Um…OK
March 7th, 2007 | Published in gripes, hubris, software | 3 Comments
An Evangelist at Microsoft thinks that “the Browser is on life support” due to Apollo, WPF/e, and their kin. Wow. Is it just me or is that a pretty big leap?
Browsers were definitely not the first way to interact with the internet, but they have persisted due to the (fairly) easy to understand page abstraction. If Flash is any indication, these technologies are pretty painful for the average user, because they take away a lot of the things that are baked in to the browser experience (bookmarks, for example).
[Update] Removed the screen grab and ad hominem attack. ;)
March 12th, 2007 at 6:44 pm (#)
It’s just a theory I have. Given more and more technology out there is looking to connect the web offline and online, the browser has limiations imposed on this.
Google and FireFox 3.0 are making movements in this space. Microsoft with its WPF and WPF/e etc are making movements in this space.
Adobe with Apollo/Flex is also doing the same.
Oracle is looking to swap out its HTML based applications for a richer technology subset.
SAP are doing the same by using Adobe Apollo as a wrapper that houses HTML inside it etc.
Now if all these corporations whom in a sense set the pace for a lot of the web centric applications, then what does that say about browsers. They need to adapt to surivive or they’ll eventually (may take 5-10 years) have the plug pulled.
Coatsee not Goatsee …
Scott Barnes Developer Evangelist Microsoft.
March 12th, 2007 at 7:00 pm (#)
Scott,
Sorry for going below the belt. I have edited the post and removed the ad hominem attack.
Can’t say that I’ve come around to your way of thinking, though.
~David
March 13th, 2007 at 5:05 am (#)
don’t edit it! :)
Yeah its not a popular thought process but its something I’m happy to wait and see what happens.
I also thought that I’d be a millionare by now…. you got $20 i can borrow by the way ;)
Scott.