Now that Apple is ready to ship Leopard, the next version of OS X, on October 26, the feature I am most excited about is Web Clip. Because it represents one more step in the gradual fusing of the Web and the desktop. Web Clip is basically an adjustable mini-browser that lets you grab data from the Web and put it on your desktop in an incredibly easy way. It lets you clip any Website and turn it into a desktop widget that you can resize to highlight just the portion that you are interested in.
Developers have known about it for a long time. Here’s an old YouTube video showing how it works:
Cool feature!…But i can imagine my desktop being crowded with those widgets?…
No need to buy a Mac for this, my Firefox can do this, too
Simply use the iMacros extension and you can extract all kind of information from websites. It does not look as good as Web Clip, but it works very well.
Here a demo macro I created quickly
Click to grab title of latest TechCrunch post
Fusion of web and desktop? Two words: Active Desktop
Was it Windows 98? Alright Apple!
Thing is… Active Desktop sucked…
Nice feature, but firefox already provides this. Just wondering how innovative this is.
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
wow, did someone just compare active desktop to OS X? :S
Thats a great feature, but I see it as just more clutter.
To all previous posts commenting on desktop clutter, crowding, etc…
You obviously have never used a Mac. Dashboard is not present on your background screen; you have to either open this icon by clicking or shortcutting. I love Mac Widgets & this is a great tool for all web viewers, developers & publishers.
IE can do this! IE can do this!
C’mon!
IE can, it ca, it can can can can!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
This exact same thing has been available on Windows Vista as gadget since it’s realease. Great job Apple, must have been very hard to come up with something Microsoft has been doing for almost 10 years!
How is this a “Web 2.0 feature”?
*yawns* boring
I look forward to the day Microsoft sues the fake Steve Balmer and ends this dork from trying to make money with this lame shtick.
Yes, Active Desktop and Firefox might be able to do this, but Leopard does it in a very simple and elegant way. Here’s me wishing I could spare the moolah to buy a mac….although I’ll probably wait until they all ship for certain with Leopard and what not.
… and what do you think about the “Widget On Demand” created by Webwag?
Check webwag.com, it’s exactly the same concept.
just preordered and it cost me $172.71 just for living in the uk…
Anyone know about the rumors of the Macbook upgrade? Is that coming out soon?
What MacBook upgrade? I hope they come out with some touch controls borrowing from the iPhone/iPod Touch technology. I’d love an iTouch Screen monitor!
Also, it would be nice to see the iSight camera feature allow you to record lectures & conferences on the backside of the MacBook.
Two of my simple ideas. Apple are you listening?
i find it very difficult why i would use these? Im going through my head all the websites i frequent and there aint any that i want to clip?
… Im honestly racking my brain here trying to picture a site to clip (use this with) …. nothing???
@liquidboy:
Do you social bookmark?
Do you frequent any websites? (i.e. Techcrunch)
If not, there’s 10’s of millions who will…
It has its uses B.Ackles but I think most of those “10’s of millions” will just continue visiting websites the old way.
It is a nice feature but not quite revolutionary, mind blowing, game changing or even the most exciting Leopard feature.
I agree that this is of limited value to the masses. For the small percentage of Web power users who find themselves in need of yet another way to collect Web information, it might be just the thing. But, for the 99% of the world who don’t behave that way I doubt it will ever even be noticed. So, the whole fanboy debate above is rather comic.
Oh, and @ B. Ackles: social bookmarking is a digerati behavior. It is NOT mainstream. Tens of millions? Please. Oh, unless you’re talking about tens of millions of PR flacks trying to game the ratings…in which case you’ve got a definite point.
@Jim
Social Bookmarking is becoming more than just a ‘digerati behavior’ and more so a way to aggregate search for topics of special interest. It starts at the tech level, only because they are a better versed test market then it becomes more widely used outside of tech culture.
How is tech “NOT mainstream”?
@All the ’10s of Millions’ Commentaries
My suggestion was to all those who said they can’t see a practical application for Web Clips. I was simply noting a market of people who may use such a feature. I was not implying that all these potential users would become actual consumers. My point is this; there is a market for such a feature just the same way that RSS readers aggregate news clips. I use igoogle & netvibes to have a window into my favorite websites. Web Clips just brings this feature to the desktop.
@ Jason Johnson
Windows Vista has been around for 10 years?
Wow…I guess i’ve been in a coma for 9 years. Also, don’t even get me started with the whole Apple copying Microsoft. Why would they? MS doesn’t really have a lot going for them right now. I would say bring back Bill, but he’s doing something better with his life right now.
Go Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation!!!
Steve Ballmer & Fake Steve Ballmer are fortunately losing this popularity contest.
For everyone who is looking for this on Windows, can I please introduce our new product 360desktop. Announced a few weeks ago and going into private beta this week. Video pres online at http://www.360desktop.com
Converts XP and Vista win desktop (Mac early next year) to a panoramic desktop – virtually unlimited desktop space. Online authoring to create 360’s from any photos, and embed any web content for a 360mashup.
Users can Webclip any web content or grab any web widget, and save to as a desktop widget (we call them 360widgets),
Very keen for your feedback.
Evan Jones (founder/CEO)
very true
If you’re a MS rep, I commend you for your originality!! The beauty of Apples GUI might just grow on you…
Nope, it’s not an MS rep, I retract the MS credit.
Very cool, I can see the function behind it.
Congratulations 360Desktop!
I have developed a blogging website using PHP that is actually a Bangla Blog which covers lots of features of Web 2.0. But I cant figure it out, which key parts of Web 2.0 it have. Can you figure it out?
What’s the point? This is really lame. And what happens if the section of the page changes in size to accommodate the content?
If you’re really eager to keep a website just 1 click away, use “Bubbles” (for PC) http://www.3d3r.com/bubbles/ or just make a shortcut.
We (webwag) launched the Wod (Widget On Demand) beginning of this year, that allows to create a widget from everywebpage, and on any platform.
We just added also a FireFox extension to even simplify again the user experience:
http://blog.landspurg.net/widg.....ade-magic/
actually there’s an adobe air application that already does it.
http://snippage.gabocorp.com/
i just wanted to say all you apple hater just sound dumb as shit! “Oh this allready came on vista” you have to look for something that microsoft does that beat apple when there are 300 other features that make microsoft look like a pile of dung? besides the fact dashboard was on 10.4 BEFORE VISTA…
I can hear cries of active desktop..and it is a never ending spiral until you realize steve gates STOLE HIS WHOLE OPERATING SYSTEM FROM APPLE…
geez…friggin whiners who cant afford a real cmputer
and i know i misspelled computer
Anybody know where Leopard saves Web Clips? I want to share them as files.
You guys sound like complete idiots when you diss macs.
First off all, for all of you that think Microsoft thought of it first, you are completely wrong- do your research. Second, mac does it way better.
And Mac was the one who created the on-screen, file system, and the file bar at the top of the screen. It was Microsoft, or Bill Gates, who stole Steve’s idea and made his own company.
Windows get’s horrible, nasty viruses. It freezes all the time, it’s slow, and takes way to long to start up. The main screen is ugly and the computer never does what it wants you to do. Navigating is nearly impossible.
Mac gets no viruses, ever. It never freezes as often as Windows, it’s extremely quick, and it takes a couple seconds to start up and go to the desktop. The screen is sleek, slick, has fantastic graphics and easy navigation (like the ‘doc’), and navigation couldn’t be easier.
I’ve had Window’s before, so don’t tell me I’m prejudice. Mac is better- Apple is amazing. And Dashboard is amazing as well.
The Web Clips are a FEATURE of mac. It doesn’t mean they ripped the idea off of someone else. It means that you don’t have to download it- it comes right with Leopard. It’s sleeker and simpler, quick, and amazing.
So stop, Apple haters. You have no argument. Bill Gates stole every idea of Steve, got rich, and is living the life somewhere. But for some reason, Apple is still better, quicker, and sleeker.
Feel free to comment to this however you please. I’ll be using the Web Clips to see if any one has.
~Zoey