I do nearly all of my computer work online. So, to be efficient, I want to open a browser and get started. I want the browser to open to a page that organizes the options I use most. I may want information (news, weather) or to access a tool (social tool, writing tool, clipping tool, email) to accomplish some task.
iGoogle was perfect for my needs. It was a web page I could use as a start page and it was easily modified with ready made widgets and feeds.
Google abandoned iGoogle in a recent attempt to become more efficient and I have been looking for a reasonable replacement since. To this point, I have found nothing I regard as equivalent. However, here is what I use as a work around.
First, I use what I would describe as a “launcher” to organize the links I use most frequently. These could be links to tools or sites. The tool I use for this purpose is Symbal00. The launcher makes use of tiles that serve as links. Many of the tiles offer clipart readily identified with an online site, but you can also generate tiles with just a title for sites Symbaloo has not associated with artwork.
As a launcher, Symbaloo works great. What Symbaloo does not do is give an immediate display of information from key sources I commonly review. My present strategy is to designate one tile within Symbaloo to launch a site that offers me quick access to the “headlines” from several RSS feeds. The site is Startme. I use a feedreader to go through my complete collection of feeds, but StartMe offers an efficient way to get to sites and headlines I review most frequently.
I am still waiting for my ideal start page. StartMe could get there by offering widgets for services – weather, stock quotes, a clock. Symbaloo is great for what it does, but the tile approach limits the display of information.
