Firefly: good-bye Windows Explorer and Finder?
Yes, I’m still living in a bubble browser. It’s been around 40 days with minimal use of client applications: just Firefox 3, a bunch of extensions and some web services. The most often used application after Firefox during all this time? According to Wakoopa, a service that tracks my app usage, it’s Windows Explorer. Maybe it’s time to change that.
For basic file browsing, I was simply entering a drive path in the Firefox address bar, but that’s extremely limited. That’s why I got excited to see the Firefly extension featured on gHacks (shown above from my UMPC). Not just because it has the same name as one of my favorite television programs, but also because it’s quite powerful and useful. With it installed, I can easily browse through my file system; more importantly, I can manipulate the files. There’s cut, paste, move to, open with, rename, sorting, multiple views and more. Call it your basic file explorer because it might not have all the bells and whistles of a Windows Explorer or Finder. One thing missing (or inadvertently overlooked by me): search functionality. You can however, filter by file extensions. I also noticed on the Mac that I had to customize the Start Page settings by indicating my device’s hard drive. Prior to that, I was staring at a blank screen, but it’s all good now.
This has to be one of the largest extensions I’ve added yet: 1.4 MB. Still, on a netbook or UMPC with minimal storage capacity, I’m starting to think that regardless of the installed OS, the effective OS can be the browser. Shiny!
(via Download Squad)
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Interesting… I may have to give it a try.
As for Firefly the TV show… absolutely loved it. Loved Serenity as well, and I really wish someone would bring it back as a continued series, because it has so much potential.
Another app installed on your machine. IMHO
Cody B, I am confused why some believe that it’s a bad thing to install browser extensions for working in the cloud. Why is that a bad thing? If a simple tool makes the work easier than why not?
Neither the series nor the film were ever shown here but fortunately I accidentally downloaded it from the internet one day. Because of that one ‘illegal’ download I ended up buying the DVDs of the series and the film! So maybe those thugs that take old ladies and puppies to court should give me some money.
Bad thing, no.
When you install something on your PC to be able to work from the cloud it gets gray that’s all. Saying you use only your browser to do everything becomes gray as well. You just moved the code from one location on your hard drive to another. Now you have two file browsers for that matter. I don’t understand why you need two. If you’re working from the cloud you shouldn’t have to browse local files at all. Ok, the last part is a bit of a stretch right now. Many businesses have had users running from the cloud of years and years. Citrix for example is a great solution. The environment truly works from the cloud. It even uses only around 54 kb/sec connection.
Wow that got longer than I expected. From my point of view firefly is another app installed in the Firefox directory. Why not install it the programs files (windows) and get it over with.
I’m very interested in seeing others point of view (even though its already been discussed here before).
I used 6 different machines during a normal day (3 windows, 2 linux, and a MAC). I really want to work from the cloud. But I don’t want to have to install extensions and apps on 6+ machines every time I find one I like.
I completely agree with you Cody. That’s why I’m following Mozilla’s Weave project so closely. It will sync not just your data, but your environment (themes and extensions) as well.
Hey, you lot! Firefly’s captain is now Captain Hammer. Go see Doctor Horrible from genius Joss Whedon:
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/go-see-doctor-horrible/
I agree with Cody. Just because the code runs within the frame of the Firefox browser window doesn’t make it a cloud app. I haven’t tried Firefly yet, but other than maybe the advantage of being able to use the same UI on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux), what is the advantage of this extension over the operating system’s native file browser (or some other 3rd party native app)?
And this just further proves how far ahead of the times Windows 98 was.
What you’re doing, your experiment, is a large part of the philosophy behind Win98. The idea that you could use a browser for anything. Help files, Windows explorer (you could customize indiviual directories with an .HTM file and a change to desktop.ini), the rendering of messages in Outlook Express, content availalbe on some select channels of the windows application WebTV (I only tried it with PBS), even HTML applications (.HTA extension) is precisely what Microsoft was trying to revolutionize 10 years ago. Makes you wonder what things would look like today without the anti-monopoly lawsuit.
You’re trying to turn the Browser into the OS, an arguement made by Firefox diehards, but the browser could have just as effectively been incorporated into the OS with extensions (ActiveX) providing a way to perform native tasks. Reverting to Win98 would have effectively been the same test. Granted it isn’t exactly the same thing, but I fully believe we’d be futher along if it hadn’t been for the trial and lawsuites.