Prism - bringing web applications to your desktop
I originally posted this entry about Prism on the Summersault Weblog, but because I think it is such a great program, I want to share it here as well:
I recently found a neat little application that has been useful both at work and in my at-home computing. It is called Prism, and what it does is allow you to run your favorite web applications (Remember the Milk, Facebook, Google Calendar, etc.) as if they were desktop applications. Because it was built on the Firefox engine, it will run any web applications you can run in your Firefox browser.
Prism is still currently considered a prototype because it is under development by Mozilla Labs, but it seems to function quite well. I used it to access our VOIP-powered phone call routing panel at work and my Remember the Milk to-do list at home. It has resulted in a significant reduction of frustration caused by misplaced or closed browser windows and reduces the time it takes to reach my information because it is available at the click of a button on my desktop.
Getting Prism
Prism is very easy to use and available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux users. To start using Prism, simply download the appropriate version and install it on your computer. (Eventually, Mozilla hopes to integrate Prism into Firefox so you don’t even have to download and install a new program, but for now, it is still necessary.)
Once Prism is installed, start the program, and it will display an Install Web Application window.
Enter the URL of the application you want to use, a name for the application , and the locations you would like shortcuts to appear. Then click OK , and Prism will create shortcuts in the locations you specified and start the application.
For anyone who regularly uses web applications as a part of their work flow or daily life, Prism is a great solution for bridging the gap between web applications and desktop applications.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Stacey Derbinshire
March 4th, 2008 at 7:54 am
[…] steenface! wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptPrism - brining web applications to your desktop March 4th, 2008 I originally posted this entry about Prism on the Summersault Weblog, but because I think it is such a great program, I want to share it here as well: I recently found a neat little application that has been useful both at work and in my at-home computing. It is called Prism, and what it does is allow you to run your favorite web applications (Remember the Milk, Facebook, Google Calendar, etc.) as if they were desktop applicati […]
March 14th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I agree that Prism is an awesome concept. I too use it with Remember the Milk, and I’ve found it works great to keep my Google Calendar agenda close at hand as well.
I just read an article a day or two ago that Prism is now being offered as a plugin for Firefox 3, which will make it even easier to use and manage. I have yet to install the newest FF3 beta to see how it works, but I hope to in the near future.