Is the browser the new desktop?

Starting using Flock, perhaps the first Web 2.0 browser today. In fact, I'm writing this blog post via the blog-button which is part of Flock's core browser toolset- lets see if it works. Most of what you'd see as plugins on other browsers are pre-populated core tools in Flock- tagging (del.icio.us) blogging (several platforms compatible), RSS feed-reading, etc, are all built in. Btw, on a semi-related strain, given that everything from storage to heavy applications seems to be going web-based now, I'm starting to wonder whether the browser will soon replace the desktop, at least in terms of the experience. In other words, you start your computer and the first thing you see is your browser window opened to your start page, rather than your normal desktop with the XP start button, toolbar, desktop area, etc. That situation would already be a shortcut for me, as the first thing I do when I start my computer is "leave" the desktop and open my browser :)

Comments

[irc]

this is, i think too, the future of computing. i'm already migrating just about everything to a web base and can't imagine not being able to access some services from where ever i am (can you remember the time before web-based email? i can't). and i believe the browser right now offers the perfect cross-platform development environment.

[Allen Searls]

Good point, I'll click on your link and check it out. I still download things to my desktop, but imagine downloading docs to an online backup place like Xdrive in the future and using web apps for word processing, etc.