Rockmelt – Top, Left & Right

After Flock and the India-specific Epic, Rockmelt, is the latest 'social' browser which was recently launched in a limited beta version. I signed up early and was lucky enough to get to try it. There are already loads of reviews out there on the Chromium based Rockmelt. So I’m not going to dig out too many details but just give you an overview of what I liked about using it. Besides, you'll probably have more fun trying the new features rather than having me force them down your throat.

So lets get started! What's new on this browser? Well, lets say Top, Left & Right. Just one more thing before I start. If you don't have a Facebook account (not sure who doesn't nowadays) either get one or don't bother reading any further as Rockmelt requires you to sign in to the browser with your Facebook account. I'll start now at the Top. 

Top

The most noticeable addition to all the usual stuff at the top of the browser is the Share option. When you're on an interesting page you just have to use this option to share it on your Facebook status or Twitter feed. If you want to send the link only to a few people there's an option to send it as a FB message as well. The search bar towards gives you the top search results with an option of loading the expanded results in a new tab if you need to. 

Left

The left hand side is where you'll find the Friend Edge. By default you'll have a list of your Facebook friends' avatars displayed below your own avatar. You can select your favourite friends or view by online status. Clicking on their pictures allows you to chat, view their updates, send messages or post on their Wall. 

Right 

The App Edge on the right will keep you connected with all your favourite stuff. Apart from the default options (Facebook profile & feed, Twitter feed) you can add other feeds so that you don't have to open new tabs or windows each time. 

So this browser does have a lot to offer. However the downside is that it is too dependent on Facebook. Log out of FB after clicking your avatar and all your tabs will close down. It's obviously only Facebook users who are the target. Overall though, I think if you're a person who loves sharing stuff and one who is active on these social platforms you will love Rockmelt. It's also sleek and light. No messing around there. So why not just have a go and see for yourself? 

By the way, since its still in beta it might not always work as expected. I had problems yesterday as the Edges didn't load up and so it ended up looking like the usual Chrome browser. Apparently THIS is what they were doing when I was struggling to get it to work. Yeah well I guess they need a break too!

P.S. - Since it's still invite based, if you're really a 'social' person and want to try it, just use the Tweet button below, mention my Twitter id (@harirmchandran) somewhere in there and I'll send you one.