Opinion The rise of the browser
Have you ever stopped to think what is it that we do on the computer?
Most of us have become inseparable from our computers. But have you ever stopped to think what is it that we do on the computer? Yes,a substantial chunk of hour PC hours are spent browsing,making the browser one of the key software on your PC.
While many dont bother about their browsers,some others,like me,are very finicky about it. I,for one,am incapable of using Internet Explorer,unless really forced to — like while opening a banking site. For me,the Mozilla Firefox was the ultimate browsing experience,until recently. Internet Explorer has also discovered tabbed browsing and apps,but frankly its been a bit too late.
Browsers these days have different USPs depending on what their users want. Some are good with security features,sounding an alarm every time you are on a risky URL. Others are focused on speed,and try their best to get you to the website as quickly as possible. Some cash in with social networking features,amalgamating feeds from all your accounts in one. Others try to maximise the display and multi-media capabilities. All try to keep you on the browser for as long as they can.
My latest discovery has been a browser called Rockmelt,which is still not free for download. If you are lucky enough to get an invite,dont waste the opportunity. Though I would like to call Rockmelt the first Facebook browser even the invited are sent through the social networking site there is a lot to it than quick access to wall posts. There is no other browser that dishes out all that you want in such simple a format. And you dont need to download apps to read feeds or post webpages to your social networking account. Everything is integrated in a single interface based on the Chrome browser.
My default browser,Firefox,came up with a new version last week. And I could not help wonder how similar it is to Rockmelt at first sight. It does not integrate the social networking apps into the browser,but the look and feel are very similar.
But that is not surprising. Browser designs these days tend to be minimalist and attempt is to sweep under the carpet anything that will not be used on a regular basis. Research has shown that most user click the back button far more that the forward button and this is why the former is more prominent in the new browsers. Similarly,users seldom open the dropdowns to change settings and this is while you now have a single dropdown menu instead of the long list of past.
All this is part of the shift to a world where the browser will be the key interface of the PC. The Google Chrome PCs,the first of which have started appearing in US markets,are based on this philosophy. For the next generations computers which will have their soul in the cloud,the life will be the browser.
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