Company: Overview:
Virtual desktops are in vogue this week. Unlike Goowy (profiled yesterday), which is flash based, Protopage is all Ajax, baby.
Visually is is both functional and beautiful. Drag, drop, add, and delete. Totally cool.
Applications are somewhat limited for now: sticky notes, to-dolists, favorite links and quick searches. Also, the initial start page is a bit crowded, although it took only a few minutes to customize it.
I imagine they’ll have RSS, email and other cool widgets added soon – more are definitely needed.
What’s the business model? No idea. It’s totally free and sans-ads, at least for now. No registration at all is required to use it, although to name the page you need to go through an email verification. Check it out.
Additional Reading:
goodblimey, foundontheweb, WorkHappy, downloadsquad, El Telendro, EducationalWeblogs, Slapjack,
Michael, man…I have to say you’ve really begun to make my life difficult. I mean I’m already working like 18 hours a day.
Okay, so I discovered your new blog from Robin Good’s mention and gave it a read. Pretty good I thought…no really damn decent. I’d better put this in my daily read list, I remember thinking.
It’s been all downhill from there. You’ve been finding so many interesting topics, so many worthwhile applications, and convinced me to add at least another half a dozen feeds to my blogroll; I’ve now realized that the only way to keep up is to give up sleep entirely. Thanks a lot.
Incidentally, for a relative newcomer your blog is truly exceptional – it is killing me that I really don’t have the time to explore everything you find as deeply as I’d like.
Great Work!
-Oliver Starr “stitch”
http://www.mobile-weblog.com
PS: it is 5:04AM and I have not gone to bed yet…
I don’t get the hype around protopage…
I already have a place for my links, with lots more functionality and flexibility (Firefox bookmarks, del.icio.us, my blog) and sticky notes are a terrible way to organize information. The desktop metaphor is interesting but as a concept, but I don’t find anything compelling about protopage’s current implementation…
Patrick, I agree 100%. It is visually stunning (or can be if you set it up that way), but the functionality isn’t useful yet.
I disagree with Patrick and Michael. I use
Firefox bookmarks, del.icio.us,
and yahoo notes folders, and while I think
protopage won’t replace them, it AUGMENTS
them by putting all my essential stuff at the top! and totally visible/configurable.
It is great as a links portal as well as
a quick place to keep notes.
However, I’m concerned about the lack of business model here. I don’t want my stuff or the functionality to disappear.
I will pay them to use this though.
Well, so far, I like it a lot. I have only just started to use Protopage, but – since you usually configure a browser to have a start page, then why not use your own Protopage. The most useful feature is to have a panel (or several panels) of bookmarks. I do take the point that browsers have their own bookmark management but this seems to be a much easier way of organising them.
An another thing: I use multiple computers in different locations, and going straight to my Protopage is going to manage this problem for me.
Will it last?
Well hope so!
The more the usage amongst us the more secure it will be!
If the European Space Agency gives Protopage an exclusive link, then its saying something!
I like the web design but it’s getting kinda old…
I have a huge crush on this guy