When you apply a site like Gmail , you have to decide : Do I require to use the service ’s web site , or do I want to use it through an app , like Outlook ? Here ’s how to get the best of both man .
What I ’m peach about is something call site - specific web internet browser , which are essentially dedicated apps derived from the browsers already set up on your system , designed to charge up a exclusive vane app . Nothing else . The matter is , limiting the app ’s functionality to a single site means it can do aboriginal - similar things , like have its own icon , serve up notifications in the OS X dock , and be launched from Spotlight or the Start Menu like a regular , aboriginal program . It ’s also a heavy way to run multiple instances of the same religious service — like two Gmail accounts — without one forcing the other to leave .
And hell , you use World Wide Web apps like Facebook , Last.fm and Gmail just as much and just as hard as you do even apps , so have n’t they earned their own icons ? Their own window , so they do n’t get lost in a sea of tabs ? Their own notice ? Their own places in your applications programme menus ? Their own arrangement processes , so a web browser clash wo n’t knock them out , too ? Their own life ? Yeah , certain they have . Here ’s how to make it pass off .
Mac OS X: Fluid
The good tool for creating situation - specific apps in OS X is shout Fluid . It ’s a complimentary model for creating your own land site - specific apps , ground on WebKit , like Apple ’s Safari or Google ’s Chrome . So !
1 . Download itFluid here , and drag the app over to your Applications pamphlet .
2 . Since the site - specific web browser app you ’ll be creating will have their own icons , you ’ll need to download those . If you do n’t , Fluid will pull in the internet site ’s favorites icon to practice as the system icon , which is fine , but can take care a bit unsmooth , particularly if you move your OS decade bob large , or practice CoverFlow a muckle . This Flickr grouphas hundreds of available icon , covering just about any website you could imagine . To use them , download the full - size .PNG from Flickr .
3 . Create your app ! When you open Fluid , You ’ll be prompted with a window asking you for a URL , a site name ( Which will be the app ’s name , as far as your oculus sinister is concerned ) , a place to save the app ( the Applications brochure by default ) and an option to either use the site ’s favicon or a custom ikon . Fill the plain out , and reach create .
4 . Launch your app . The first clip you start the app , you ’ll be prompted to lumber into the service . After the initial login , though , Fluid will recollect your details , so that when you start the app again , it ’ll be all ready to go .
5 . Customize ! Ok , so you ’ve got your web app — now it ’s time to tweak . If you desire to exchange the look of the site , or how sealed parts of it function , Fluid support client - side userscripts , which essentially let you reformat the varlet , or add functionality to it , however you want . From within a Fluid app , snap the Script icon in the Menu Bar , and click “ Browse Userscripts.org ” and see if you retrieve anything you like . If you do , the hand should be download and copied to YourUserName / Library / software Support / Fluid / SSB / YourApp’sName / Userscripts .
There are also a small number of Fluid plugins , which give Fluid greater aboriginal app - alike office . These are scattered around the cyberspace , and a good key resource is hard to do by . This Google train lean to work pretty well for line up them , though .
In increase , Fluid itself has some program program place setting to diddle around with , most of which are self - explanatory . One that ’s not , and that comes in handy a caboodle , is the “ Allow Browsing to any URL ” pick under preferences > Advanced : This prevents new window open in Fluid from opening in your nonpayment web browser instead , and cures most of the issue I ’ve come across with using Fluid with less popular site that may not have robotlike presets built into Fluid .
Windows: Prism
Prism takes a slightly unlike attack to the world of site - specific browsers , in that it ’s an extension for Firefox , not its own app . The existence mental process , though , is n’t terribly dissimilar . Here ’s the routine :
1 . Download the Prism extension for Firefoxhere . ( Note : some people have issues with Prism freezing during the setup summons , or get core functions , like denigrate to the system tray , pretermit in this version . In that pillow slip , download the last version of Prismright here — it should fix everything , without sacrifice any major feature film . )
2 . sail to the webpage you want to convert into an app , let it load , and pick out “ Convert Website to program ” from the Tools fare in Firefox . You ’ll be prompted with these options . Fill them out as you please :
If you ’d wish to employ a custom icon , as defend to the site ’s favorite ’s icon , you should download a full - Re .PNG filing cabinet from this Flickr chemical group . These are icon created with Fluid ( above ) in mind , so some may have an OS tenner - like aesthetic , but they will work , and in the context of Windows 7 , they ordinarily look pretty not bad .
And that ’s it ! Prism is n’t as straight off customizable as Fluid for OS X , but it dumbfound the job done .
substitute : Prism plump for something call “ Bundles ” , which mechanically apply preferences and covering icons for democratic website with a single click . Hereare a few to try .
Alternative II : Chrome for Windows offers similar functionality to Prism , albeit in a rather basic , stripped - down form . If your only finish is to insulate web apps in their own window , though , this ’ll work alright , and use up just a few seconds :
Hat tip to Lifehacker forintroducingus to Prism .
https://lifehacker.com/prism-1-0-integrates-webapps-into-your-dock-tray-5246835
FirefoxguidesHow Toweb apps
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