RockMelt, a Social Web Browser

Tomorrow, there's a new competitor in the web browser arena: RockMelt. It's a web browser built to fit perfectly "the way people use the web today" (they say), namely with Facebook, Google & Twitter completely integrated from the ground up. With this tight integration, RockMelt makes tasks like sending a Facebook or a Twitter message faster than before because you're always logged-in. Looking at several Google Search results should also be quicker because the search results say visible while you look at those pages.

Will it change the way we use the web? Probably not, but maybe it will make us more social (employers are going to "love" it). In my view, the main strength of RockMelt is its new user interface: it would be difficult to build with an array of plug-ins made by several companies. Also, launching a browser that's based on the fact that Google and Facebook (should we call it “GooBook”?) are two dominant forces might not be such a bad idea (business-wise), even if that seems closed-minded... In some ways, it reminds me of when AOL "was" (almost) the internet - not a pleasant thought.

This browser doesn't claim to be the fastest, although it should be plenty fast, as it is based on the code that was used to build Google Chrome. Soon, you'll be able to experience it. In the meantime, there's only the official video. If you try it, leave us a comment.

By Hubert Nguyen