omniweb
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OmniGroup makes several apps freeware
OmniGroup has announced that they have decided to release several of their previously shareware applications as freeware. These are: OmniWeb, one of the first Mac web browsers with roots going back beyond even OS X; OmniDazzle, a fun screen effects application, potentially useful for presentations and screencasts; OmniDiskSweeper, a very useful utility for getting a handle on large files taking up disk space; and OmniObjectMeter, a developer tool for optimizing memory usage in OS X application development.Apparently the reason behind the decision is simply that Omni wants to focus more on their other applications and these four were not worthy of as much attention. They don't rule out future updates, but it doesn't really look that likely. For my own part, I can't help but think that OmniWeb's day has passed, but OmniDazzle and OmniDiskSweeper are still useful tools (not being a developer I don't have much to say about OmniObjectMeter). In any case, it's a nice gesture to the Mac community from one of its older members.All four applications are free downloads from their respective pages: OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, OmniObjectMeter.[via Daring Fireball]
OmniWeb 5.8 released
The Omni Group has released version 5.8 of OmniWeb, its venerable browser software. OmniWeb 5.8 is now based on the same version of Webkit as Safari 3.1.x. It also fixes bugs with Spaces, and adds support for non-POSIX file URLs. Users can also choose Google Chrome in the list of user-agent strings. Full release notes are also available. OmniWeb 5.8 is available from Omni's website, and works with Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later. The software is $14.95, with upgrades starting at $4.95 for users of Omniweb 4.
NeXT collection on eBay
Combining two of our little trends lately, retroware and eBay vintage, here's the motherload for any NeXT fan-- a complete (and boy do I mean complete) set of NeXT computer cube stuff on eBay.Holy cow that's a lot of stuff-- he's a matching grayscale (!) display and speakers, all the cables, a spare motherboard, all the books and discs, and even the original sticker sheet. Who keeps the sticker sheet?!? The thing even still runs Omniweb (inside NeXTSTEP 3.3 patch 2), and he's got a screenshot of Google up and working.So how much will it run you? Currently, the auction is at $710 with a business week left to go even higher, but seriously now-- how much is it worth to you to get a little piece (or in this case, a lot of pieces) of non-Apple Jobs? Thanks, Richard! (who saw it on Boing Boing)
Search your Stikkits from Quicksilver, browsers
Remember that iNik guy we mentioned, who put together a handy package of Mac OS X tools that interact with Stikkit, the online PIM that thinks so you don't have to? He swung by our original post to mention that he's posting all sorts of Stikkit tips for working with this wholly unique PIM service (which, surprisingly, iNik says works fine in Safari but not IE - how cool is that?), and so far, many of them are Mac-based. His latest tip involves configuring popular Mac OS X browsers, and even Quicksilver and LaunchBar, with the ability to search your stikkits right from the comforts of your tools of choice. iNik includes instructions for setting up Firefox and OmniWeb, though sadly not Safari since it hasn't been endowed with alternative search engine super powers just yet. Still, this is another handy trick for getting that little extra something out of an online organizer.
OmniWeb on sale, $9.95
I nearly choked on my own excitement when OmniWeb was finally universal, and it seems The Omni Group is making one last push to send me to an early grave: For the month of November, they're offering OmniWeb for a nifty $9.95 -- $20 off the original price.I know what you're thinking: Why pay for a browser? Because, my friend, it doth rocketh. Workspaces, thumbnail tabs, advanced auto-saving features, site-specific preferences, super-speed...uh...pretty icon...etc.If you've never used OmniWeb, I suggest giving it a try before November's end; you may like it, and if you do, now's the perfect time get that license.
OmniWeb 5.5 released
The Omni Group has put the final touches on the latest iteration of their web browser, OmniWeb 5.5. 5.5 has been in beta for a little while, but now it is ready to run as your primary browser, if you don't mind paying the $29.95 price ($9.95 for an upgrade). Before you balk at the price remember that OmniWeb has many unique features, and it is based on a slightly modified version of WebKit, so it does things Safari can't.OmniWeb 5.5 is a Universal Binary.
OS X Browser lineup
The Apple Blog has a nice overview of the multitude of web browsers that are available our favorite OS (that's OS X, folks). Why? Because the nice people at TAB want to help you decide which browser is right for you.For my money Camino is the best browser out there for OS X; it has the engine of Firefox but it actually looks like a Mac app. What browser do you spend most of your time in?
OS X browser test, fourth edition
After reading this article, I'm simply giddy with self-righteous indignation for all the people who have ever told me I was silly for paying money for a browser. The guys over at macintalk have revived their popular Macintosh browser shootout and re-tested all of the competitors using the latest universal binaries of Firefox, Camino, Safari, WebKit, and the OmniWeb 5.5 beta. As many of you might expect, Firefox, the PC favorite, lagged behind all other browsers tested in the speed tests, with its sleek sibling Camino not scoring much better. The two gecko browsers also failed to render the Acid2 test properly, while OmniWeb and Safari/WebKit passed with flying colors.Now, I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm bashing Firefox and Camino. Camino will always have a place in my dock to handle all of the sites that WebKit can't, but I much prefer OmniWeb for my day-to-day usage, and the test results seem to agree with me.[Via Creativebits]
OmniWeb 5.5 public beta
Earlier this month, the Omni Group offered a sneak peek of their upcoming 5.5 release of OmniWeb, their feature-rich web browser that pre-dated Netscape by a year. If the preview piqued your interest, you might be interested in their public beta. While this new release doesn't pack in a boatload of up-front whiz-bang features, they have implemented some great back-end stuff like using a more recent version of WebKit than Safari, a Site Inspector (also known as a DOM Inspector) and allowing site-specific CSS rules that update in real time.John Hicks of hickdesign has a few more details of what's new and upcoming in the final 5.5 release, and if you want to get in on the public beta, you'll have to register in the Omni Group's forums in order to see the forum thread with details on how to download your own copy.
Sneak a peek at Omniweb 5.5
Omni has let slip some tidbits about the forthcoming (in private beta) version of Omniweb (5.5 for those keeping track). This version will using Apple's Webkit, feature some Aperture influenced menus, and a host of other things. It'll be Universal as well, as fear not Intel Mac users.[via Daring Fireball]
The Omni Group has a blog
The Omni Group has an Omni Mouth - their new blog, that is. Developers of such fantastic apps as OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle, The Omni Group is joining the ranks of software houses with blogs who want to offer up some insight into being developers, as well as thoughts on the more humorous side of their business. One post dated yesterday presents a statement from their CEO on the ground-breaking Boot Camp announcement and what it means to their app development, while another post transcribes some of the more unusual phrases heard from their support room such as: “Bananaphone," “OMG I’M IN UR BASE KILLING UR DOODZ” and, of course, “There’s a new Strong Bad email.”While it probably won't be the hottest place to find the latest Mac-related news and juicy tidbits (*ahem*), it should be a good blog to add to your newsreader if you're curious about the inner workings of one of Mac OS X's most prominent and well-known developers.
DrunkenBlog discovers another image that crashes WebKit
Wanna have some fun with Safari (or apparently any WebKit-based browser), a certain picture, and a post at the DrunkenBlog? Apparently, drunkenbatman has come across another image that can crash WebKit and anything based on it, including the Finder and Preview.If you want the full rundown, head over to the DrunkenBlog post using something like Firefox, Camino or Opera - just not Safari, OmniWeb or any other WebKit-based browsers. If you visit the post in Safari, it will crash; this has been tested in the latest 10.4.5 update on both PPC and Intel versions. Also, whatever you do, do not download the image to your desktop, especially if (like me) you have the Finder option to "show icon preview" turned on. It'll crash Preview and send Finder into a constant crashing/restart cycle.Like I said, you can get the full, in-depth rundown (and I mean in-depth) on this issue and its specifics at the DrunkenBlog.
