I read an article today on the future of the "web as a platform". Throughout the last few decades, we have seen a number of operating systems come and go. Battles have raged to the point of legal actions, not to mention all the different groups of people arguing that their chosen system is better than the others.

Are we now entering a period of time where the battles will end or at least seem like it? Has the browser replaced the operating system?

I do not believe we are to the point that the browser is everything, many aspects of computer use, require software dependant on a specific computer system, but we are on the way. Many home users as well as a number of businesses, can now have all their demands filled by a computer system that is more than four years old. Most have no need for the new faster machines of today.

The best part of the last two decades, I designed computer software targeted for personal computers. More than three years ago, that switched to developing "web applications", (or Internet/Intranet applications) not to be confused with a "web site". While a web application can have a front end of a "web site", it is a full-featured application as complex if not more than any applications I built for personal computers.

Web applications run over the Internet or an Intranet, supplanting typical software applications and allowing a great deal of flexibility while requiring very little hardware dependence. Many times the client accessing these web applications only need a simple internet browser on their machine and with the move towards cross-browser compatibility, it would virtually eliminate the need for specific operating systems and remove much of the training associated with the operating system. Possibly, in the near future, the only operating system related knowledge required by a user in businesses, is how to launch a browser

This is great for businesses and allows them to cut costs considerably and is just as important for the home user. As more web applications take to the online world, people depend less on software applications in their machines and move to web applications. We are now reaching a period of time, when you can install a free operating system for home use, such as Linux and not require more software, as the web applications handle many of the tasks we would normally use individual software applications to perform.

In reality, people will still want operating system dependant software for a while, such as video games, word processors, audio/video recording and manipulation or applications to which we want access even when not connected to the Internet. This bridge however, is also starting to collapse. There are many sites that you can click to play a game and it caches the game on your system, however, you do not go out, buy and install the game, the program is there directly from the Internet.

Microsoft is pushing "zero-deployment" application development where you do not have to install or update them, it is all automatic over the network. At this time, many of these applications are machine / operating system dependant, but even that is changing.

All this makes me wonder if we are moving into a subscription service world, where almost any use of your computer will require subscription such as your cable, phone, power, etc. This is the goal of many large companies and will probably be our future.

In my opinion, the Internet (not just the browser) is a platform on which we build applications and services. This changed a few years ago and is still in its infancy. Keep your eyes open and notice the number of software applications you use compared to the number of services you use online. The balance is sure to change.