diff --git a/examples/widgets/Export As (nbconvert).ipynb b/examples/widgets/Export As (nbconvert).ipynb
index 3f2061b..561a002 100644
--- a/examples/widgets/Export As (nbconvert).ipynb
+++ b/examples/widgets/Export As (nbconvert).ipynb
@@ -11,8 +11,12 @@
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
+      "# Widget related imports\n",
       "from IPython.html import widgets\n",
-      "from IPython.display import display, Javascript, clear_output\n",
+      "from IPython.display import display, clear_output, Javascript\n",
+      "from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode\n",
+      "\n",
+      "# nbconvert related imports\n",
       "from IPython.nbconvert import get_export_names, export_by_name\n",
       "from IPython.nbconvert.writers import FilesWriter\n",
       "from IPython.nbformat import current"
@@ -26,15 +30,14 @@
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
-      "Create and *display* a StringWidget without a view.  The StringWidget will be used to store the notebook name which is otherwise only available in the front-end."
+      "Create a textbox Widget without displaying it.  The widget will be used to store the notebook's name which is otherwise only available in the front-end."
      ]
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "notebook_name = widgets.StringWidget(default_view_name='')\n",
-      "display(notebook_name)"
+      "notebook_name = widgets.TextBoxWidget()"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -52,9 +55,9 @@
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "js = \"\"\"var model = IPython.notebook.kernel.comm_manager.comms['{comm_id}'].model;\n",
+      "js = \"\"\"var model = IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager.get_model('{model_id}');\n",
       "model.set('value', IPython.notebook.notebook_name);\n",
-      "model.save();\"\"\".format(comm_id=notebook_name._comm.comm_id)\n",
+      "model.save();\"\"\".format(model_id=notebook_name.model_id)\n",
       "display(Javascript(data=js))"
      ],
      "language": "python",
@@ -62,14 +65,14 @@
      "outputs": [
       {
        "javascript": [
-        "var model = IPython.notebook.kernel.comm_manager.comms['af0fadc224134034af6141995abf625a'].model;\n",
+        "var model = IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager.get_model('8c6583524eb3422c99491730a3e1ce6c');\n",
         "model.set('value', IPython.notebook.notebook_name);\n",
         "model.save();"
        ],
        "metadata": {},
        "output_type": "display_data",
        "text": [
-        "<IPython.core.display.Javascript at 0x3756790>"
+        "<IPython.core.display.Javascript at 0x164ea50>"
        ]
       }
      ],
@@ -107,17 +110,9 @@
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "container = widgets.ContainerWidget()\n",
-      "container.vbox()\n",
-      "container.align_center()\n",
-      "\n",
-      "options = widgets.ContainerWidget(parent=container)\n",
-      "options.hbox()\n",
-      "options.align_center()\n",
-      "exporter_names = widgets.SelectionWidget(parent=options, values=get_export_names(), value='html')\n",
-      "export_button = widgets.ButtonWidget(parent=options, description=\"Export\")\n",
-      "\n",
-      "download_link = widgets.StringWidget(parent=container, default_view_name=\"HTMLView\", visible=False)"
+      "exporter_names = widgets.DropdownWidget(values=get_export_names(), value='html')\n",
+      "export_button = widgets.ButtonWidget(description=\"Export\")\n",
+      "download_link = widgets.HTMLWidget(visible=False)"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -154,17 +149,8 @@
       "        write_results = file_writer.write(output, resources, notebook_name=notebook_name)\n",
       "    \n",
       "        download_link.value = \"<br>Results: <a href='files/{filename}'><i>\\\"{filename}\\\"</i></a>\".format(filename=write_results)\n",
-      "        download_link.visible = True"
-     ],
-     "language": "python",
-     "metadata": {},
-     "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 6
-    },
-    {
-     "cell_type": "code",
-     "collapsed": false,
-     "input": [
+      "        download_link.visible = True\n",
+      "        \n",
       "def handle_export():\n",
       "    with open(filename, 'r') as f:\n",
       "        export(filename, current.read(f, 'json'))\n",
@@ -173,19 +159,25 @@
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 7
+     "prompt_number": 6
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "Display the controls."
+     ]
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "download_link.visible = False\n",
-      "display(container)"
+      "display(exporter_names, export_button, download_link)"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 8
+     "prompt_number": 7
     }
    ],
    "metadata": {}
diff --git a/examples/widgets/File Upload Widget.ipynb b/examples/widgets/File Upload Widget.ipynb
index 370e579..f78302e 100644
--- a/examples/widgets/File Upload Widget.ipynb
+++ b/examples/widgets/File Upload Widget.ipynb
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "from __future__ import print_function # py 2.7 compat\n",
-      "\n",
       "import base64\n",
-      "from IPython.html import widgets # Widget definitions\n",
-      "from IPython.display import display # Used to display widgets in the notebook"
+      "from __future__ import print_function # py 2.7 compat.\n",
+      "from IPython.html import widgets # Widget definitions.\n",
+      "from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode # Traitlet needed to add synced attributes to the widget."
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -29,31 +28,44 @@
      "prompt_number": 1
     },
     {
-     "cell_type": "heading",
-     "level": 1,
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
-      "Custom Widget"
+      "This is a custom widget that allows the user to upload file data to the notebook server.  The file data is sent via a statefull `value` attribute of the widget.  The widget has an upload failed event that fires in the front-end and is echoed to the back-end using a custom msg."
      ]
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
-      "# Import the base Widget class and the traitlets Unicode class.\n",
-      "from IPython.html.widgets import Widget\n",
-      "from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Int\n",
-      "\n",
-      "# Define our FileWidget and its target model and default view.\n",
-      "class FileWidget(Widget):\n",
-      "    target_name = Unicode('FileWidgetModel')\n",
-      "    default_view_name = Unicode('FilePickerView')\n",
+      "class FileWidget(widgets.DOMWidget):\n",
+      "    _view_name = Unicode('FilePickerView', sync=True)\n",
+      "    value = Unicode(sync=True)\n",
+      "    filename = Unicode(sync=True)\n",
       "    \n",
-      "    # Define the custom state properties to sync with the front-end\n",
-      "    _keys = ['value', 'filename']\n",
-      "    value = Unicode('')\n",
-      "    filename = Unicode('')\n",
-      "    on_failed = Int(0)"
+      "    def __init__(self, **kwargs):\n",
+      "        \"\"\"Constructor\"\"\"\n",
+      "        widgets.DOMWidget.__init__(self, **kwargs) # Call the base.\n",
+      "        \n",
+      "        # Allow the user to register error callbacks with the following signatures:\n",
+      "        #    callback()\n",
+      "        #    callback(sender)\n",
+      "        self.errors = widgets.CallbackDispatcher(accepted_nargs=[0, 1])\n",
+      "        \n",
+      "        # Listen for custom msgs\n",
+      "        self.on_msg(self._handle_custom_msg)\n",
+      "\n",
+      "    def _handle_custom_msg(self, content):\n",
+      "        \"\"\"Handle a msg from the front-end.\n",
+      "\n",
+      "        Parameters\n",
+      "        ----------\n",
+      "        content: dict\n",
+      "            Content of the msg.\"\"\"\n",
+      "        if 'event' in content and content['event'] == 'error':\n",
+      "            self.errors()\n",
+      "            self.errors(self)\n",
+      "    "
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -66,46 +78,50 @@
      "input": [
       "%%javascript\n",
       "\n",
-      "require([\"notebook/js/widget\"], function(){\n",
-      "    \n",
-      "    // Define the FileModel and register it with the widget manager.\n",
-      "    var FileModel = IPython.WidgetModel.extend({});\n",
-      "    IPython.widget_manager.register_widget_model('FileWidgetModel', FileModel);\n",
-      "    \n",
-      "    // Define the FilePickerView\n",
+      "require([\"notebook/js/widgets/widget\"], function(WidgetManager){\n",
+      "\n",
       "    var FilePickerView = IPython.WidgetView.extend({\n",
-      "        \n",
       "        render: function(){\n",
-      "            var that = this;\n",
-      "            this.$el = $('<input />')\n",
-      "                .attr('type', 'file')\n",
-      "                .change(function(evt){ that.handleFileChange(evt) });\n",
+      "            // Render the view.\n",
+      "            this.setElement($('<input />')\n",
+      "                .attr('type', 'file'));\n",
       "        },\n",
       "        \n",
-      "        // Handles: User input\n",
-      "        handleFileChange: function(evt) { \n",
+      "        events: {\n",
+      "            // List of events and their handlers.\n",
+      "            'change': 'handle_file_change',\n",
+      "        },\n",
+      "       \n",
+      "        handle_file_change: function(evt) { \n",
+      "            // Handle when the user has changed the file.\n",
       "            \n",
-      "            //Retrieve the first (and only!) File from the FileList object\n",
-      "            var that = this;\n",
-      "            var f = evt.target.files[0];\n",
-      "            if (f) {\n",
-      "                var r = new FileReader();\n",
-      "                r.onload = function(e) {\n",
+      "            // Retrieve the first (and only!) File from the FileList object\n",
+      "            var file = evt.target.files[0];\n",
+      "            if (file) {\n",
+      "\n",
+      "                // Read the file's textual content and set value to those contents.\n",
+      "                var that = this;\n",
+      "                var file_reader = new FileReader();\n",
+      "                file_reader.onload = function(e) {\n",
       "                    that.model.set('value', e.target.result);\n",
-      "                    that.model.update_other_views(that);\n",
+      "                    that.touch();\n",
       "                }\n",
-      "                r.readAsText(f);\n",
+      "                file_reader.readAsText(file);\n",
       "            } else {\n",
-      "                this.model.set('on_failed', this.model.get('on_failed') + 1);\n",
-      "                this.model.update_other_views(this);\n",
+      "\n",
+      "                // The file couldn't be opened.  Send an error msg to the\n",
+      "                // back-end.\n",
+      "                this.send({ 'event': 'error' });\n",
       "            }\n",
-      "            this.model.set('filename', f.name);\n",
-      "            this.model.update_other_views(this);\n",
+      "\n",
+      "            // Set the filename of the file.\n",
+      "            this.model.set('filename', file.name);\n",
+      "            this.touch();\n",
       "        },\n",
       "    });\n",
       "        \n",
       "    // Register the DatePickerView with the widget manager.\n",
-      "    IPython.widget_manager.register_widget_view('FilePickerView', FilePickerView);\n",
+      "    WidgetManager.register_widget_view('FilePickerView', FilePickerView);\n",
       "});"
      ],
      "language": "python",
@@ -114,63 +130,66 @@
       {
        "javascript": [
         "\n",
-        "require([\"notebook/js/widget\"], function(){\n",
-        "    \n",
-        "    // Define the FileModel and register it with the widget manager.\n",
-        "    var FileModel = IPython.WidgetModel.extend({});\n",
-        "    IPython.widget_manager.register_widget_model('FileWidgetModel', FileModel);\n",
-        "    \n",
-        "    // Define the FilePickerView\n",
+        "require([\"notebook/js/widgets/widget\"], function(WidgetManager){\n",
+        "\n",
         "    var FilePickerView = IPython.WidgetView.extend({\n",
-        "        \n",
         "        render: function(){\n",
-        "            var that = this;\n",
-        "            this.$el = $('<input />')\n",
-        "                .attr('type', 'file')\n",
-        "                .change(function(evt){ that.handleFileChange(evt) });\n",
+        "            // Render the view.\n",
+        "            this.setElement($('<input />')\n",
+        "                .attr('type', 'file'));\n",
         "        },\n",
         "        \n",
-        "        // Handles: User input\n",
-        "        handleFileChange: function(evt) { \n",
+        "        events: {\n",
+        "            // List of events and their handlers.\n",
+        "            'change': 'handle_file_change',\n",
+        "        },\n",
+        "       \n",
+        "        handle_file_change: function(evt) { \n",
+        "            // Handle when the user has changed the file.\n",
         "            \n",
-        "            //Retrieve the first (and only!) File from the FileList object\n",
-        "            var that = this;\n",
-        "            var f = evt.target.files[0];\n",
-        "            if (f) {\n",
-        "                var r = new FileReader();\n",
-        "                r.onload = function(e) {\n",
+        "            // Retrieve the first (and only!) File from the FileList object\n",
+        "            var file = evt.target.files[0];\n",
+        "            if (file) {\n",
+        "\n",
+        "                // Read the file's textual content and set value to those contents.\n",
+        "                var that = this;\n",
+        "                var file_reader = new FileReader();\n",
+        "                file_reader.onload = function(e) {\n",
         "                    that.model.set('value', e.target.result);\n",
-        "                    that.model.update_other_views(that);\n",
+        "                    that.touch();\n",
         "                }\n",
-        "                r.readAsText(f);\n",
+        "                file_reader.readAsText(file);\n",
         "            } else {\n",
-        "                this.model.set('on_failed', this.model.get('on_failed') + 1);\n",
-        "                this.model.update_other_views(this);\n",
+        "\n",
+        "                // The file couldn't be opened.  Send an error msg to the\n",
+        "                // back-end.\n",
+        "                this.send({ 'event': 'error' });\n",
         "            }\n",
-        "            this.model.set('filename', f.name);\n",
-        "            this.model.update_other_views(this);\n",
+        "\n",
+        "            // Set the filename of the file.\n",
+        "            this.model.set('filename', file.name);\n",
+        "            this.touch();\n",
         "        },\n",
         "    });\n",
         "        \n",
         "    // Register the DatePickerView with the widget manager.\n",
-        "    IPython.widget_manager.register_widget_view('FilePickerView', FilePickerView);\n",
+        "    WidgetManager.register_widget_view('FilePickerView', FilePickerView);\n",
         "});"
        ],
        "metadata": {},
        "output_type": "display_data",
        "text": [
-        "<IPython.core.display.Javascript at 0x7f14f1c78cd0>"
+        "<IPython.core.display.Javascript at 0x22870d0>"
        ]
       }
      ],
      "prompt_number": 3
     },
     {
-     "cell_type": "heading",
-     "level": 1,
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
-      "Usage"
+      "The following shows how the file widget can be used."
      ]
     },
     {
@@ -178,22 +197,28 @@
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
       "file_widget = FileWidget()\n",
-      "display(file_widget)\n",
       "\n",
+      "# Register an event to echo the filename when it has been changed.\n",
       "def file_loading():\n",
       "    print(\"Loading %s\" % file_widget.filename)\n",
+      "file_widget.on_trait_change(file_loading, 'filename')\n",
       "\n",
+      "# Register an event to echo the filename and contents when a file\n",
+      "# has been uploaded.\n",
       "def file_loaded():\n",
       "    print(\"Loaded, file contents: %s\" % file_widget.value)\n",
+      "file_widget.on_trait_change(file_loaded, 'value')\n",
       "\n",
-      "def file_failed(name, old_value, new_value):\n",
-      "    if new_value > old_value:\n",
-      "        print(\"Could not load file contents of %s\" % file_widget.filename)\n",
-      "\n",
+      "# Register an event to print an error message when a file could not\n",
+      "# be opened.  Since the error messages are not handled through\n",
+      "# traitlets but instead handled through custom msgs, the registration\n",
+      "# of the handler is different than the two examples above.  Instead\n",
+      "# the API provided by the CallbackDispatcher must be used.\n",
+      "def file_failed():\n",
+      "    print(\"Could not load file contents of %s\" % file_widget.filename)\n",
+      "file_widget.errors.register_callback(file_failed)\n",
       "\n",
-      "file_widget.on_trait_change(file_loading, 'filename')\n",
-      "file_widget.on_trait_change(file_loaded, 'value')\n",
-      "file_widget.on_trait_change(file_failed, 'on_failed')"
+      "file_widget"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
diff --git a/examples/widgets/Nonblocking Console.ipynb b/examples/widgets/Nonblocking Console.ipynb
index d7b0574..492b3c9 100644
--- a/examples/widgets/Nonblocking Console.ipynb
+++ b/examples/widgets/Nonblocking Console.ipynb
@@ -11,61 +11,20 @@
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
+      "# Console related imports.\n",
       "from subprocess import Popen, PIPE\n",
       "import fcntl\n",
       "import os\n",
+      "from IPython.utils.py3compat import bytes_to_str, string_types\n",
       "\n",
+      "# Widget related imports.\n",
       "from IPython.html import  widgets\n",
-      "from IPython.display import display\n",
-      "from IPython.utils.py3compat import bytes_to_str, string_types"
+      "from IPython.display import display"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 1
-    },
-    {
-     "cell_type": "markdown",
-     "metadata": {},
-     "source": [
-      "Create the output, input, and console toggle widgets."
-     ]
-    },
-    {
-     "cell_type": "code",
-     "collapsed": false,
-     "input": [
-      "console_container = widgets.ContainerWidget(visible=False)\n",
-      "console_container.set_css('padding', '10px')\n",
-      "\n",
-      "console_style = {\n",
-      "    'font-family': 'monospace',\n",
-      "    'color': '#AAAAAA',\n",
-      "    'background': 'black',\n",
-      "    'width': '800px',\n",
-      "}\n",
-      "\n",
-      "output_box = widgets.StringWidget(parent=console_container, default_view_name='TextAreaView')\n",
-      "output_box.set_css(console_style)\n",
-      "output_box.set_css('height', '400px')\n",
-      "\n",
-      "input_box = widgets.StringWidget(parent=console_container)\n",
-      "input_box.set_css(console_style)\n",
-      "\n",
-      "toggle_button = widgets.ButtonWidget(description=\"Start Console\")\n",
-      "def toggle_console():\n",
-      "    console_container.visible = not console_container.visible\n",
-      "    if console_container.visible:\n",
-      "        toggle_button.description=\"Stop Console\"\n",
-      "        input_box.disabled = False\n",
-      "    else:\n",
-      "        toggle_button.description=\"Start Console\"\n",
-      "toggle_button.on_click(toggle_console)\n"
-     ],
-     "language": "python",
-     "metadata": {},
-     "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 2
+     "prompt_number": 6
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "markdown",
@@ -154,7 +113,42 @@
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 3
+     "prompt_number": 7
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "Create the console widgets without displaying them."
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "console_container = widgets.ContainerWidget(visible=False)\n",
+      "console_container.set_css('padding', '10px')\n",
+      "\n",
+      "console_style = {\n",
+      "    'font-family': 'monospace',\n",
+      "    'color': '#AAAAAA',\n",
+      "    'background': 'black',\n",
+      "    'width': '800px',\n",
+      "}\n",
+      "\n",
+      "output_box = widgets.TextAreaWidget()\n",
+      "output_box.set_css(console_style)\n",
+      "output_box.set_css('height', '400px')\n",
+      "\n",
+      "input_box = widgets.TextBoxWidget()\n",
+      "input_box.set_css(console_style)\n",
+      "\n",
+      "console_container.children = [output_box, input_box]"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [],
+     "prompt_number": 8
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "markdown",
@@ -195,26 +189,36 @@
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 4
+     "prompt_number": 9
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
-      "Show the console"
+      "Create the button that will be used to display and hide the console.  Display both the console container and the new button used to toggle it."
      ]
     },
     {
      "cell_type": "code",
      "collapsed": false,
      "input": [
+      "toggle_button = widgets.ButtonWidget(description=\"Start Console\")\n",
+      "def toggle_console():\n",
+      "    console_container.visible = not console_container.visible\n",
+      "    if console_container.visible:\n",
+      "        toggle_button.description=\"Stop Console\"\n",
+      "        input_box.disabled = False\n",
+      "    else:\n",
+      "        toggle_button.description=\"Start Console\"\n",
+      "toggle_button.on_click(toggle_console)\n",
+      "\n",
       "display(toggle_button)\n",
       "display(console_container)"
      ],
      "language": "python",
      "metadata": {},
      "outputs": [],
-     "prompt_number": 5
+     "prompt_number": 10
     }
    ],
    "metadata": {}
diff --git a/examples/widgets/index.ipynb b/examples/widgets/index.ipynb
index 13d545b..2a8a487 100644
--- a/examples/widgets/index.ipynb
+++ b/examples/widgets/index.ipynb
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@
       "- [Export As (nbconvert)](Export As (nbconvert%29.ipynb)  \n",
       "- [Nonblocking Console](Nonblocking Console.ipynb)  \n",
       "- [D3](D3.ipynb)  \n",
-      "- [File Upload Widget](File Upload Widget.ipynb)  \n",
-      "- [Dialogs](Dialogs.ipynb)  "
+      "- [File Upload Widget](File Upload Widget.ipynb)  "
      ]
     }
    ],