Microsoft Research asks: “When Is a Browser Not a Browser?”
A retail person might answer: “When they buy something!” Not the case here.
The question could be: Can a browser also be an operating system?
I don’t agree with Janie Chang, the author of this article in general, businesses are being forced to use web only applications by consulting firms that don’t know how to build rich client applications. Of course the consulting firms don’t have the money to retrain the students coming out of the universities that have trained to only think of the online paradigm. Creating rich interactive applications RIA is slightly more difficult and you do have to think of your customers needs. Using Web only applications means you don’t have to really supply what your customers want and need, a consultant can blame others, the hosting site, the web application developers etc.
Further into the article, Janie begins to describe an excellent idea: Gazelle, a browser that is also a browser. Of course, embedded developers who have developed apps for internet appliances have already explored this space, for the rest of the developers this might be new ground.
Take a look at this excellent article, even if I don’t really agree with all of it: When is a Browser Not a Browser?
