Beyond the Browser
Posted by Ben Jackson Sat, 01 Oct 2005 19:49:07 GMT
Flash Ant just put up an interesting article looking at the browser as nothing more than a plugin to the operating system:
Looking forward to the future of the web, we have to realize that the operating system is where web applications are going to be, not in the browser. “Installing” (perhaps purchasing) and using a web application will be no different than using a desktop application from the user's perspective. Today, the fact that web applications (RIAs, smart clients, [insert catchy marketing phrase here]) run in a browser is a limitation of the state of the art rather than an indication of it.
Looking at recent releases like Linotype's fantastic FontExplorer X, Vitalsource Bookshelf, and Adobe Bridge (not to mention the iTunes Music Store), it seems clear that the next revolution in web applications will be the elimination of the browser. After all, it's all about minimizing interruptions, right? Why should I have to open up a browser, go to 10 different stock photo sites and maybe find what I'm looking for when I can open up Adobe Bridge, type in my keywords, download a comp and see it in the context of my spread all without switching contexts?
The current wave of buzzword-compliant web applications is impressive, because it's the closest we've seen to something on the web that is a reasonable approximation of a desktop application. But what I'm seeing is a new trend: using Webkit and .NET, application developers are letting the operating system take care of all the “desktop-like” functionality, and use the browser for what it was originally intended to do: display information.
