A new web browser for Mac wants to change the way you use browsers, so that you think of sites like apps: Raven.
It has none of Edgar Allan Poe's spooky appeal. In fact, quite the opposite. The appeal of this kind of browser lies in its ease and simplicity, breaking down a user's most visited websites into apps. It comes pre-loaded with Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Google+ and LinkedIn, for example. Then it creates a vertical left frame "Smart Bar" with those apps for easy access.
No new tabs or windows, you just click on those apps and it gets you there, no muss, no fuss. And once you're in those apps, there are shortcuts to pages you view most often on sites like Facebook (News Feed, Events, etc.) and Twitter (@mentions).
Some other features worth mentioning that might persuade some to at least try out Raven:
- History browser: use the Smart Bar to pop out a preview pane of the sites you've just visited
- Sites divided into bookmarks and favorites: so you'll have quick access to the faves, but can still go back to that story you wanted to read. If you have an Instapaper account, Raven will automatically send the link to you.
- Works like Chrome in that you can type in the search/key words right into the address bar
- Minimalist menu items shown in icons that connect users to favorites and creating new tabs (keep track of them by looking at the bar at the bottom of the page)
- Ability to import bookmark bars (only from Safari, it looks like)
While I'm not ready to give up on Chrome yet, some days, I really hate it. It's super fast, but it crashes more often than my liking (especially when Flash is involved) and sometimes the search just conks out for no reason (like today). I rarely use Safari anymore, and then only for certain sites where it seems to work better than on Chrome. There's still Firefox, too, but it got buggy on me years ago so I haven't ventured back in awhile (once bitten, twice shy syndrome). So something like Raven seems like just the ticket to a smoother, simpler experience. At least it's worth checking out as an alternative, if you have a Mac.
Let us know what works for you!
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- Tab heaven: Firefox for Android
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