We’re seeing a lot of desktop metaphors moving to Web interfaces in the browser. The latest example to cross our inbox is Microspaces, a service in private beta that lets you organize Web pages in folder-like Microspaces. But unlike desktop folders, the contents are made up of Web pages, so they are constantly updated. In that sense, each Microspace folder is somewhat like a browser tab, except you can collect multiple Web pages in each one. Thus the pages are nested inside one another.
Each Microspace is searchable, embeddable as a widget, and can be accessed by a unique URL. You can also put widgets and Web apps inside Microspaces, in addition to Web pages.
An example of how this works can be found at Storylinez, or you can watch the video below. (More videos are available on the Microspaces site, and you can sign up there for a private beta invite as well). It is all based on Ajax, and was designed by Mike Buchanan.
I like the fact that people are playing around with more visually rich browser interfaces, but I am not convinced that you gain more in visual information here than you give up in speed versus simpler text-heavy solutions to the same problems (RSS feeds, Netvibes, bookmarks, etc.). But it’s a step in the right direction.
The Microspace setup looks easy to use for the average person, I like the design and setup.
http://blabtech.blogspot.com
top/lefting a div with a scrollable iframe on a mouseover event is hardly new.
I saw this tech at least 10 years ago.
I think there’s some alpha CSS transparency there, that may be as new as 3 years old. My bad.
Looks great!
similar to the opera default page?
Great post. Thanks! Right now microspaces.com it’s just a tech preview of the nested gui metaphor. We’ll shortly be releasing alot of products built on top of it.
Microspaces is a great innovation. “products built on top of it” are something to look forward to.
This sort of stuff has been tried for years. They’re reinventing the wheel by making it a square.
Yesbut… This technology is different than those before. Don’t pass judgement yet. Just wait till you see all the different things we can do with these. Microspaces isn’t a webtop or a bookmarking site. (hint)it’s a framework…. stay tuned.
Your basic problem is that you have a page called “How to use a microspace” with “Basic navigation techniques” as a subheading. Common sense usability dictates that GUI should be *intuitive*. If it has to be taught, it can’t be a very good GUI. Does Windows have to explain how the Start button works? Do browsers have to give a powerpoint presentation to teach tabs?
Other than that, I’m also not sure what problem this solves. Is it really that difficult for me to visit my favorite websites?
We seem to be swinging back to 90’s when portals crammed with everything was all the rage, without any evidence that users like or want this stuff. Oh God.
This is the direction iGoogle is going in. A new version popped up on my page a few weeks ago with a maximise/minimize button which makes it easy to get a full-page view of any ‘installed’ widgets.
The action is a little inconsistent at the moment and the Gmail page view lacks reply, forward and attachment options, but it’s probably another notch in the online OS method.
This technology is our next step. the flexibility is there, the speed will come. The “framework” noted above will be free up more creative power from writers like Mr. Buchanan. Going to the web site helped to make the picture clearer. The only question is how fast will we get there.
(Why is IE in the screenshot?!?)
It’s sounds like a nice idea, but it’s so overwhelming.
It is overwhelming at first. but you get used to it, as all you really have to know is hover up and down the navbar. You can click out anywhere, as it will open that in a new tab..
And once your info is grouped together like you think about it, it feels natural.
It is cool when guys take the time to respond to people’s question.
I have always hated flash but the stuff you all are doing with it is starting to change my mind. Everyday I find myself on playfish in Facebook having a blast with their games. Perhaps this is just a technology that grows on a person. That said I can’t help but wonder if the gloss you see in flash reflects more ambient light making it harder on the eyes.
The one thing I don’t like is how images that are blurry come into focus. Bothers my eyes and gives me a headache.
one word: junk.
You mean microspaces or techcrunch these days?
I actually sat down and met with the guy who developed this about 4 months ago. Interesting stuff, but i must admit, i didn’t grasp its significance. I am eager to see the type of applications this technology offers… He seemed quite excited about his technology… interesting guy!
Great Job!
Its actually a very good step in an important direction. Allowing a framework to do this allows many developers, new and old who can roll out apps faster than libraries to allow such rich interfaces…
Similar UI’s have been around, I see iGoogle being mentioned above. Opera’s Speed Dial is probably the inspiration, though Opera is not a web app…
I personally dont find much to gain by such interfaces for reading news or pages, though a more intuitive technique would be more like nested GUI’s which allow apps running inside each widget so to say…
Congrats Mike B on the TechCrunch review! Wow - Startup’s in the STL??? Has hell froze over now?!?! It’s getting chilly!