PreCentral: Dock goes in reverse, brings an Exhibition Enyo app to webOS third, not first

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These are strange times in which we live. One month ago we were watching accomplished webOS app developer Inglorious Apps - the guy who brought us Glimpse - building an Enyo app called Dock to bring Exhibition-style glanceable info to iPhone and Android users. It was weird, because unlike the previous Enyo ports to land on other platforms (including Inglorious Apps' Glimpse for iPad app Panes), Dock was not a webOS app first. Yeah, the developer used the webOS app framework to make an app for iPhone and Android, with the though of bringing it to webOS relegated to "if there's enough demand."

It didn't take long after our first talking about the app for that demand to be demonstrated. And by not long, we mean hours. You guys might not be many in numbers, but you're sure as heck loud. Or just skilled at badgering after years of neglect at the hands of Palm and HP. Either way, your voice was heard and that very same day Inglorious Apps announced that Dock would indeed be coming to webOS.

It took a month, but it's finally arrived. In the App Catalog for $1.43 (an odd price if we've ever seen one), Dock essentially breaks down the individual panels of Glimpse into small glanceable bits that stream by on your TouchPad or webOS smartphone screen. We've played around with the app on both a TouchPad and a Pre3, and we've got to say, it was definitely designed for the smartphone-sized screen. Heck, that's why there's Glimpse for the TouchPad anyway - it has Exhibition Mode support too.

What all does Dock bring to the glanceable information party? Good question. How about a clock, your Facebook timeline, Google Reader headlines, selected RSS feeds, Stocks, Twitter, and the current and forecasted weather. All of these are customizable with your own accounts or inputs as appropriate, and you can even hit the Shuffle All selection to have Dock just cycle through it all at random. Dock hasn't seen enormous success in the iOS App Store or Google Play Market, but if we had to guess, it'll probably do better on webOS, thanks to both the relative lack of competition for attention in the smaller App Catalog and the near rabid appreciation webOS users have for developers that stand by the platform. If you've got a Touchstone charger, you should probably be checking out Dock.

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