A computing system for implementing a customizable compact overlay window (230, 231, 430, 450, 460, 470, 510, 610) in a display (350, 360) on top of at least one other window, the computing system comprising: at least one processor; and at least one storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes a compact overlay window manger component of the computing system to perform the following: an act of receiving from an application (310, 320, 330) running on the computing system one or more customization parameters (315A, 315B, 315C, 315D, 316, 325A, 325B, 325C, 325D) that define how the application is to be configured in the compact overlay window (230, 231, 430, 450, 460, 470, 510, 610) and define one or more regions of the customizable compact overlay window where user input is to be passed directly to an application that uses the compact overlay window; an act of generating (710, 345) the compact overlay window with the one or more defined regions in the display of the computing system, the compact overlay window being customizable according to the customization parameters; an act of positioning (730, 348) the compact overlay window in a portion of the display (350, 360) of the computing system, in response to user input being entered into at least one of the one or more defined regions, an act of directly passing the user input to the application, the user input being interpretable by the application in a manner determined by the application; and in response to the user input being entered into a region of the compact overlay window that is not part of the one or more defined regions, an act of the compact overlay window manger component of the computing system interpreting the user input. at least one processor; and at least one storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes a compact overlay window manger component of the computing system to perform the following: an act of receiving from an application (310, 320, 330) running on the computing system one or more customization parameters (315A, 315B, 315C, 315D, 316, 325A, 325B, 325C, 325D) that define how the application is to be configured in the compact overlay window (230, 231, 430, 450, 460, 470, 510, 610) and define one or more regions of the customizable compact overlay window where user input is to be passed directly to an application that uses the compact overlay window; an act of generating (710, 345) the compact overlay window with the one or more defined regions in the display of the computing system, the compact overlay window being customizable according to the customization parameters; an act of positioning (730, 348) the compact overlay window in a portion of the display (350, 360) of the computing system, in response to user input being entered into at least one of the one or more defined regions, an act of directly passing the user input to the application, the user input being interpretable by the application in a manner determined by the application; and in response to the user input being entered into a region of the compact overlay window that is not part of the one or more defined regions, an act of the compact overlay window manger component of the computing system interpreting the user input. an act of receiving from an application (310, 320, 330) running on the computing system one or more customization parameters (315A, 315B, 315C, 315D, 316, 325A, 325B, 325C, 325D) that define how the application is to be configured in the compact overlay window (230, 231, 430, 450, 460, 470, 510, 610) and define one or more regions of the customizable compact overlay window where user input is to be passed directly to an application that uses the compact overlay window; an act of generating (710, 345) the compact overlay window with the one or more defined regions in the display of the computing system, the compact overlay window being customizable according to the customization parameters; an act of positioning (730, 348) the compact overlay window in a portion of the display (350, 360) of the computing system, in response to user input being entered into at least one of the one or more defined regions, an act of directly passing the user input to the application, the user input being interpretable by the application in a manner determined by the application; and in response to the user input being entered into a region of the compact overlay window that is not part of the one or more defined regions, an act of the compact overlay window manger component of the computing system interpreting the user input.