Prism – from Mozilla – tries to integrate web applications with your desktop by giving you an icon and dedicated browser window for each application you configure. That’s it.
I saw Prism when it was first announced, but never got around to looking at it. Then a recent post by Lee Tambiah reminded me about it and I actually got around to looking at it just now.
Installation is simple:
- Download the tarball from here
- Extract it to a folder in your home directory (e.g. /home/you/prism)
- Then for each site you want to “applicationise”, run /home/you/prism/prism and give it a URL and name, check the options and ask it to create a desktop icon
- When you want to re-open the application, double-click the relevant icon on your desktop
Nice and simple, eh?
There’s not really a lot else to say. It’s Gecko based, so it will work as well as Firefox. There’s no tabs, Extensions or Flash – I’ll let you decide if that’s good or bad.
For sites like Twitter, Pownce or Google Calendar (and at a pinch, Facebook) it’s great, but without tabs I couldn’t imagine using it for Google Reader, or Launchpad.
Just a line to say that Flash does work in Prism for me. I use Google Analytics Flash-based charts.
I was wary of the tab issue, but thought I’d give it a try, now I don’t know if it’s because I use epiphany as my default browser but when I click on links in a prism’d Google Reader it opens in an epiphany window in a new tab. Just like clicking on links in any other application would.
Also prism is packaged in Hardy along with some webapps. The packaged webapps install shortcuts to the
desktop menu, which is a little nicer than desktop shortcuts.
P.s. your categories list goes over the top of the comment textarea.
I thought it was designed for XUL-based app, like Songbird etc., not for Google Reader.
@Flavio: Well, Flash doesn’t work here unless I copy the plugin from my Firefox folder. Did you do anything to make it work?
@Dean: My design/layout isn’t perfect - I really need to do a full re-design. I figured that links would open in my browser (and they do), I’m just so used to using tabs with Google Reader and forums it would break the "experience" for me. However it’s not meant to replace your browser, and for what it’s supposed to do, it works great.
@Bob: I think you’re getting Prism/WebRunner confused with XULRunner which was for apps like Songbird.
Innovation? On my Planet Ubuntu? Damn you, ruining a good worthless zealot blog aggregator by posting something actually valuable
xD
What horrible desktop are you using, that needs such a thing?
Personally I prefer to right click on my desktop, and choose "Create New->Link to Location (URL)…". Strangely enough, it puts an icon on my desktop, and opens a new window for it. Astounding, eh?
You missed the point.
"Separate Processes for each application."
A flash crash won’t bring down your Reader Tab.
For that reason alone it pays off in spades to use Prism for Reader and Docs.