Mobile photo-sharing social network, Instagram, has added a new desktop feature that lets a user see their friends images on a computer display similar to how they would view them on their mobile devices. The web feed also has all the same functionality as its mobile counterpart and users can browse images, comment and like. According to Instagram CEO, Kevin Systrom, the new desktop feature is something the startup has “been wanting to build for quite some time.”
Instagram’s jump to the web is not new and the company released web profiles in November of 2012. At the time the feature only let users view their images and their friends images online but it did not have the same features as the mobile app. With the launch of the new features, users can view images in real time just like they could with the mobile app.
With all the fetures being offered for desktops computers, it would seem that Instagram is looking to make a move in the segment after conquering mobile but that will not be the case. Systrom is adamant that his company will not give users the ability to upload images from the web. He states that, “We do not offer the ability to upload from the web as Instagram is about producing photos on the go, in the real world, in realtime. On the other hand, Instagram for the web is focused on making the browsing experience a fast, simple and enjoyable one.”
Instagram has an enormous user base which is extremely active. The company released data that claimed that “Photos on Instagram net 1,000 comments and 8,500 likes per second.” That is an incredible amount of activity and is probably going to increase with the web based features being offered. With the startups acquisition by Facebook, the company has started exploring the web while providing the social network more firepower in the mobile sector. The world’s largest social network acquired Instagram for $1 Billion in stock and cash and gave itself a very large and active userbase. Facebook has not made many big changes to the service since it was acquired. However, many see Instagram as a great purchase for the firm because it eliminated a rival and ended up gaining a stand alone photo app. Instagram does have several competitors including DailyBooth, Path, picplz and molome but n o one has seen the rapid growth and success of the popular photosharing service.
Source: Fast Company