Download Mozilla Prism 1.0 Beta 1

Mozilla Labs developers have the first beta version of Prism announced. Prism makes it possible to run a web application or website within a very bare-bones web browser. These applications and sites are started in their own process and can be provided with a simple navigation bar and their own icon during conversion. Sites and applications, however, are not made available offline, but run in their own window. The new beta is out this page download, and can also be installed as an extension for Firefox 3. The Prism 1.0 beta 1 release notes look like this:

Tens of thousands of end users have installed Prism-enabled sites. Based on their feedback, as well as the experience of website creators, we’ve added new features to bring the user experience of web apps even closer to that of their desktop counterparts. We are particularly excited by these features because they’ve been informed by the many real-world applications currently using Prism:

• New API functionality for allowing Prism-enabled web sites more desktop like power.
• Ability to set fonts, proxy settings and other application-specific settings.
• The ability to clear private data on demand.
• Applications are automatically updated when new Prism versions are available.
• Tray icon support, as well as submenus for dock and system tray menus.
• Full OS X 10.4 support, and further OS X specific enhancement.
• Support for SSL exceptions.

You can find out more about Prism 1.0 beta and download the standalone version and Firefox extension from our new Prism website at prism.mozilla.com.

The ability to run stand-alone web apps and access them like normal desktop apps provides instant benefits to end users. However, a number of the advantages are only available when software developers take advantage of Prism-specific features. With the release of Prism 1.0 beta we are ready to start fostering an ecosystem that makes it easier for developers to create and distribute compelling web app bundles.