Before I get flaming e-mails (or comments) I do want to acknowledge that as long as we have PC’s and we use them we will need a browser, but what I really want to point out in this post is that while the browser is still important, there are other growing distribution channels that are becoming more and more important that while some companies continue to fight the “browser war” a new kind of distribution and content will make the browser irrelevant.
I have been following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and while we still see cool PC innovations, most of the innovations this year have a different face. I see a convergance of media such as Internet and TV comming together in PC powered TV’s, content aggregation appliances (for TV’s of course), tablets, e-readers, and phones. Also the introduction of more “connectedness” while you are mobile via new smartphones, gadgets and even cars where the browser is basically irrelevant.
Content is king and is finally taking on center stage. A new wave of applications that consume this content and make it easier to consume by us (humans) is what we need focus our innovation power on. The browser, yes, it will be here, but I am looking forward to interacting with content while I am on the run and not sitting in front of a desktop/laptop computer.
Tony fair comment, but personally I feel that end-users will not settle for selected packaged content and will always demand the ability to browse the internet regardless of the devices, tv, PC, phones,….
That said, I would expect the browser to migrate across to the devices, the question is which manufacturer will select which browser for addition in the conected devices.
I agree with and look forward for the convergence of devices and internet, but will always look for a device that goes beyond packaged content. The internet has so much more to offer.
Agree, but more than a browser or incarnation of browsers for multiple devices, what is important is that the users don’t want stale information, and that (as you say) they will not settle for selected packaged content. We live in an era of creation, collaboration, publication, etc… anyone can do it, from Youtube, to iReport, to blogs, etc…
Mashups are becoming more the norm than the exception. The browser in any of its forms ( in many cases not even a browser) is just a channel to access these “services” that provide content. It is in the “services” and the “Content” where I think the Enterprise should be looking at nowadays. how can we bring what is the trend in consumers electronic over ot he enterprise, should we focus on creating new content delivery models rather than fighting a battle on who has the most browser market share?
just sayin’