I think you hit the nail right on the head, in particular when referring to the current state of web browsers which I agree are not designed for modern web application requirements.

The Browser can be considered as a window to the internet. But as more and more users expect to use net-native applications and devices, the Browser is clearly outdated and underperforming. After all, it was designed to display information – not to contain and execute business logic.

What users want now is a door to the internet – designed for bi-directional exchange and more, not just for browsing. Some vendors with extensive web application experience already understood that, and have come up with alternatives to the Browser that support Rich Internet Applications – such as Adobe Air, Microsoft Silverlight or Magic Software uniPaaS RIA. These are very compact engines (the uniPaaS RIA Client is only 2MB) that are designed to execute net-native applications, where the application code resides “in the cloud” (like portals) yet the user gets a rich interactive desktop experience (unlike portals). However, developing applications for most of these “new doors” is pretty complex. A handful of vendors started addressing this hurdle, led by Magic Software with uniPaaS and maybe followed by Microsoft with ‘Alexandria’

Google Chrome OS seems to be right in the same evolutionary line.

From the scant information I was able to get, it is trying to move all those hurdles down into the OS level and abstract them from users, so that users and application developers would be able to once again focus most of their effort on business logic and user experience rather than on underlying technologies. But we have to be patient and wait for it to become available. And then wait a few years for it to mature.

In the meantime, why not go ahead and use what’s available?

If this is solved, I don’t see any reason that the proposed Chrome OS couldn’t succeed. People point to desktop applications, but aren’t Google themselves (and others) already providing traditional applications from the web?

The browser can certainly handle more than just AJAX applications, which is something some of the detractors are overlooking. Assuming support for Java, Flash, or other technologies continues to be supported….

Good analysis. While I do agree that the user interface is going to have to go to the next level for this to succeed, I am also a firm believer in simpler, less bloated, more dynamic operating systems.

I have been saying for some time that when the customizable browser interface becomes the operating system, then we can safely say we are in the next iteration in this crazy world of technology. I worked in a similar model back in the days before Gartner in my own startup, but the browser proved to entrenched a competitor for us to take it out.

Most browser-based or browser-supported applications are suffering from the lack of integration with the OS (and potentially the cloud), so their OS – if delivered as hinted – will be a tremendous step in that direction.

I dare to dream of them doing it, I think they have the talent, resources, and clout for it.

As geeky as it may sound, I cannot wait…