Google: Searching for the desktop?

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Google's plan.

Google is up to something but I do not think they are going to be so clumsy as to reproduce a regular web browser.

It could be more interesting than that. I think Google is reacting to a future threat from Microsoft.

The seed of this threat is the Avalon GUI engine based on XML which could allow rich applications to be run over the Internet very much like today's fairly limited web applications (and hence would overrun limited html-based apps). This could lead to a scenario where Microsoft seizes monopoly to all major Internet applications using the Windows platform - including search, email, multi-media etc.

Such a scenario is a nightmare for companies like Google. The conclusion is that Google must fight back. They can get a head start by looking into Mozilla and their XML based GUI rendering engine, which draws the whole browser application from XML. Now, what if you could turn that into any application? You could deliver rich applications that are very much like your regular desktop apps over the web.

Interestingly, this is possible already with any web browser that supports Java applets. You browse to a website and it uploads a small Java applet to your browser. The applet is able to draw an user interface based on xml that is sent to it. The user experience is like with any desktop application, only you do not have to manually install anything, because everything but the interface runs in a server. It works with IE, Mozilla, etc. - right out of the box.

Posted by: tero_t_vaananen@...   Posted on: 09/24/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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