Have you heard about site specific browsers (ssb)? It is a way to make a web app, such as Gmail, act more like a desktop application. For instance you get an app-specific icon on your desktop — you open right at the app page — the browser window is customized to not look like a browser window (no menus, navigation bar, etc. ). When I first heard these referred to I was hoping it might be a way to create a downloadable package to distribute to users. For instance it would make a really convenient way to get faculty easy access to the course management site, or staff access to wiki site. No need to trust that they’d remember the site address, or remember to book mark it. Just an icon on their desktops.
From my digging around they work well if you are creating these for yourself. In fact if you use gmail as your primary email you should really try one of these out. The Firefox Prism extension works great, as does the Bubbles one. If you combine this with Google Gears you can even use Gmail off-line. I did find some information on creating Prism packages, but those seem to require the user already have Prism installed. What I didn’t find was a tool to put a complete installer package together, although I’m sure something will crop up before too long. The convenience of distributing a web app in a desktop-type wrapper is just too good an idea.
A site-specific browser (SSB) is a software application that is dedicated to accessing pages from a single source (site) on a computer network such as the Internet or a private intranet. SSBs typically simplify the more complex functions of a web browser by excluding the menus, toolbars and browser chrome associated with functions that are external to the workings of a single site.
AIR, and a Prism – Technological Musings
The other new technology is Mozilla Lab’s Prism. Prism is similar to AIR in that it strives to create desktop-based applications using web technologies, but so far, it’s doing it in a manner opposite to that of AIR. Prism allows you to encapsulate on-line content into a simple desktop application, minus any of the fancy UI elements associated with the Firefox web browser. The result is a fast web-based application running in a normal desktop window.
Google Chrome: Application shortcuts
When you double-click a shortcut icon, the web application opens in a special streamlined window that gives you as much working room as possible.
Mozilla Labs » Blog Archive » Introducing Prism
Personal computing is currently in a state of transition. While traditionally users have interacted mostly with desktop applications, more and more of them are using web applications. But the latter often fit awkwardly into the document-centric interface of web browsers. And they are surrounded with controls–like back and forward buttons and a location bar–that have nothing to do with interacting with the application itself.
Bubbles is an application platform, based on Browser technologies. It detaches Web Applications from the classic Browser and offers them with the familiar accessibility, capabilities and always-on nature of Desktop applications
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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