posted on February 25, 2008 07:14:28 AM
eBay Inc's customers do not need to open a web browser to search the site or auction an item anymore.
After a quick download, the online auctioneer's users can click the company's logo on their desktop and launch an application that will allow them to do their business directly - no browser required.
eBay is one of several companies, including Nasdaq Stock Market Inc, Time Warner Inc's AOL, Nickelodeon and Salesforce.com Inc, that have created downloadable, desktop versions of their websites using software developed by Adobe Systems Inc.
Adobe is launching the application, called AIR, on Monday. Adobe says AIR will allow any company with a website to inhabit a permanent spot on people's desktops.
It also reduces the wait time for downloading images and data, because the desktop is constantly updated while the computer is online.
Adobe says AIR runs on any operating system. It is a more powerful version of widgets, the customisable little web pullouts often provided by third parties like Google Inc.
The AIR application removes any kind of go-between, giving companies a direct, constant and versatile link to the consumer, said Adrian Ludwig, a spokesman for Adobe.
"The browser was in the way and the widget, in some instances, was in the way," Ludwig said. "It's the willingness to let the brand of the person providing the application to take front and centre."
posted on February 25, 2008 08:26:41 AM
"It also reduces the wait time for downloading images and data, because the desktop is constantly updated while the computer is online"
Of course, this means that you are going to use computer resources constantly to get the updates - The plus side might be faster web browsing (with high speed internet, it is pretty fast) but the ugly downside is that your computer will perform worse - When people start noticing their computer isn't working as fast as it used to, this is the reason why.
I guess I don't see that a browser is such a problem that anyone would actually need to have this program.
posted on February 25, 2008 08:51:25 AM
Not happening on my computers.
I have the eBay toolbar installed on only one machine as it is.
I don't like the thinking behind this new Adobe application. If I have eBay up on a browser window, I can always navigate away from it. Apparently eBay doesn't want to let me do that.
I'm sure the twentysomethings are now working on the direct eBay-to-human-brain interface.
