Pokki is a brand new service that brings apps store experience to your desktop; as long as you are a Windows 7 user. Currently they've rolled out some basic apps like Gmail, Facebook, RSS, Living Social, Twitter, eBay, Groupon and Wall Street Journal. These apps are added to your taskbar and eliminates the need to open a browser every time you wish to check your email or Facebook notifications.

Pokki is brought to you by a San-Diego startup: SweetLabs.



These applications are called Pokkies and developers are invited to build these Pokkies using HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript. "You can now build and distribute your own Pokkies through our store and from your own site." they say.

Here's how these applications will look on your desktop:



























It certainly looks neat and is incredibly easy to use (its surprisingly fast), and what I like most about them is that they are helping and motivating developers in every way they can. Developers are encouraged to create their own Pokkies. In a recent contest conducted by them a developer won an iPad for creating a weather application. What I don't like about them is that Pokki is only available for Windows 7, although they've promised to support Windows Vista and XP very soon. As far as Mac is concerned, it is scheduled to be slated for release later this year.

Some may argue that desktop days are behind us and smartphones are taking over the world, thus bridging the gap between web apps and native desktop apps doesn't really make sense. But I ask you that even you have a smartphone lying next to your laptop, how many times do you open Facebook or Twitter on your browser? How many times do you feel this urge to check for notifications even when you are working on an important project on MSOffice? With Pokki installed in the system, you'll always know about latest updates without having to visit the website every now 'n then. Although very much like any other mobile app, Pokkies are designed to bring you selected services from a website, but then in case you need detailed info you always have your browser few clicks away.

Other than Gmail I use all Pokkies available because when it comes to checking my emails, I need to see all wonderful features that Gmail offers. But I really like their reader and Living Social app and can't wait to check out some creative apps that developers all over the world are being invited to try their hands on.

Visit Pokki to give it a try yourself and do let share your views and feedback with us.

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