Developer Andrew Kaz has released a new invention today, an all-new web browser called “Internet,” which he calls a reinvention of the internet browser.
Internet is a new kind of web browser, unique and unlike anything that has ever come before. It introduces a Search-based Interface, an innovation like never before where the Search is the Interface, and Search results have merged completely with Tabs. “Internet” is the first web browser to be truly search-based, an interface that truly is the search, rather than just a link to a search engine.
“I think we’ve honestly discovered the new ideal form of web browser, in this,” said Kaz in a statement. “You’re seeing the seed of what the web browser will become in the mainstream, first here.”
Internet is available today on the Mac App Store today for US$4.99.
Andrew Kaz is a longtime independent developer, having been on the Apple platform for over a decade, passionate about human interface before the iPhone was introduced. He played a role in bestselling, award-winning Mac app Delicious Library in 2003, at the age of 13. In 2008, at the age of 18, he released Classics with partner Phill Ryu. Classics rose to top of the iPhone charts, was featured in Apple’s TV ad, and in 2009 adopted in the form of their new core app, iBooks.
Source: Appothecary, Co.
I must admit, I’m struggling to see the point of it. If it was a new type of search engine then maybe, but if it just uses Google then no thanks.
How is this different to how I use Safari? If I type a URL, it goes there and if I type a search term, it performs a search using my preferred search engine.
It’s different because of the layout– it’s simpler. Personally, I think it’s nice that my search results stay at the side of the screen so I can survey the results more quickly. Sometimes it sucks to click on a link in a google search, wait for it to load, only then to find out the website is crap. Then you have to hit the back button, wait for it to load, sift through the search all over again to maybe click on more crap links. Ultimately this allows you to find what you need faster. I think it’s best used for compiling research in a more organized way. To each is his own, though.
I totally agree with this being a much “faster” way of finding exactly what you need. I love having other options right in front of me as I navigate back and forth in order to collect information. This saves a tremendous amount of time since I no longer have to wait to get to my previous site via the back button, and saving to favorites and having to click the old history button is just too much anymore!!! I love this app, it takes me directly to where I want to be with no “middlemen” in between. Fantastic idea, it’s simple and a beauty!
Surely you know that you can open search results in their own discrete tabs. Doing that mitigates the situation you just described.
Yeah, sure, if you can remember the short paragraph that attracted you to the site in the first place, and to do that for about 8 to 12 tabs is a bit much. The fact that this app enables you to see a lot more than a title of a tab saves you from having to click back and forth (between “short titled” tabs) which ends up being long enough for you to eventually memorize which sites were the most interesting. Having many interesting sites right in front of you all ready with titles, URLs and even the beginnings of articles is much more convenient I would say.
I truly hope Apple is working on a Search solution that will take Google completely out of the equation on Apple devices, and maybe elsewhere. Google needs to have it’s primary source of oxygen snuffed out.
From your mouth to Tims ears and maybe Gods too.
Apple and Search? Working together? Coherently? Usefully?
I’ll believe it when I see it. Apple’s own website search has always been awful. If they’re going to get serious about search, that’s the place to start. Meanwhile, even DuckDuckGo searches Apple’s website better than Apple. It’s a very hurty point of fail for Apple.
Yes I know the prospect is fraught with peril and potential disaster. But I hope they give it a shot anyway.
More importantly, MDN is advertising Stunning Asian Girls in Body Paint. Back in 5 or 10.
Oh yeah, tried the browser. Didn’t like it. Forces you into full screen mode.
Can you send me the link to the Asian girls with body paint…. Sound great…!!;). . I can see it on my mdn ……
All this appears to do is put your search results in a sidebar and then any links you click open in a new tab.
“You’re seeing early here, before everyone else, what companies like Apple will adopt, the future of the web browser.” I doubt it.
Seems a lot of money for basically nothing. It doesn’t even look good.
I can’t quite see the hook here… perhaps a new solution for vapid teens and 20-somethings to find http://www.facebook.com faster?
The era of search-based internet is drawing to an end, but the window for new entrants has already closed. For better or for worse, consumers are already comfortable in their ecosystems, or agressively indifferent. Expectations will be sky high for a $5 solution with multiple free alternatives of an equivalent feature set.
“where the Search is the Interface”
Why?
Because search is where the money is.
This is nothing more than a SPAM-app. It’s WebKit, essentially Safari, that has everything stripped out in terms of features accessible via the interface. Then it places a search field in the left column and the browser in the right column.
This might be useful if you were doing research and wanted to search for a specific topic and visit multiple search listings… although you could do exactly the same thing by right-clicking and opening the listings in new tabs. And of course for anything else, it sucks compared to Safari.
If it’s the future of anything, it’s the future of how Spam-apps can get free press.
“Not available in US store” – for what it’s (not) worth, given the comments.
I ran into that erroneous error as well. The error is WRONG. Try clicking the link on the app’s web page to go to the App Store and it should work. Apparently, the auto-forwarding JavaScript is crap.
Dev here. Apologies to anyone who doesn’t like the app, or the idea. Open to suggestions, constructive feedback.
I created Internet.app because I wanted something like it, and felt that others would too. Designing/building this was a labor of love.
Looks like it doesn’t work on Snow Leopard. Darn.
I feel like people are missing the point here. Not only is it awesome that this app isn’t Google-affiliated, it also offers a really easy to navigate interface. I’m doing research right now for a paper and I love that my search results stay at the left of the screen as I toggle in between the tabs I’m using. That feature in itself makes it really useful for me. Instead of having to right click and open a new tab every time I find something new and incessantly go back to my search results page, it’s all right there in the same window. That, to me, rocks– especially because it’s something so simple that hasn’t existed until now.
The marketing presentation for the browser is a bit weak, while also a bit heavy on the gee whiz I loved Steve Jobs fluff. Kaz’s website provides slightly more information.
http://appothecary.co/internet/
Since there is no demo version, a video demo is called for. From what I can see so far, it will find a niche among information researchers. But Granny will just want the extra stuff out of the way so she can read from bigger pages.
I’d like to try it for when I go into morning tech research mode.