Netbooks have hit the scene and it’s all the rage. Is this a fad? Many report that netbooks do not offer the same experience as a full sized laptop and has sub par hardware. With a price tag under $500, I think most users understand what they are getting when they get the product.
I’m actually in the market for a netbook myself, looking at the MSI Wind, but as I research the various types of netbooks, it’s interesting to see an OS built specifically for a netbook.
Introducing Jolicloud, a Linux-based operating system being created by Netvibes founder Tarig Krim. This screenshot shows the merging of desktop and cloud applicatons with icons that are easily recognizable for users. Future updates will include a touchscreen that users can interact with, especially considering the smaller size of the screens.
I look forward to the release of this OS and hopefully have a review posted.
I have been wondering for a long time now “what makes a good startup page”? How does an internet user determine what will be their start page and what just doesn’t do it for them? In this article I’m going to run through some of the basic types of startup pages out there today and see what characteristics are good for me and what aren’t.
The first type of startup pages are the ‘add your own modules‘ type of startup pages. About a year and a half ago these types of pages were being developed left right and center, but lately they seem be going into liquidation very fast.
Netvibes - Netvibes is a module based startup page that has been growing from strength to strength recently. They are based in France but have been able to build up traffic worldwide. All modules can be customised in whatever style the user sees fit. Netvibes is the leader in this type of startup page and I every time I head back to their site they seem to have made improvements.
Pageflakes - Pageflakes is a startup page very similar to Netvibes except they don’t have the adoption levels of Netvibes. Pageflakes was acquired by Live Universe about either months ago because they were struggling and running out of liquid funds.
iGoogle - iGoogle is basically the Google version of Netvibes but with the Google search option at the top of the page. iGoogle has very limited themes, but it is simple to integrate with everything Google of course.
These types of startup pages are good for the user because they allow you to place whatever modules you want onto the page, but there is such a thing as information overload. Personally, Im not so sure about these types of sites as startup pages, because they are simply just ugly to look at because everything is a base size module and they just take too long to setup!
The next type of startup pages are the ‘one page aggregators‘. This type of startup page brings together some of the most popular rss feeds from around the internet and puts them all onto one page. Basically it is a rss reader for the lazy.
Popurls - Popurls is the original startup aggregator which brings together some of the best sites in the tech industry. Sites include Digg, Reddit, Delicious, Yahoo Buzz, Metafilter and more. The site has a very simple layout showing the top 10 from each site. Additionally, they have added videos from Youtube and photos from Flickr.
Alltop - Alltop is a new site from Guy Kawasaki (evangelist at Apple), in which he takes the idea of popurls and spreads it to pretty much every time of market. This is basically an rss reader for every type of industry for the most basic of internet users.
Original Signal – Original Signal used to be one of the leaders in this space, but recently they have been losing market share fast. Original Signal covers mainly tech and business topics, but they have seemed to update the service in many years.
These startup pages are great if you just want to have a quick look at one site in the morning and see what is happening around the world on a specific topic. However, they don’t allow users to choose the rss feeds you want to read, this can be done easily by using an rss reader.
Finally the other type of startup page is the simple search engine and 99% of the time its Google. Personally Google is my startup page but mainly because I find it easier to click the home button at the top and then type in my search, instead of typing it into the top of Firefox. Google as a page is so simplistic and it provide immense functionality behind that basic exterior.
Overall, what makes a good startup page? This is probably a different answer for every single person. However, I do think that startup pages need to be simple, have a good search option and allow the user to customise if they wish. As always simplicity and functionality are the keys.
This is a simple loophole that is now out in the open. Thanks to JohnChow and Techcrunch for letting everyone know about it. Im not even going to try it out now, cause im sure it will be fixed within 24 hours by Feedburner.
Personalized homepage apps are amazingly abundant and all are easily customizable and easy to use. It’s an amazing concept, being able to have access to information, news, photos, and your daily to-do list from practically anywhere in the world.
Netvibes is one of these applications that allows you to set up your homepage to your liking. Those familiar with Google’s iGoogle will recognize Netvibes for what it is. Though I do find Netvibes to be aesthetically more appealing with it’s rich dark tones, and the text stands out from the background making it easier to read.
So let’s look under the hood and see what Netvibes really provides:
Interface Design: Sleek and visually appealing. Everything I need to set up my personalized homepage is easily identifiable and laid out where I would expect the options to be. The surface for your widgets is substantial and even they have their own colorful flair to distinguish them from their brethren. What I especially like is the middle bar for settings does not take you to a new page, but instead slides out a menu where you can make adjustments on the fly without ever leaving your page. This is something that iGoogle lacks. You can delete widgets in iGoogle, but if you want to play with settings you typically have to leave the page to set them. Widget Options: Definitely not a problem in this department either. The windows for the widgets are sizable, crystal clear, and very colorful. I honestly found more useful widgets for Netvibes then I did on iGoogle, but that could just be a matter of preference. Everyone’s tastes are different, so perhaps for you, the widgets you want are not available. Still, I went through most of the entire catalog and cannot imagine how someone would not find what they are looking for. The widgets move about the interface with just a drag and drop ability. As you move them the rest of the widgets move and adjust accordingly, again, similar to iGoogle’s design.
Social Aspect: This is where Netvibes sets itself apart. With the online community congregating around social networks, Netvibes stands heads taller above the rest by integrating several popular social networking sites into it’s search engine to find other friends that use their service. This creates a community where you can share directly with others, and even include your friend’s front page on your page. The idea was pretty amazing, and the concept very original. Unlike other spaces where you have to pick and choose what you want to share, and then have to go through permissions drama, Netvibes makes sharing easy and even fun.
Regarding the social aspect, the “Universe” ideas is simply awesome! Now the pages you put together can be published through Netvibes and pushed out into the internet community for others to view and interact with as well. Your pages might give you some popularity among certain circles and now your friend count through Netvibes will naturally increase. A very interesting way to meet someone, via their Netvibes page.
Overall Netvibes is definitely a recommendation for those that look to increase their social activity online, meet new people to share new things with, and be a part of something bigger than their normal online experience. If you prefer just straight up information with no community because of lack of time or interest, stick with sites like iGoogle, their app is just as easy to use and provides a more simplified experience.
ReadBurner is a unique service that shows and analyses what stories people are sharing. The stories currently seem to really be focused on Technology, but the service seems be growing and now integrates nicely with Google Reader, Netvibes and Newsgator. Thus, im guessing the service will increase to include more services, but then also move into different categories.
Readburner is getting used more and more because news consumption is still increading and RSS readers and start pages have made it easier to consume even more information. Readburner aggregated the most frequently shared content from these services to provide an overall feel of what everyone is talking about.
Readburner is a unique way to view the most popular stories from around the net and im looking forward to seeing how it improves.
I was lucky enough to get a chance to look at Netvibes and their new Ginger offering. As most of us already know Netvibes has to be the most popular start page on the internet at present, and with this new offering it is going to continue. Ginger is the name for the next generation start page that Netvibes is offering in February. This start page has a lot more features then their previous version and more the point is a lot more aesthetically appealing.
The Interface
The interface in Ginger is a great deal better then what is offered on Netvibes at the present. You have a lot more options to customise your start page exactly like you want it. The theming and coding just seems to be a lot more professional than before.
More Of A Social Network
In Ginger there is a new contact section that is making Netvibes to become much more than just a start page. Slowly the site is growing into a type of social network, in which you will be able to see what your friends are looking at and ever people can follow your site. This feature reminds me a lot of Twitter, follow or being followed. Im also a fan of the activities section, kind of a mix between Facebook news feeds and Twitter.
Overall
Everyone will get there hands on the new Netvibes in February and it will be worth the wait. I have never been a person to use a start page, but because Ginger has just got a really sexy interface, I might even make the switch. Netvibes has also worked out their business model to be based around providing widgets for outside clients, but I would to see them monetize in unique ways, such as offering a sponsored section in which you can pay to be placed in a predominant spot when adding a widget. I can see they already offer a featured section, but this seems to be limited to only 6 slots. However, its always good to see a service not filled with shitty display ads!
Netvibes 
Pageflakes 
iGoogle 
Popurls 
Alltop 
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