I try to use my browser as less as possible as an interface for online apps. Now You: What's your take on the service? You do get less control though, cannot check URL or certificates quickly for instance. This may reduce tracking for instance, and reduces the chance of attacks that attempt to steal login data. One reason that comes to mind is separation of these apps from your regular browsing. If you prefer to run web apps, some or many, in a dedicated desktop environment instead of a web browser, you may find WebCatalog useful. This gives you options to open them quickly rather than having to search or browse the master list of web apps. You may use the menu to toggle fullscreen, navigate (right-click mouse is not working but shortcuts are), to clear browsing data, and copy URLs for the most part.Īll installed applications and services are listed under installed in the main window. You don't get an address bar and most of the other menu items, but you do get some. The interface resembles that of a stripped down version of Chromium. Some let you sign in right away, others may require verification first before it can be used on the desktop. You are asked to sign in to the service first before you can access your data or use the service. Most services do require an account however. While you may sign in to an account anyway, you can start using them as a guest right away. Some services, SoundCloud for instance, don't require an account for usage. What happens in that window depends largely on the service. Uninstall removes the application again from the system, open runs it in a new window on the desktop. The install button is removed after the process, and you get an open and uninstall button instead listed there. The installation itself should not take long, and won't take up a lot of disk space either. To start using it, hit the install button first. To name a few: Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer,, Dropbox, Evernote, Feedly, GitHub, various Google services, Instagram, Netflix, Pushbullet, Skype, Spotify, and more.Įach service is listed with its name, icon, a link to the main web page, and an install button. There is a submit new app request button however which you may use to suggest a new service for inclusion in WebCatalog.Īs far as services are concerned, lots of popular services are supported. Please note that you can only configure the services included in WebCatalog, and no other services. You may use the built-in search to find services of interest as the list is quite large and requires scrolling. When you start WebCatalog you get the master list of services that it supports. The engine is based on Chromium which is used to render the services on the desktop. WebCatalog is available as a desktop program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. There have been attempts in the past by browser developers or third-parties, to create engines that allow you to run web applications natively, or in dedicated browser windows. The idea to move those services back to the desktop is not entirely new. You may run email, chat, file hosting, media and other services in your browser of choice, and no longer as desktop programs. Depending on how you use your computers and the Internet, much of your digital life may happen already on the Web and no longer on your devices.
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