Comments on: Quick Look: Creating and Using Site Specific Browsers

By: Albert

Albert — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:46:57 +0000

While I agree with the other opinions for simple functions like email or chat, i see a potential use for Site Specific Browsers that has not been discussed.

I happen to enjoy both Pandora & Slacker internet radio while working on web design. Anyone who has opened Apple’s Activity Monitor may have noticed that while streaming music in your browser, the broswer will “eat” resources like a crazed zombie at some specific websites. I’ve had multiple different browsers crash on me after hours of coding, html validating, page previewing and running a music streaming site in a tab along with my other 8-10 normal tabs.

To solve this problem, I’ve used Fluid or the iCab browser to create a Site Specific Browser application. Now, instead of my web browser crashing while i am working on web design due to a given web site’s “hunger” for resources, i’m running Pandora in an SSB. Even if that should crash, I’m on a Unix based OS X system, big deal. My work continues in my broswer of choice, and worst case, I restart my SSB to continue my “tunes”.

I believe this is where the SSB & the Cloud will shine: apps that might stress a browser, causing a crash, will simply be migrated to SSBs. This avoids the problem, and with most web sites, has been working fine for me so far.

And yes, I use any number of different tabbed browses. I simply don’t believe that an end user should need to run mulitple browser windows, with multiple tabs per window, creating a logistical nightmare. It’s why Apple’s Mail application is my email client of choice, even for Gmail. When i want that function, I use that app, otherwise I can leave it open, or quit it, as i see fit, without interrupting or modifying my work-flow. That, I believe, is where SSBs will shine in the market place. Just my 3 cents (adjusted for inflation after the multiple major bailouts offered to the financial industry in the US).

By: Mika

Mika — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:13:01 +0000

Same here. I used Fluid for some sites with specific settings but in the end there was no real advantage. With OmniWeb and their concept of tabbed windows and workspaces I have one app for all!

By: Will the Cloud Lead Me Away From the Mac?

Will the Cloud Lead Me Away From the Mac? — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:25:01 +0000

[...] all of these web services are being accessed either via Safari (Facebook and Lexulous), or via Site Specific Browsers (SSBs), which means I’m using the naked, if you will, web interface for the [...]

By: Veit

Veit — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:51:05 +0000

I have used Fluid for all kinds of Google services and did not find any advantage at all over keeping these services in separate browser tabs. In fact, much more clutter on my desktop. So I reverted back to using Google browser-based and am happy with it.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:38:23 +0000

Wasn’t Safari supposed to be offering this “web page as an app” type functionality? I wonder what happened to that…

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:33:05 +0000

Personally I don’t really get the point. I’m not sure why I would pay $25 for Mailplane, for example, when the only additional functionality over accessing GMail in Safari is an active dock icon. It would be much more effective for OS makers (Apple/ MSFT) to provide APIs so websites can update the dock/ taskbar icons. Fewer applications, less complexity.

By: c.mac

c.mac — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:08:03 +0000

I use a Fluid based SSB for Yahoo mail, but honestly I’ve never really felt it was it’s own application. While the badge showing the number of new emails is a nice touch, other than that it simply feels like an awkward Safari page.

I really wish that more “cloud” companies would do like Evernote and create their own native apps for Mac and iPhone. Call me a Cloud-skeptic, but I like having a native app that is customized for the site and integrates with the OS in ways that even a SSB does not. Sure I could access GMail and Evernote thorugh their websites, but I’d much rather use native apps to access that data (Mail.app works great with IMAP capable email).

By: David Klein

David Klein — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:36:25 +0000

I love Fluid! I use it for Google Reader. I used to use it for GMail but Mailplane has taken over for that.

Simplenote is also a great opportunity for Fluid especially with the custom stylesheet:
http://hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/fluid-style-for-simplenote