Flock 1.0 is a web browser. It’s a social networking browser. Flock has a tabbed browsing metaphor like Firefox as well as Internet Explorer 7. It is built off of Firefox. Here is the opening page of Flock after a fresh install.
Click image for larger view (1024 x 768)
As you can see, Flock looks like a web browser but on social networking steroids. Just by looking at the Favorite Sites column will tell you, you’re in for a world of socializing. Here is the getting started page.
Click on image for larger view (1024 x 768)
Something to keep in mind, when you learn something new it can be overwhelming, especially when there is so much to look at. But, when you start using new software there seems to always be some common thread that exists. Whether it’s keystrokes or functionality, feel secure when goofing around with a new piece of software. You never know what you’ll find that you can’t do without.
I’ll start at the top of the screen and work down. By default there are three toolbars – the main file menu, the navigation toolbar and the Flock toolbar. The “My World – Flock” is considered a tab when other tabs are open. But with no tabs open just yet, it is the main page.
The three main columns contain Favorite Sites, Favorite Feeds and Favorite Media.
As you can see in the image above there’s a standard file menu. The file menu allows you to access most, if not all program features including help. Also, I’m running Flock under Windows Vista.
The search box was installed with Yahoo search as the default but you can easily change it to other popular search engines you like by clicking the down arrow on the left side of the search box.
Below the Flock search box are the common Flock buttons which include:
- People
- Media
- Feeds
- Favorites
- Accounts & Services
- Web Clipboard
I’ve included a screen shot that show the Accounts & Services Sidebar and the Flickr media stream above the main browser window in what is known as the Media Bar.
Click image for larger view (1024 x 768)
Again, when you start clicking around and opening a bunch of windows, tabs, etc. this can be confusing because there’s so much running. But if you take your time and play with one or two features here and there, you’ll find that Flock starts to feel pretty comfortable as you pull together all the different social sites you hang out as well as all the other Internet media you relish.
Don’t forget about the big Home button at the top in the navigation toolbar. While using Flock you can always click on the Home button and you’ll be joyously taken back to where you started.
There are pop-up help tips when you put your mouse over most buttons and menu choices, as well as drop-down help panels that automagically appear when a piece of functionality needs extra input from you, like logging into your Twitter account and helpful reminders to click here and click there to make this and that work.
Flock contains a lot of functionality and customizing capabilities. I recommend downloading and installing Flock. For all the details on using Flock visit the User’s Guide here.
Here’s a brief list of the capabilities:
- Search and Navigate the Web
- Add and Organize Favorites
- Publish Favorites Online
- Search Your Favorites
- Save, Copy, Print and Download
- Multiple Search Engines
- Preview Media on The Media Bar
- Organize Contact from – Everywhere
- Drag and Drop Photos to Share
- The Web Clipboard and Magic Bar allows Instant Sharing
- Setup Blog Services in Flock
- Self-Host a Blog in Flock
- Track Your Favorite Feeds
- Grab some Flock Extensions
- Customize Settings
- Ensure Privacy and Security
For Bloggers, Flock is a good start to consolidating all the social sites you hang out at to promote your blog and hang out with other bloggers that you’re following.
If you can, run Flock in a screen resolution larger than 1024 x 768 or you’ll start having to scroll horizontally, which is always annoying. Flock takes up a lot of screen real estate. I also like looking at programs running in the Windows Task Manager. So I started up Flock 1.0, Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7. Task Manager reported their default memory consumptions like this:
- Flock (with default page loaded after first start) – uses 32 MB of memory
- Firefox (with home page set at iGoogle) – uses 38 MB of memory
- Internet Explorer (with home page set at iGoogle) – uses 31 MB of memory
So the memory consumption is pretty close between the three but waivers as you use each program. Depending how much stuff your web browser loads while you browse the web, and what you do when you browse the web, will determine how much memory your browser uses. Just a little technical fact I like to look at every once in a while.
Like Firefox, Flock has Addons and Extensions that allow you to extend the functionality of Flock. You can browse through Flock’s extensions here.
A Flock blog post on January 29, 2008, announced Flock 1.1 will be here soon. Here are some of the features discussed in that blog post as well as the comments:
- Webmail Integration
- A Friend Activity Column
- Picasa Integration
You can download Flock for Windows, Mac and Linux, all in various languages here.
Very cool, I hadn’t come across this yet. I’m not sure if I could get used to the wild layout, but it’s worth a try.
Piper’s last blog post..Wheel?of?Fortune – Of Cheese?
That was my first reaction. I’m don’t like a ton of stuff in my face all at once. But as I worked with it, the familiar tabbed windows, left sidebar navigation became recognized and easy to navigate for me. I don’t use it as my main way of browsing the Internet but I do like being able to see all the social sites in one place.
Wow, I didnt even know Flock existed! Im fairly new to blogging and keeping up with all of the different siters is always a challenge. I will definately download this and use!
Christina » Flock was a nice browser but unfortunately they’ve discontinued support for it.
This looks like a great browser alternative. Great review. I’ll go check this out. Thanks!
Tim