Mozilla Prism

2008-03-27

Prism is a simple XULRunner based browser that hosts web applications without the normal web browser user interface. Prism is based on a concept called Site Specific Browsers (SSB). An SSB is an application with an embedded browser designed to work exclusively with a single web application. It doesn’t have the menus, toolbars and accoutrements of a normal web browser. Some people have called it a "distraction free browser" because none of the typical browser chrome is used. An SSB also has a tighter integration with the OS and desktop than a typical web application running through a web browser.

Prism Wiki »

Mozilla Labs »

www.uxte.com | Visual Design

uxte · 2008-03-27 #2

Mozilla competition for Adobe Air and Microsoft Silverlight?

uxte · YouTube Video

Video showing Prism working.

YouTube Video

Hansen · 2008-03-27 #4

What can Prism do that a browser can't? I mean, is it anything more than just a minimalistic browser?

uxte · 2008-03-27 #5

From Sitepoint techtimes:

While still in the early stages, the benefits for a SSB application like Prism are clear:

Some web apps are more "RIA" than "web site", so having them run in a separate thread is very handy. For example, you can Alt-Tab (Cmd-Tab) between your browser and your Prism app, and if your browser crashes then your Prism app remains unaffected.
Removing the clutter of the browser chrome allows the application's user interface to shine.
Beginner users (Hi Mum!) could have their Start Bar or OS X dock pre-populated with a bunch of Prism apps that they simply click on to use—no more educating them about browser tabs, bookmarks and the like.
It's possible to create a Prism app from any web site or web application. If you wanted to run the SitePoint Marketplace as its own application, you could do so (although the marketplace is probably not the best suited example, given that it relies on browser functionality such as the back button). But if you wanted to, you could—you don't need to wait for the site owner to create something for you.
It's possible to install Firefox extensions to your Prism app, via the Tools > Add-ons menu, in the bottom right of the application's window. You can therefore customize the application to your heart's content.

Of course, there are downsides to this approach—the bugginess of the current release aside. Advanced users are most likely to be impacted.

By default, Prism grabs the favicon from the web site upon which your Prism app is based. This is pretty small and pixelates when enlarged, although it's possible to use your own custom, much prettier icon.
The application still doesn't quite feel like a native desktop app, because of the limitations of HTML, CSS and JavaScript in defining user interface elements.
The biggest disadvantage, of course, is that a Prism app won't run offline—it really is just a stripped-back browser. However, given that Prism is based on Firefox 3, we can hope that it will inherit Firefox's offline storage capabilities (or at least be compatible with Google Gears) by the time it reaches a 1.0 release.

ewinter · 2008-03-27 #6

Aw, it is such a pretty icon.

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	uxte	2008-03-27 #2
	Mozilla competition for Adobe Air and Microsoft Silverlight?

	Hansen Creative Assets	2008-03-27 #4
	What can Prism do that a browser can't? I mean, is it anything more than just a minimalistic browser?

	uxte	2008-03-27 #5
	From Sitepoint techtimes: While still in the early stages, the benefits for a SSB application like Prism are clear: Some web apps are more "RIA" than "web site", so having them run in a separate thread is very handy. For example, you can Alt-Tab (Cmd-Tab) between your browser and your Prism app, and if your browser crashes then your Prism app remains unaffected. Removing the clutter of the browser chrome allows the application's user interface to shine. Beginner users (Hi Mum!) could have their Start Bar or OS X dock pre-populated with a bunch of Prism apps that they simply click on to use—no more educating them about browser tabs, bookmarks and the like. It's possible to create a Prism app from any web site or web application. If you wanted to run the SitePoint Marketplace as its own application, you could do so (although the marketplace is probably not the best suited example, given that it relies on browser functionality such as the back button). But if you wanted to, you could—you don't need to wait for the site owner to create something for you. It's possible to install Firefox extensions to your Prism app, via the Tools > Add-ons menu, in the bottom right of the application's window. You can therefore customize the application to your heart's content. Of course, there are downsides to this approach—the bugginess of the current release aside. Advanced users are most likely to be impacted. By default, Prism grabs the favicon from the web site upon which your Prism app is based. This is pretty small and pixelates when enlarged, although it's possible to use your own custom, much prettier icon. The application still doesn't quite feel like a native desktop app, because of the limitations of HTML, CSS and JavaScript in defining user interface elements. The biggest disadvantage, of course, is that a Prism app won't run offline—it really is just a stripped-back browser. However, given that Prism is based on Firefox 3, we can hope that it will inherit Firefox's offline storage capabilities (or at least be compatible with Google Gears) by the time it reaches a 1.0 release.