If your browser's default start page is feeling a little ugly and boring, DeviantART user flatmo1 has created a great-looking start page inspired by Windows 8's tiled interface, ready to get you to your favorite sites with just a click.
startpage interface
Say what you want about Windows 8's new interface, but it actually makes for a really sharp "new tab" page. By default, it's got shortcuts to things like Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, GrooveShark, and more, but you can tweak these to fit your own favorite sites. It's also got a quick search bar right in the middle of the page.
To use it,
- you'll need to download and extract its files somewhere on your hard drive for safekeeping.
- Point your browser at the index.html file in Eight's folder as your home page, and you're good to go.
That means going into your browser's preferences and setting the home page to
C:\Users\Me\Documents\Eight\index.htm,
or if you're on Chrome,
file:///C:/Users/Me/Documents/Eight/index.htm
To edit the shortcuts, you'll need to edit the source.js file, pasting in the links you want in place of the defaults. You can also change the tile logos by putting them in the thumbs folder. The sketch.jpg folder shows you where each thumbnail goes on the page, and how big it should be. It's a bit more manual work than pages like previously mentioned Myfav.es, but you can't argue with the results—it looks pretty fantastic.
Hit the link below to get the Firefox/Internet Explorer version, or click here for the modified Chrome/Opera version.
DOWNLOAD Windows 8 Inspired Start Page for Your Browser (Firefox & Google Chrome) : http://www.deviantart.com/download/212847573/eight___firefox_start_page_by_flatmo1-d3iq28l.zip