Web Based Online Desktops Or Webtops Taking a look at eyeOS and Goowy

[CaptainRon 0]

Recently I was intrigued by the discussion on Google web applications, and had looked into such existing products or services. I came across two most interesting cases.



1) https://discover.aol.com/ (based on Macromedia Flex)

2) http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ (based on Ajax)



It is better that you guys get a first hand experience of both the webtops so that you can realize their pros and cons.



A webtop is a great concept, where you can have some handy tools on the internet and use them from anywhere in the world. You can set your own personalized wallpaper, themes as they suite you.

With Goowy you also get a 1GB storage where you can store any type of file upto 10MB in size. I have already uploaded most of my important data and documents over there (Gmail is clumsy for file storage). Goowy also offers some cool handy widgets called minis. You can place your favourite RSS feeds onto the webtop, along with reminders etc. The most attractive feature of Goowy is its Flex environment which gives it a very smooth behaviour and neat outlook. So far so good. But Goowy seems to have a drawback of future upgradability. I don't anticipate that Goowy will upgrade the set of applications that come with it anytime soon, due to its rigid Flex based design.



Also as we had been discussing about online desktop with general applications webalized, that thing doesn't seem to happen with Goowy.



This is where eyeOS.info comes in. It is a brilliantly programmed Ajax webtop and offers powerful features. Try its application, eyeEdit, and I am sure that you will find it more powerful (in editing) than Writely (check table drawing feature).

Apart from the general theming features, check the list of eyeApps, and its amazing to find things as cool as an ftp client inbuilt. The way eyeOS has developed its framework, I am sure soon they will expand eyeApps to a stage when we can install 3rd party apps designed for eyeOS. For example, imagine an eyeOS port of Gmail (which is nothing but making Gmail run into the eyeOS windowing system) and similarly ports of Google Calender, Writely etc.



Things sound great. But however, I had a problem with both of them. They both ran inside a browser window. Bringing my browser to fullscreen mode relaxed me a bit as I was able to assume I am not on Windows but on some absolutely new OS.



But then again felt the urge to have it run in tandem with my other desktop applications. Basically I wanted no distinction between a local app and online app. I wanted both, the webtop and the desktop to merge into one powerful system. I accomplished that to some extent:



1) Right click your desktop and goto properties.

2) Click customize desktop

3) Click the Web tab

4) Click New and add both Goowy and eyeOS websites.

5) Make sure only one of them is checked, howsoever.

6) Now you will see a small IE window on your desktop (after you have completed the settings)

7) Hover to its top edge and the title bar should appear.

8) Click the small down arrow on the top left and select Cover Desktop



After having done this, you will realize that logically, the webtop is now your Desktop! You should be able to use the webtop apps and the local apps with equal ease.

Unfortunately, eyeOS has some trouble with integrating into your desktop (as you will notice once you do it).

Goowy however is perfect with its integration. Rather it feels fabulous to have Goowy on your desktop, and set a Goowy wallpaper of your choice, and set up the minis with the latest news!



But one problem remains unsolved even after all this, i.e. absolute integration of the two systems. To elaborate this, the problem is, that the webtop application windows have no integration with those of local applications. However acheiving that is definitely possible, the way GTalk inbuilt in Gmail achieves it. By default it runs in the same window but however it can popped out and converted into a standard window.



So what are your views on this? And what are the other improvements you think can be implemented?