Fluid is a user friendly and very powerful software solution that enables you to create apps for the websites that don’t have their own desktop client, or that incorporate very few customization.

Mailplane is the Mac desktop app that we use everyday to manage our Gmail inbox. We like it because it mimics all the features that you get on Gmail in the browser while providing a desktop app to manage your gmail separately from the (always cluttered) browser experience. You get access to all your Gmail settings such as labels, keyboard.
Fluid lets you create a Real Mac App (or 'Fluid App') out of any website or web application, effectively turning your favorite web apps into OS X desktop apps.Creating a Fluid App out of your favorite website is simple. Enter the website's URL, provide a name, and optionally choose an icon.Click 'Create', and within seconds your chosen website has a permanent home on your Mac as a real Mac.
Aaron on Trello + Fluid App = Mac Desktop App. @michaelsalafia Nah, the distinction is that it wraps it in another app so when you tab between programs, it shows up there. That's perfect for Trello for me because I'm the kind of guy who has 15+ tabs open all the time, and I already use multiple browsers to organize my workflow.

The answer for true To-Do productivity came for me from the Fluid app (http://fluidapp.com). It’s a mac only app that turns web pages into individual programs, that can then sit in your dock.

The reason it works so well for me is that – as this field is evolving so fast – it seems inevitable that you would change the apps and sites you use for different needs. Eg. I have to-do list programs, email programs, calendars, schedules, online checklists, reminders, reference material – all doing different parts of my efficiency system. Some things just work for you and are easy. And if you’re picky like me, it’s unlikely any one system will contain everything you need, set out just as you like.

With Fluid it doesn’t matter what provider you use (or use for multiple things). You just open the app and put in a URL, and the icon and name you want to call it. I use Google Docs a lot, so individual documents can have their own name and picture. There is also some image references and starred email I also need, and they can be mixed in. A name and icon that suits me and makes intuitive sense is the key thing I need in a system, as is the ability to rearrange these icons into an order that makes the most sense to me.

Fluid App Mac Alternative

Personally, each day I start at one end of the dock and just work my through it. It’s nice and logical, and also replicable on an iPhone (as Home Screen Bookmarks or apps).

This to-do system uses basic psychology to succeed where other systems fail. It is worth trying, even if just to gain a better understanding of how your mind resists and accepts different things to do.

This system uses

A mac computer
Fluid App, downloaded from http://fluidapp.com
A large range of web-based to-do and organising systems
A collection of icon files. A google search for ‘free icons’ will find an abundance of these.

Instructions

1. The instructions on how to use fluid app are available on they website – it is easy to use.

2. Choose icons that feel like intuitive pictures for the job you need. It may take several tries before you settle on ones that work for you.

3. Arrange the icons in an order that makes sense. I start near the top of my list (a To-Do list as a Google Document), then proceed down to my starred Gmail emails, my work schedule (also a Google spreadsheet), a list of important dates (the green flag icon), and other reference materials in Stickies, web albums, and docs. Google is great as it’s free, and available from your phone too.

Pros

Completely customisable. This is the one system I can think of that is always at hand, in a format that completely matches your (evolving) needs.
Easy and fun to set up.
Frees you from the names and styling that otherwise come with apps made by other people.

Cons

Only available for mac users – PC users might know of a similar solution (please leave a comment!).

Variations

Even if you only use one or two programs, the ability to change the name and icon of your program is a nice touch.

Our Rating

Fluid Browser

The best and most customisable method sent in to us to date.

Your Thoughts

Have you tried this system? What are your experiences working with it? Any pros, cons, variations, or tips?

Fluid The Game

Ever wish you could use your favorite website(s) like they were their own application? Ever wish you could keep your Facebook, Twitter, Google or other accounts browsing sessions sand-boxed away from your every day browsing? Well if you are a Mac user here is a great solutions for you. Fluid lets you specify any website you would like, set an icon for it and then builds and OS X application that opens launches the website in an application of its own. There is both a free version as well as a paid version for $4.99, the paid version has one feature that sounds great for sites like Facebook that I mentioned above, allowing the cookies/cache and browsing session within your Fluid built app be sand-boxed off from any other Safari browsing sessions.

Fluid App For Mac