Browser wars gives hints of the future!

Chrome

Google's launch of it first browser, Chrome, means that browser wars are very much back on the agenda.

Within the world of browsers, this is a position move, as competition drives innovation, which drives improvement. The launch of Firefox 3 and IE8 at the same time is a clear indication that competition is hotting up and the resulting innovation (or in some cases, keeping up with the Jones's) is coming on line.

Google has taken a fundamentally different approach to it's browser, by focusing on speed and ease of use, rather than on in-built functionality (like IE) and plug-ins (like Firefox). It's belief is that the server should take the load of process and running applications.

The Cloud

This is part of Google's development of The Cloud. This sees users running diverse applications through the Internet, rather than on their PCs, and storing all their documents online rather than on their harddrives.

While Google denies this as a policy, the programme is already well under way. Picasa, its photography application, and Google Docs, as well as Gmail, encourage users to use server based applications which they can access from any PC. They also offer huge amounts of storage for free.

Full circle

This harks back the days of the mainframe and the thin-client. The days before Bill Gates's vision of a Personal Computer on every desk top.

Which brings me to my prediction that the introduction of Chrome, with its thin-client approach to computing, is the first step in Google challenging Microsoft on its home territory. Building on its experience with the Android platform for mobile phones, how long will it be before we see Google developing a low cost thin-client PC running on a Google operating system, designed to use all of Google's server based applications.

It's funny how things run full circle!

Read more ...
Google's Chrome Ups the Ante
Google sees new browser as defensive move

Published by: Tom

Published 26th September, 2008

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