Apr
15
Forget Mac Vs. PC… It is Browser Vs. OS
A quick thought hit me as I was reading some posts on different operating systems… It will matter less and less what OS you choose. Here’s why…
I do most of my computing online or “in the cloud.” I imagine many of you do also.
Google Docs, Zoho, and Office (soon) all have terrific online suites that do word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoints presentations, etc. My files, docs, pictures, videos all can live online. This means I am no longer tied to one computer and if it gets lost/stolen no big deal.
My communication: email, instant messenger, social media, all online of course. Research, banking, news, TV, movies all are trending towards being provided entirely online. Gaming is even joining, although not to a great extent yet.
Here is the point, these are all browser-centric activities. Whether you are using Windows, Mac, or Linux, it will matter less and less.
Where the real magic and innovation needs to happen is in the browser. This is evidenced by the fact that the so-called “browser wars” are starting to heat up.
My powerhouse of choice, Firefox, has been a leading the battle. Chrome has made a justly deserved big splash recently. (it is very fast I must say. If it had FF’s add-ons I’d be all over it) Internet Explorer 8 also was recently released.
Browsers that are faster, more stable, more compatible, and more innovative (game-changing) are going to be the one(s) that win.
TechCrunch has almost pulled together their tablet which is a lightweight computer that only runs a browser. Do they see it coming?
I think we are moving towards the browser really taking center stage. It is the “OS” of the future!
Have I been staring at a screen too long? Agree or disagree, give me flame in the comments!
I agree, web browsers are becoming the all-in-one app for most peope…. “But can it run Crysis?”
Had not thought about it like this yet, but definitely a valid point. There have been rumors about Android as an operating platform for future netbooks, but I think this post shows that even beyond that, the browser is where it happens.
@Erik thanks for the agreement. Firefox running Crysis now that is a thought…LOL. You are right,gaming is necessarily going to have to stick to the offline world to run the games.
@Chris I hadn’t even thought about mobile internet in this post. That throws a whole new element in.
The mobile OS may even be more internet centric. Keeping your life synced across computers and devices.
Recall that before the anti-trust messiness Microsoft was integrating IE deeply into Windows. Typing a URL into explorer.exe transitioned it seamlessly into IE. I believe that at one point it was possible to have your desktop display a website with some hacking.
I think that someone will try to tightly integrate OS and browser again, so it is not necessarily browser vs. OS. It will be transparent, as facilitated by software like Gears. As far as I can tell without owning a cell phone, portable device operating systems are already closing in on such a set up.
Of course, this by no means rules out the possibility of the desktop PC continuing as it is, but with the browser->gears-like thing->OS becoming more ubiquitous, in such a way that all may be chosen separately.
I foresee tons of user confusion initially when this becomes common. Imagine explaining that their documents live on the cloud, but not all files do, even with file types that serve nearly the same purpose. For example, plain text files and full-fledged documents might not both be on the cloud at first (if ever).
Interesting things coming.
Blake,
You’re absolutely right that there is a trend away from PCs and toward terminals. The big questions are: a) is the bandwidth present to do what I want, b) what about privacy/security, and c) what if my internet connection disappears, will I still have my data? The answer is probably somewhere in between — that is, a hybrid model with local storage and horsepower that’s always connected.
You might also want to pull in some links to other articles addressing this topic. You’re far from the first to notice the pendulum swinging back this direction.
@Connor thanks for the elaborate reply that could be a post in itself! Insightful as always.
@Nathan yeah, until things are more stable and connections ubiquitous a hybrid model seems necessary and possibly always will be.
I have seen some articles about this phenomenon but not recently and I just threw this post up on impulse. If I come across any (or if you do) I will add them to the post. Smarter people than I have written about this before.