The age of the web browser is coming
When did you start using a PC? In my case, I started using computers when I was at university. At that time, it was very difficult for ordinary users to use a computer, because we had to memorize commands and the directory path where an executable file was located. Even using a mouse was optional. However, the computing environment changed rapidly after Windows and the Web were introduced in the 1990s. These days, even a two-year-old baby can use a smart device like the iPad.
The way we use PCs has also changed rapidly. For example, installing software was always required to run it a few years ago, but these days you can do most things in a web browser. If you close the browser, it can mean you are no longer using your PC. As web technologies develop, the Web provides more services that we didn't expect before. For example, we watch movies, music videos, and even TV in our browsers. In addition, we send and read email using a web browser on any PC. With Google Docs, you can even edit documents, slides, and spreadsheets. Although it lacks many features such as animation effects and clip art compared to MS Office, it is simple to use and offers unique features such as collaborative editing in real time. We may be living in the middle of the shift from the desktop to the Web, similar to the move from text-based user interfaces like DOS to GUIs like Mac OS and Windows.
Interestingly, there is a hidden side to this change. Microsoft has dominated the desktop through Windows and Office. However, Google has been trying to encourage people to use the Web more. Search and ads are their main business, but they have been offering various web services such as Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar, and YouTube to lure people away from the desktop. Now nobody can stop this change, because even Microsoft has adopted the trend. Just as Microsoft opened the desktop age instead of IBM, Google is trying to open the era of the web desktop.
If this is true, how is Google leading the change? As you know, Google is a web service company, but it launched the Chrome browser and Chrome OS in 2009. Google had sponsored the Firefox project for a long time, but now it is developing its own browser and operating system like Windows. Moreover, it is investing a lot of engineering resources to innovate web technology. As a result, the Web increasingly works like the desktop, introducing more desktop features such as handling multimedia, accessing hardware like GPS and cameras, and working offline. However, Google can be evil if it wants to be, because it is gathering all kinds of information, even your private data, so we should keep our eyes on Google to make sure it does not become evil, even though the informal corporate motto of Google is "Don't be evil" [1].
You are in the middle of the switch to a new desktop environment. I expect that many people will benefit from this change, because it makes PCs easier to use and frees people from the pain of maintaining their PC. It would also give more business opportunities to new companies and developers.
What should we do during this change? Just use the Web with the latest version of a web browser such as Firefox 4 or Internet Explorer 9, which will be released this year. In addition, you should familiarize yourself with popular web services such as Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Docs. If we have to follow the change, it would be better to lead it. If so, you may also have the opportunity to change your surroundings from where you stand during this exciting transition.