What's the point of pinned websites (IE9)

So, can somebody explain to me what these are supposed to be good for?

I used to create shortcuts to websites by dragging the FavIcon to my desktop, creating a file with a .url extension. Now (in IE9) when I do that, I get a pinned website on my desktop (.website extension). What does that do that I'd be interested in? Other than having the annoying effect of dragging the browser window associated with that website out of my current IE window? I mean, sheesh, all I want is a shortcut to that site on my desktop, and I have no intention of dragging the browser window around.

Oh, and when I opened a .url shortcut, the website would open in a new tab in my current browser window, which I happened to like. Now I get a new browser window, with a home button that's miraculously moved to the left of the address bar, and Forward and Back buttons of a different color. Is there any point to this?

P.S.: I know that I can get the old behavior by holding shift while dragging, so no reason to elaborate on that. What I really want to know is if these .website shortcuts give me any useful features that the standard .urls don't have.

 

No clue. I've never seen any use for pinned tabs in ANY browser except on my CR-48.

 

i have them pinned to my taskbar to have them bahave like apps. those that i use like apps, not like other pages (facebook, gmail, imo.im). so when i'm actually browsing, i start with an emty window, like years ago.

 

Pirx, thought provoking as usual. After reading this from Israel Hilerio, Ph.D.
Pinned Sites: Windows 7 Desktop Integration with Internet Explorer 9
I admit much of this is beyond my limited knowledge..

It seems that is geared toward manufacturers who can pin the desktop with all the useful shortcuts (some may call bloatware) in their factory images. For example ASUS - they could set one for their estore to help people get there sans searching. Plus it will pop in a new window thus avoiding confusion for novice computer users (not that there are any contributing to this thread) who think tab is a soft drink.

 

Ebay is currently running a targeted 10% ebay bucks promo requiring downloading a customized version of IE w/ebay features. I got an email about it, and since I'm looking at buying enough stuff during the promo, I installed it. Requires Win7.

PIA to install, but once it's there, you right click on the tray icon and all sorts of ebay actions pop right up in a list.

Best I can tell, they're gonna have easy access combined with 'alerts' to keep one 'stoked for bidding'

Don't know much about this, as I don't use IE, don't like 'customized'(read: invasive) software, etc., but for the promo, I'll run it on a spare box.

Afterwards, I'll wipe it and restore the image I saved prior to installing this crap.

 

Pinning to the taskbar allows to quickly navigate to a specific part of the web property if it is coded to use IE9 Pinning. Facebook, Linkedin and most of the site on Microsoft's Beauty of the Web Campaign Site have special functionality with pinning.

If you right click the pinned site you get additional options.

 

Ahah, now that is actually interesting! I checked out some of the sites on that Beauty of the Web site, and some of those indeed have some quite useful functionality. Of course, I have neither the time nor the patience for time-wasting cr@p like Facebook or LinkedIn, but the NYTimes site offers some real value in its pinned site handling. Thanks!

On the other hand, none of this is accessible when you drag a link to the desktop (or any folder, for that matter), so I still think IE9's default behavior should be to create a .url link on the desktop or in folders, and to only create a pinned website when dragging into the taskbar. And, of course, there is no reason to remove the website that I am looking at from the current context, in the browser window that I was using when I created the link. That behavior makes no sense at all.

 

well, no reason to not like it. if you don't see use, don't use it. i see use for the "always on" pages, so they don't pollute my browser window. they pollute my taskbar, like all the other always open or sometimes-open tasks/apps.

i'm using the ones from chrome, though. but it's similar (not yet using the ie9 additional features, though.. hope they implement that, too)