a moment I thought you were being an ass. You must have forgotten that there are actual people writing these articles, and not every article is one you are going to like or be able to use.

But than I realized you were just being an ass.

pezdaddy

Very cool, now Windows users can get a taste of what Mac OS X users have been getting for sometime now. Us Ubuntu users finally got something similar in 9.04's notification-ost. I will definitely be installing this in Windows 7 RC.

motang

@Phoshi: Any word on whether this works in a multi-monitor setup? I'd like my notifications to show up on my 2nd screen. I won't be home for several hours and I'm dying to know. :D

@infinitesnowboy: to let others know that it's OK if you're not using explorer (litestep/emerge)

Yes, I no understand use for more clutter--like to keep everything clean--in mind is where I know things running or no running--easy and fast. No make sense to me this application, why person would want.

rainbowsky

@infinitesnowboy: Hitler revitalised Germany's economy. He also started WWII.

This guy said something, he also said first.

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. maybe.

Wow, Snarl has been around for ages and you just now discover this? Growl has been released for jailbroken iPhones/iPod Touches; you could have found something better to write about or at least do this earlier.

Rett Gerst

@ArJay: At the risk of going off topic, I don't see why ArJay was given a commenting ban for this. He/She does not seem like a repeat offender so a warning would seem sufficient for this case. Also, the comment was not devoid of interest. It was stated that the program looks good. Just seems to me like excessive punishment over a small issue. =\

@PixelProphet: Whoa, what's the big deal? Why get that irritated over something so insignificant? He contributed more of a post than you have. There's absolutely no good reason to blow your top just because he said a single, harmless word. It's quite immature.

@Ahmad Nassri: Nobody cares what's dead to you. Create value for the LH community with your posts or move on.

omegakumar

Forgive me but I never understood the use of these. Can anyone help me understand?
I tried snarl and it did nothing but annoy me with notifications that I had a usb device.

gpzbc

@CaptainSquishy: I LOLed...

just like...LINUX

@Phoshi: Why did you reply to yourself only a minute later? ><

Doesn't support enough applications for me to dump Snarl. For now, Snarl stays.

@PixelProphet: LH needs a filter. Anyone who posts first to an article and uses the word "first" gets a 7-day ban.

Xander

@ArJay:
Third response!

andrwmorph

I don't know if I could ever use any utility like this. Most of the stuff that it can tell me about I wouldn't want to be notified about (If I'm really that mystified by what song is playing from my own mp3 collection, I'll just click on iTunes). I guess I just don't have anything that happens in the background that I need to be notified of immediately should something come up.

Besides, doesn't having a pop-up that makes you lose focus get annoying while you work?

@Ahmad Nassri:
"Widows is dead to me"

You do realize by saying that, you have just unleashed the wrath of many trust fund wives onto your very IP Address.

MudkipPPC: Welcome to Desolate Tatsumairi

@Sunit Kaul: Dito! Snarl supports way more applications (more plugins avail.) and (to me) has a clearer interface.

seboslaw

@marc_with_a_c: dear god my grammar is horrific :( preview is my long lost friend

marc_with_a_c

anyone care to share the apps they feel need notification like this for? I have purposely killed my gmail and outlook notifications so I'm focusing on what I'm currently doing as much as possible. Just curious what people are using the pop ups for?

marc_with_a_c

@jarhead: Those guys are my idols. One day when I grow up I'm gonna be first to comment.

Pandemic1444

@ArJay: First to be banned from LH today. Way to go ArJay!

Looks good in Win7, think I might try out Snarl as well just to compare it. Anyone have a brief differences list for the two?

sickstick

@Phoshi: Not trying to get into an argument or anything but from the rules about comments,

"Commenters who only say "First!" or "Nice site" on an open thread have no business hitting that "Post" button at all.".

I just assumed that since this person *did* have something else to say, and it was only their first time, a warning would have been enough. But hey, this isn't my site so I can't do anything about it.

@ArJay: ArJay's ability to comment is not enabled. awww Arjay.

Cool. Installed.

How'd you get the taskbar opaque?

@Rett Gerst: This article is not about Snarl, which we covered a long time ago and linked at the bottom of the post. This is about Growl for Windows, a completely different application.

Failure to read the articles before leaving comments results in an auto-ban.
[lifehacker.com]

Dang, that's sexy it looks better than the Mac version.

Right.

Ubuntu Jaunty has that. Built-in. No plug-ins needed.

Cool, huh?

p.s.: Yeah, it really should say "Mac/Ubuntu" . . .

skaiuoquer

I don't get it. So this alerts you when you receive e-mails, downloads finish, what track has started, etc?
Isn't all of this already built in for all the programmes listed?

VwlsRFrWmps

@Piemonkey: You're a worthless comment.

Rajesh Barua

The fact that it doesn't support every application and uses additional memory makes this very unappealing. Oh yeah, and I don't use Windows.

nortexoid

@seboslaw said Snarl supports way more applications than Growl, so that in itself is Snarl's biggest advantage. And on the 'looks' front, both are pretty much the same...also Growl is in beta.

@dj-anakin: You mean transparent/translucent, right?

oh great so in the near year since the last mac version update they've been developing a windows version?

gee thanks

Meh. All of my programs already do all this.

Dear MacQueefes,

You're not that special. Stop making a big deal of basic features.

Also:

Jealousy is wanting to keep something to yourself. Envy is wanting what someone else has. They are opposite sides of the same coin.

Apeiron242

@nortexoid:
Let's play a little Bill Nye:

DID YOU KNOW THAT...
Any software feature requiring code execution uses additional memory for the duration of its execution!

NOW YOU KNOW!

ericesque

@Apeiron242:
Nice point! I get jealousy and envy mixed up a lot.

As a win user, I've actually never been envious of that particular feature. Isn't there a reason browsers implement popup blockers? :D

ericesque

@Sunit Kaul: Whatever. Thanks for the helpful comment.

/sarcasm

@CaptainSquishy: Ha! Well played sir!

@projectvirus: Sorry :(
Works great on my primary, though.

@infinitesnowboy: BECAUSE. >:|

@VwlsRFrWmps: I think so.

To be honest, I am in no way jealous of anyone's Mac. And I sure would not be jealous of a notification tool.

kalenoble

This will be perfect if i could work with dropbox!!!

pon20

Its about time. The standard windows tip bubble thing is seriously outdated and obviously very unattractive.

Anigma

http://lifehacker.com/5147542/desktopgaming-has-killer-retro-gaming-wa...

ShwetaHapland

I think I am going to stick with Snarl for the moment. But I will keep an eye out for this app. I think it has a little further to go before it can compete with snarl - it (snarl)'s just way smoother!

mskadu

Am I the only @Falaris: I have to agree with you on that point. I don't see why anyone needs Mac-style notifications. In fact, on my old Mac, I removed Growl and any other notification completely. I can tell if I am connected to a network, I don't need something to tell me a download is complete or the battery is full charged, or I have received a new email.

I just find it to be a waste of system resources. But, I guess for those that enjoy that type of notification barrage, this will be a great addition ;-)

nka

@nka: I agree as well. No reason to be notified of things you already know or can easily find out by moving your eyes over a few inches.

sgtteddybear

@Rajesh Barua: My sarcasm says "Yes, yes!" but the metaphysical entity ascribed to me conscious says "No, no!"

Piemonkey

@cdrudy: And do all the themes make it look like the system tray is "talking"?

cdrudy

I understand it's beta, but why hasn't anyone noticed how chunky/gross the 1px white border is around the corners. If you're going to create a custom UI anyway, why not use a little antialiasing?

cdrudy

@shockwaver: You have an entire operating system to play with, and pop-up notifications were your biggest joys? So what did you do, send emails to yourself all the time to see them?

raymondbug

@VwlsRFrWmps: iTunes doesn't have a pop up notification. When I minimise it to my taskbar and it changes to a track I don't know, I have to reopen the entire window just to see it! Psssh.

raymondbug

@kalenoble: Maybe it's the way I use my computer but "growl-like" notifications are one of the best things to come to computing. I use Snarl on Windows and Mumbles for Linux and I would be lost without them. Give Snarl or Growl a try. You might find yourself addicted to these notifications sooner than you think.

@dj-anakin: You... do understand the difference between opaque and transparent, don't you?

Leszek

@PixelProphet: I completely agree. I would normally install this and use it for a day before realizing that it is stealing my attention. I tried to tune down the distraction of blinking lights and such to let me concentrate.

All the notification I want is a scheduling app that keeps me on time for meetings and an electronic equivalent of a egg timer for tasks that take the computer 5 or more minutes to complete.

@Phoshi: Godwin's law

anyone know how this compares to Snarl?

hsadan

@VwlsRFrWmps: One idea of Growl/Snarl is to provide a centralized notification system. for example all application popups are standardized and look the same, rather than coming in all different shapes and sizes.

also a more advanced utility is to allow other programs that don't already have popup notifications built in to easily implement them. note that Windows has already provided the tray notifications for this, in which case Snarl (and now Growl) simply act as a shinier more powerful replacement for it, while OSX if i'm not wrong didn't have this built in, thus the need for Growl. Most if not all apps in OSX don't have popups unless you have Growl installed.

another advanced use of such programs is for easy network notifications. for example if you just need one-way notification, instead of having to install a program many times on different machines, just have Growl installed on the receiving end and you can send messages to them easily.

hsadan

Oh joy! When I'm on a Mac at work I've found I've become quite fond of growl. Finally a version to use when I come home to my PC! Great news :)

I say Digsby needs growl notifications...JK! it already HAS them! woot! :D

Growl notifications for Dropbox. That's a good one.

I also think Growl could be used to notify one of RSS feed updates.

@Erbavore: So? He broke the rules, that's the point. If we don't put a spotlight on people who break the rules, rule breakers will run rampant and unchecked.

@Xander: didn't you see the upgraded shiny new ban hammer? It smashes firsters.

@ArJay: banned. I really don't like "firsters", but I do like growl.

Can it skin Gmail notifier?

Nathan Snyder

they said they're already banning stupid people like that. it's so annoying. great download, by the way.

ShashibalaDadillac

Ok, sorry, how'd you get the glass taskbar? I can't find anything on Google to do it. Is it part of a theme? Which one?

Yes, I know the difference between them all. My bad.

You know what... I'm dumb. I've been using a black based desktop background for so long I didn't notice that the taskbar is already transparent/glass-like. Ha! Oops.

VioletCassandra