What Is the Arc online window?
Arc is a web web client that, at the time of writing, is currently invite-only.
In Arc, everything lives in a sidebar to the left of the screen.
This includes the URL bar, tab list, favorites, and navigation.
Underneath it all, Arc is a fork ofChromium.
Unlike Edge, Arc uses Google as its default search engine.
What Does Arc Do Differently?
So far, so internet tool.
Probably the biggest is aSpotlight-style interfacefor accessing pretty much every web app feature.
you’re able to even move and switch tabs in this way.
you’re free to change this within the app parameters (the maximum time is 30 days).
you might swipe between spaces as you would navigate backwards and forwards on a web page.
Each space can have its own theme, and tabs can be shifted between spaces as you need.
The surfing app also acts as a scrapbook using an Easel feature.
it’s possible for you to also add text, shapes, drawings, and more.
Arc also functions as a notebook; just start a “New Note” using the new tab interface.
A feature called Boosts lets to make changes to the websites you visit.
It also walks you through some of the simpler operations.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the way the online window “aggressively” manages your tabs.
There’s no option to turn this off, you might only extend a tab’s potential lifespan.
Using spaces (and tying login credentials to profiles within those spaces) lets you keep things separate.
By forcing you to clean up, you might be more inclined to use features like Arc’s easels.
Arc feels like a net surf tool that wants to save you time and remove barriers.
Take notes using Arc’s built-in notebook with a tab that’s pinned to another.
How Well Does Arc Perform?
As noted, Arc is a Chromium-based web app.
In use, Arc is mostly fine.
The net internet ride seemed to sip a fair bit of CPU even while lying dormant in the background.
While Safari eventually settles and uses very little power, Arc seems to be constantly at work.
Arc consistently had a higher energy impact during my monitoring.
This suggests that Arc would drain your battery faster than using Safari alone.
Arc is also far from perfect when it comes to privacy.
Many extensions work just fine, but others do not.
I couldn’t jump in to Google Keep, with the extension instead returning an error.
This makes accessing features a little more cumbersome.
If you’re going to embrace Arc as your primary surfing app, a mobile version is pretty important.
Should You Try Out the Arc web app?
Arc has some excellent ideas and the confidence to lean into them.
Proactive tab management is designed to prevent the sort of tab build-up that many of us fall victim to.
The UI is different, but the more you use it, the more it makes sense.
The Arc web app feels like it needs a bit more polish to deliver a silky smooth browsing experience.
At the time of writing, Arc is invite-only and free to use.
