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Mozilla Prism
In my last post I talked about how you can now properly access Gmail not only through its Web interface but also through a PC-based email program like Outlook Express or Thunderbird.
That’s an example of where a server-based application is accessed other than through a Web page. In this vein I’d like to mention Prism, which was announced a few days ago by Mozilla Labs and works with the Firefox browser. Prism (formerly WebRunner) makes Web-based applications behave more like PC applications and less like Web pages. Here’s an example:
I use a Web-based to-do list system called Vitalist, and I use it frequently throughout the day. But with lots of browser windows/tabs open at the same time, I may have to hunt a bit to find the one that has Vitalist. Not any more. A few days ago I installed Prism and told it to create an application with name “Vitalist” and URL “http://my.vitalist.com/”. Now I have what seems to be a regular Windows application: there’s an icon on my desktop labelled Vitalist (I could also put it into the Windows Start menu if I wanted to, or the Quick Launch bar), and when I run it the taskbar shows “Vitalist” in the same way that it would show a traditional application like Outlook Express, completely separately from any regular browser windows I may have. I can navigate to it in the same way I would any other Windows application. Furthermore, the window doesn’t waste space with browser buttons like Back and Forward, nor with a location bar, because with Prism those are optional: it gave me checkboxes for them and I didn’t check those off. Although the window is actually a browser window, you’d never know it.
I’ve used Prism for a few days and although it’s an “early prototype” it works fine for me, and I love it. If you use any web-based applications a lot, like Gmail or Facebook, you may like it too.
So far it’s available only for Windows, but Mac OS and GNU/Linux versions should be available soon. More information, and a link to download it are at mozilla.com, specifically here.
That’s an example of where a server-based application is accessed other than through a Web page. In this vein I’d like to mention Prism, which was announced a few days ago by Mozilla Labs and works with the Firefox browser. Prism (formerly WebRunner) makes Web-based applications behave more like PC applications and less like Web pages. Here’s an example:
I use a Web-based to-do list system called Vitalist, and I use it frequently throughout the day. But with lots of browser windows/tabs open at the same time, I may have to hunt a bit to find the one that has Vitalist. Not any more. A few days ago I installed Prism and told it to create an application with name “Vitalist” and URL “http://my.vitalist.com/”. Now I have what seems to be a regular Windows application: there’s an icon on my desktop labelled Vitalist (I could also put it into the Windows Start menu if I wanted to, or the Quick Launch bar), and when I run it the taskbar shows “Vitalist” in the same way that it would show a traditional application like Outlook Express, completely separately from any regular browser windows I may have. I can navigate to it in the same way I would any other Windows application. Furthermore, the window doesn’t waste space with browser buttons like Back and Forward, nor with a location bar, because with Prism those are optional: it gave me checkboxes for them and I didn’t check those off. Although the window is actually a browser window, you’d never know it.
I’ve used Prism for a few days and although it’s an “early prototype” it works fine for me, and I love it. If you use any web-based applications a lot, like Gmail or Facebook, you may like it too.
So far it’s available only for Windows, but Mac OS and GNU/Linux versions should be available soon. More information, and a link to download it are at mozilla.com, specifically here.
posted by Rohan Jayasekera | 9:10 p.m.
8 Comments:
Neat find!
I keep seeing debates about whether the desktop app is dead and web apps will take over. I like the idea that really the two are just moving towards each, like this example.
Also have a look at the Vitalist Desktop. No idea if it's better or worse...
http://www.vitalist.com/neteffect/archives/vitadesktop-quick-access-to-your-vitalist-account/
The particular platform, Prism or Air or Silverlight, isn't so important as were these things are pointing us. They all point towards the thin-client future hosted by Google and the like.
We have heard this promise many times before, remember X terminals and JavaStations? It was one of founding ideas of Netscape too. Every time, the PC-centric solution, essentially MS Office, has won out instead
With the heavy investment of Google, Adobe and even Microsoft, in apps like Prism, maybe this time the thin-client really will be the future.
it is better to have your to-do list on a palmtop and then there are no problems to reach it the whole day (:
somehow this post does not want to work ...
Hello Rohan. I saw this article that you posted on 10/30/07, and was wondering if you have been successful in using Prism with the new "beta" Vitslist that was introduced a few months ago.
I too was had been using Prism to launch my "old" Vitalist (http://my.vitalist.com/) and it was working perfectly well ... until I switched to the "new" "beta" (http://www.vitalist.com/).
I set up the new Vitalist in Prism and the website launches OK, but when I try adding or changing tasks I get error messages or it just hangs.
Any advice?
Thanks
Tony
Hi Tony,
Unfortunately I had to stop using Prism when I realized that it was chewing up a big chunk of my computer's resources. So I haven't tried it with the new "beta" Vitalist (which I too switched to a little while ago). I suggest opening a discussion about this in the Vitalist Forum, as other people may have found a solution, plus you may get the attention of Vitalist's developers.
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