Symbaloo desktop review (updated via Alan)
Tags :site reviews Symbaloo RSS
Alan and Carl had both posted on Symbaloo. While I was doing a site review for the other blog, I figured it might well fit into this one as well. This site actually has a hidden social networking hook, allowing you to create custom pages and send them to others to use as their desktop. Much like Pageflakes does in theirs where I already created pages for Notes bloggers and the Lotus Support RSS feeds. (listen to my podcast interview of the Pageflakes founder, a former Notes guy)
Since there are screenshots on the other pages (including webware) I will leave those out but tell you what I think. The iconic type desktop works well overall. While some of the icons actually utilize the main center window to show the results of what you click, others open new tabs or browser windows (found in settings). You actually get the most function by making your own pages and adding content that you want. There is more than a handful of built in widgets and feeds, from there you can also add your own site or feed. There was 2 Gmail links. One took you to the actual Gmail login page in a new tab, the other was a functioning widget. I would suggest they blow the new tab one away and stick with the widget to keep you in their page. I also found I could not drag the icons between pages, which is something we are used to in Notes for sure.
What I didn't like is how most of their icons they provide of them simply took you to the site. You cannot enter your credentials and have it log in and bring you some form of miniapp window. Symbaloo is a visualization of your bookmarks. But there is no way to take my existing bookmarks and make them a visual page!! That bites. I also could not find a way to import an OPML stream to have it populate pages with existing feeds I watch. RSS streams in the blocks would make this site somewhat useful, but I still prefer Particls, Spokeo and now Streamy. I found places to manually enter single bookmarks and manually enter a single RSS feed, both labeled beta at this time.
You can create links for audio streams and use widgets for Last.FM. But the widget area has a lot of room to grow before it is very useful.
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On Friday, December 28th, 2007 by Chris Miller
