Although sundials are well-known instruments used to estimate the time by utilizing the Sun's shadow, astrolabes are more sophisticated devices that can additionally predict the positions of stars or assist in triangulating a location.

Microsoft Gadgets are very classic tiny desktop applications that are executed in a desktop sidebar or directly on the desktop. Unfortunately, it only exists on Windows Vista and 7. They were phased out with the launch of Windows 8 and replaced by tiles on the Start Screen, as Microsoft cited concerns that the sidebar introduced vulnerabilities in the operating system that could allow for remote code execution.

MyPaint is a free and open-source painting program developed by Martin Renold from Switzerland in 2005. It has garnered a dedicated following among digital artists, illustrators, and hobbyists alike, primarily due to its focus on simplicity and ease of use.

AutoIt is a BASIC-like scripting language that is primarily used for automating tasks on Windows, developed by Jonathan Bennett in 1999. It provides a simple and easy-to-use syntax, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced programmers. With it, you can create scripts to automate repetitive tasks, such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and interacting with windows and controls.

Mechanical hard drives can be very fast when reading sequential files, such as copying movies. But when we usually use the operating system, the most common application is reading scattered files, such as operating system startup, opening programs, web browsing cache, etc. Each time we need to read many small files distributed in different locations on the disk. Mechanical hard drives rely on the magnetic head to constantly seek before it can read. It seeks and reads again and again, so a lot of time is spent on seeking and reading scattered small files.