Comment: The web browser will dictate computing's future

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 26 Jul 2007 at 12:09

Google has long been rumoured to be developing its own browser, but with friends like Firefox, why bother? The Firefox homepage already defaults to Google's search engine, and if Google can keep sending Firefox's ever-expanding user base to its host of online services it will be an enormous commercial advantage.

This all leaves Microsoft with a huge problem. If the shift towards online applications continues apace, the operating system - be it Windows, Mac OS X or Linux - could become little more than the platform the browser runs from.

The only way Microsoft can stop ceding users to Firefox is to once again make its browser the best there is. If Bill Gates hasn't already ordered his developers to make IE8 the best damned piece of software they've ever designed, his company could be heading for retirement with him.