Not going into the details of what Googles new browser Chrome is, (it’s a browser. Get it here), the web ladies and gents is a’ changin’!
First let me say I really enjoy Chrome, it’s faster to start up than Flock (I use it for the built in RSS reader) and that’s enough for me when it comes to doing things in a rush. The browser needs some help in the realm of plug in support, but I believe that’s only a matter of time. I hesitate to compare Chrome to Firefox as I don’t think one could ever replace the other. I use Chrome to hop on, check my twitter, email, bank account and that’s all. I use Fire Fox for work, news, goofing off if I know I will be able to sit at the computer for a period of time. It’s really a matter of when do I need to use the add ons of Firefox, or my bookmarks from Fox Marks. Chrome’s my speedster, on off and then off to work.
I know at least one person is going to say “Uh…what about IE?” Personally, IE seems to be the nagging Aunt who’s a hundred years old that you’re only nice to because she has a lock down on your cheek with those arthritic hands of hers. Yes, the majority may use IE, but that doesn’t make it right. But I digress…
We stand before a time of technological growth that reminds me of the 90’s when the computer jumped every couple of years months? weeks and the words dot com had everyone energized, employed, and eager to get into the e-commerce industry. Back then the bubble burst and a lot of people avoided e-anything, but this time it’s different. The economy is already bad, so we’re dealing and maybe crawling out of it through tech. We’re looking at growth, change, and evolution because it’s become a part of this generation. If I go into work tomorrow and my company’s going under, you can bet I’ll come home (if it’s still there) to blog about it, update my MySpace and Facebook that I’m now unemployed and probably send out a tweet to see if anyone is hiring. (Ok, I’d tweet from the office. Who am I kidding?)
I really think that over the next few years we’re going to watch the desktop become just another folder as the internet fills in the needs of desktop applications. The internet, is no longer confined to your computer… or browser (which for anyone reading this it had better not be IE6. Really, Get with the times) It’s now on our phones, in our cars, and available anywhere. We’ve widgetized the desktop to try to bring in the internet and its applications, we’ve taken the software from being installed on the computer to the cloud, (I’m writing this on Google Docs), and we’ve gone social (I’m sharing this article with the rest of Border7 right now) in every which way possible. But we already know the internet is the future for us. So what?
So where are we headed? What’s next? It starts with concept, the creation has to come from somewhere. Mozilla, the wonderful awesome (oh my God they rock) people who’ve brought us browsers such as FireFox, Flock, Songbird, and email programs like Thunderbird have gotten (even more) creative. The folks at Mozilla labs have a concept series, and the most exciting concept I’ve seen comes from the amazing people at Adaptive Path who have created the Aurora Concept video; which gives a look at how the internet is going to go from “You’ve got Mail!” to “What is a desktop?” To borrow from Kevin Marks’s presentation about open social, it’s not going to be cloud. It’s oxygen.
(We had trouble embedding the video. Plus its huge so instead here’s a link:)
Aurora (complete video without commentary) from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.
Ok, so my opinion is biased. Yeah, I’ve heard complaints of “Oh how cluttered that looks” and “How will you find anything” from friends who’ve watched this video, but honestly I don’t think they’re looking at what we have now or considering…it’s a concept.
We organize things on a personal level. I use Fox Marks to keep all of my bookmarks organized. I use filters and a ton of other things to organize my in box. I’m sure there will be away to use the Aurora idea with organization. It’s a great idea Mozilla labs/ Adaptive Path, I can’t wait to see it one day.
Finally, I’d like to give my attention and respect to Ubiquity. To be honest I’m not using it as often as I could when it comes to my personal browsing, but I do take advantage of it frequently at work. It’s a step in the right direction and it’s still in its alpha stages.
(We had trouble embedding the video. Plus its huge so instead here’s a link:)
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
See, that screams of exciting opportunity and change. We’re changing the way we view data, how we think and how we operate. With the power of Ubiquity combined with my Google Gears and my social networking sites I truly feel unstoppable. I’ve gotten to the point where it is a rare occurrence for me to run a program off of my computer, when I can run it from the cloud.
For more information on Aurora and the folks at Adaptive Path you can check them out here.
And to get Ubiquity or for more information about the awesome alpha, check them out here.
And the Folks that tie it all together.
Mozilla Labs
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