Start Pages Part Deux: Missed Gems

It’s almost impossible to find everything you want on the web. Comments made by a couple of folks in response to a recent article (authored by myself) prove that theory handily. By the way, guys, thanks for the tips.

The comments to “What Makes a Start Page” highlighted the lack of a mention of two exceptional products I managed to overlook while researching for the piece: Protopage, one of the first Web 2.0-compliant sites out there; and Webwag, a lesser-known but nonetheless very attractive item created by Frank Poisson. My apologies to Frank for failing to hunt Webwag down in my searches, and my thanks to Coleman, the individual responsible for jogging my memory about Protopage. How could I forget?

Well, since I’ve received word of those comments, I think it’d only be customary to give these two products a word or two, so here they are.

Protopage

Sometimes ‘veteran’ isn’t just another word for ‘old’. Protopage, specifically the third iteration of the esteemed start page, is really something that should be looked into if you’re interested in the implementation of cool GUI design, innovative features, a large cache of media from the get-go, and useful productivity tools. What surprised me most about Protopage is its power to persuade – aka, convert. Let me explain.

I offered a look at a trio of start pages in some detail on December 23rd, some of which were prettier than others, but many of which lacked what I wanted: a lot of info in a relatively compact place with enough options (but not too many). That’s what sold me on Google News. I like keeping up with news. Google News is a fit.

But where Protopage excels is, well, everywhere. The gadgets are aesthetically pleasing, but don’t have so much garnish that the usefulness of your page is halved. Also, you’re likely to enjoy many of the default provisions there to start you off, so you probably won’t be rearranging stuff left and right just to get comfy. That’s good, because there’s nothing worse than having to work really hard on something that should be dead easy. Ease of use is one of the mantras of Web 2.0, is it not?

And who doesn’t like cartoons? The section of the site reserved for these humorous snippets is clearly a winner, with more than half a dozen available, without making any additions or changes whatsoever. They’re basically there to distract you during a snack break, or start/end your day with a chuckle. If you’re looking for more substance, you can occupy your time with podcasts – audio and video.

None of the above really had me sold on Protopage, however. It was perhaps the simplest but, in my opinion, the best tool, by far. The search window. Yes, the omnipresent Google icon at the top right of the page is a lovely one. Hold your pointer over that small portion of your Protopage and a customizable list drops down with fields for Google, Wikipedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus, Amazon, Yahoo!, eBay - you get the picture. Hey, we all do our fair share of searching, and it’s no inconvenience to have such a wealth of options availed to you.

Protopage is evidence that not all start pages are equal. If you’re not careful, it might just persuade you to change your home page. Thanks again to Colman for tipping me off to this supreme product.

Webwag

The commenter liable for the Webwag plug isn’t just anybody. He is the founder of the site itself. But I thought it would be shamefully lowbrow of me to snub both creator and brainchild. So, in honor of due diligence, how about we give Webwag a whirl, eh?

I’m partial to certain user interfaces, particularly those of web apps. Who isn’t? I think it’s good to be picky when it comes to looks, because sometimes that’s all you have to differentiate between competing services. With that said, I like Webwag. It’s purty.

I’m a fan of tabs, so I immediately took to Webwag. And that’s not to say most start pages don’t have tabs, because they sure do, but it’s appealing to find an array already established. Okay, it also helps if you put something labeled ‘Live TV’ into the mix as well. But that’s just a kitschy side dish. No? You’re right, it’s so cool, everybody should have it, standard.

Like Protopage, Webwag has some essentials laid out from the start: news, podcasts, office utilities, and even an ‘About Webwag’ tab to familiarize yourself with its features. If you’re that much of a newb, I’ll say this: You’ll find Ajax a close friend in short time.

Webwag’s layout is beautiful, and the seasonal theme being shown right now is a nice touch. I guess the best way to sum up the snowflakes and amenities is to say it all makes Webwag, Webwag. It’s often the little things that show the creators of sites like Webwag care.

Yep, More Choices

Protopage and Webwag both allow you to do many of the same things. You can share items with friends, family, and colleagues through your start page. You also have lots of editing power with both services, and they’re both very visually enticing. They’ll get you started on solid ground. They certain do share a lot of the characteristics that make sites like Pageflakes, Yourminis, and Netvibes shine as well, so don’t think those three are suddenly outdated and yesterday’s news. Ajax is doing its thing in most of them (Goowy’s Flash-based hot sauce is what makes it tick), and they’ll be building on more technological advances down the line, so I can’t see any of them getting very stale just yet, at least in 2007. What Protopage and Webwag do is offer more options and more features for us all. If previous start page profiles on Profy didn’t get you to adopt one of them for yourself, maybe one of the items in this dual review will make you hop on the bandwagon.

Sure, you can plaster your browser with Yahoo or Google on startup, like the vast majority of PC users continually do. If that works for you, I say keep on trucking. But if you’re still trying to find that special something, maybe Protopage or Webwag is the solution you seek.