The next 'core' applet within the Emerge suite is emergeTasks.
It is a direct replacement for the main function of the Taskbar in Windows Explorer, displaying which programs are currently open (obviously excluding ones that minimise to the tray etc).

In-keeping with the minimalist ethos of Emerge and unlike the Windows Taskbar, there is no title permanently displayed next to each icon, so for first-time users it could be considered a little confusing.
However, when you hover over a specific icon, the standard Windows title box (that one with the pale yellow background) - as you can see in the following screenshot:


_{The emergeTasks applet with FireFox's title showing.}

So, the taskbar is just a row of icons, which can be either 16x16 or 32x32 in size, which can be positioned absolutely anywhere on the screen that you want. The background can be any solid colour you chose or one of a number of pre-set gradients as well - or, if you prefer, you can just go for a transparent background instead.
Furthermore, the opacity of the icons can be varied, both in general or depending on whether the applet is 'active' or 'inactive' (ie whether the cursor is hovering over it or not) - again this is demonstrated in the following screenshots:


_{'Active' and 'inactive' views of the emergeTasks applet (opacity set to 100% and 35% respectively).}

There isn't much else to say about about this app - it does what it meant to and it does it with a minimum of fuss.


~Step666