Some people may not realize it, but each and everyday we are one day closer to a digital world where the web will be the Operating System of choice. An Operating System is defined as software that manages the sharing of resources of the computer. To associate this definition to the web, we must think of the computer as the entire web. Resources of the computer (or web) are individual web sites that you may choose to visit. The web loosely manages these resources by acting as the bridge between you and the resources (or web sites). When you type a web address in the browser, the web will map the address with a specific device (server), which will send a response back to you containing the data or page corresponding to that site.

So why will the web be the OS of choice you ask? First, let me ask a question of you. What is it exactly that you use your current OS (Windows/Linux/MacOS) for, other than to access the web? Most every answer you give can be countered with an example of web application that can perform the same task. Below are some examples correlating Windows/Linux/MacOS applications/features with web applications/features.

Standard OS: Desktop
Web OS: iGoogle, Live, NetVibes

Standard OS: Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Web OS: Google Docs, Zoho

Standard OS: Media Player, iTunes
Web OS: Pandora, Last.fm, LaLa, MediaMaster

Standard OS: Picasa, Powerpoint
Web OS: Flickr, SnipShot, Picnik

This is just a small example of comparisons between Standard and Web Operating Systems. Not to mention the web has many more advantages, namely, allowing you to have access anywhere there is an internet connection. While web applications aren’t quite up to par with standard desktop applications on every level, they are certainly close, and are closing the gap everyday.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 at 8:15 am and is filed under tech, opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.