What is Digg?78 Comments
- onixxino, on 10/12/2007, -1/+45Cut the "OS" crap. It's not an operating system (think about how you can boot your computer up using that?). The closest it can go is another type of desktop environment.
- goat77, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30I have no desire for a web OS.
- vkkim, on 10/12/2007, -8/+31"Yeh ***** NEW UPDATED SOFTWARE!!! that attempts to fix bugs and enhance the application. /scarcasm"
Actually, it's "***** new updated software that doesn't work with Linux." - vince1731, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Completely agree. This is more of a "cool stuff that's possible" than anything else.
There's no real applicable use unless you want to boot your real os, click on the icon to start your browser, and then finally click on the link to open your flash "operating system".
Way to make my life any simpler by recreating all options that I can already have.
PS you can fully circumvent clicking on the icon in your browser by setting this site as your default start page... - n0sferatu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16username: demo123
password: demo123
(reposting higher up for visibility) - TheReport, on 10/12/2007, -22/+33"NO digg. Requires Flash Player 9,"
Yeh ***** NEW UPDATED SOFTWARE!!! that attempts to fix bugs and enhance the application. /scarcasm - last, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I completely agree too. I thought that the task of an Operating System is to abstract the underlying hardware. This so called "web OS" is dependent on an operating system to run in the first place...
- goat77, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Welcome to the (next) end of privacy. The main reason I don't want a web OS is because of the absolute lack of privacy.
- rasterbator, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Not really an OS. More like web service, very similar to .Mac from Apple.
- elroy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7it's not an OS.
- h00ligan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7what's the point?
- mephitix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Seriously, what's the point of a Web OS? I am a web developer and I can't understand why people are harking on it as the future. There are (a) local storage problems (b) sign-on annoyances and (c) privacy issues.
Here's the big question: Why do you want a Web OS? What are your reasons behind it? People are just following the idea simply because they see all these "services" on the web now and think the next biggest thing is a full-fledged operating system that allows access to your data from anywhere. Given our browser technologies -- and differences in implementations (i.e. Javascript, CSS) and limitations of the underlying network technologies (AJAX is simply a hack to get around the request/response model of HTTP), it's impossible to have a Web OS that can guarantee the responsiveness (you can throw out AJAX as much as you want but ultimately you're just riding off of asynchronous tech that when used in any real desktop scenario, will just end up destroying the backend) and agility that desktop OS's have to offer.
If your reason is just having access to your data from anywhere, doesn't it make more sense to have auto-sync'ing technologies through an extremely responsive and rich client side application? - SanderSpies, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Nice try. But I want to see Web Applications run on this "Web OS":
- Meebo in a tray;
- Drag and drop between Web Applications;
- Etc.
We need industry standards to get to a real Web OS:
- Drag n drop support between web applications;
- Defining what a window is for the Web OS;
- Etc. - elroy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I just graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science. I took the mandatory class in operating systems, and found it so fascinating that I elected to take a project course in operating systems as well. I don't recall Macromedia Flash being mentioned in either.
- scottybowl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7just because something is more difficult to achieve, it doesn't make it better
- webtech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5More and some screenshots in here:
http://go2web2.blogspot.com/2006/08/first-look-at-new-web-os-desktoptwo.html - mephitix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Wow, brilliant. An OS built off of a company's proprietary frontend. I'm sure this will really go places. One of the biggest issues with a WebOS is the problem of local storage (i.e. what are the edge scenarios like if the user can't get online or wants to store things offline?). Yet, this prototype just moves completely AWAY from that idea and further sandboxes it within a Flash app (after it's already sandboxed in a browser environment).
- CrookedAsterisk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Holy crap! Has anyone ever noticed that the Acrobat Reader is an actual web-based VNC connection to a Linux machine with Acrobat Reader running on it? You can get to it by going to [Your Username] > Applications > Programs > Acrobat Reader. If you go to open a file, you can go through some of the files on that computer.
- gann, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5so we have a web app. that isn't cross-platform... what's the point?
- lukes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Yup. Considering that everyone who would 'boot' into this OS would already be using a fairly capable OS already, if they are viewing Flash over the web, then any need for the applications this OS offers is .. well .. really pretty much .. hm none I guess. Feel kind of bad writing this because I still respect the design & development that's gone into it.
- Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It's great for if you want to access your settings and files from public areas when not on your own computer, but yeah, otherwise it's kinda pointless after the initial "cool factor".
But one of these days, if this kinda stuff catches on, there will be standalone devices that do nothing but boot a modern browser, and logs you onto one of these sites..
And although it doesn't look as pretty as DesktopTwo, YouOS functions so much more like an OS without the load times. - jbus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Pointless... There are much better ways to access a remote desktop than through a proprietary flash based interface hosted by a third party.
- oslointhesummer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This is just a faceplate, made to look like an OS.
Once you can boot directly to DesktopTwo, without linux/unix/windows and without a hard drive, THEN you have a "WebOS". - Superkid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4....and Firefox.
- jumpingmatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Ha. Thank you for remembering! I actually worked for the late, great, Desktop.com for it's brief flash in the pan in 99-00. We did make a product that was pretty much identical to those coming out now from various places, and it worked quite well. The early versions were all dhtml, later it was used in combination with some ActiveX in the IE version. The problem was no one had any idea how to monetize it. Internet advertising wasn't really taking off yet, so service-based websites of marginal value but high "cool factor" struggled, and probably rightly so. We gave back most of the VC towards the end of 2000 when this became clear, and called it a day. I actually hope one of these things takes off for my own selfish reasons - so that I can feel our ideas were somewhat validated, and it was just a case of being ahead of the market. But I suspect the same problems will continue to plague them, as illustrated by a lot of comments above.
- jonesin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I dunno about you guys, but the idea of not being able to control my computer because its entire os is web-based doesn't sound appealing.
- Marthinus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I must agree, the "Web OS" is more like any other Desktop Manager i.e. Gnome, KDE etc. I do not see people calling Gnome an OS, Linux is the OS, same in this case, Windows is the OS and the "Web OS" is just a desktop manager using remote storage and web based applications.
- Universal, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8Nice to see variations of Web OSs. Good find.
- jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i dug you up because... you are correct
- evilgold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Flash is not an operating system my friend. Everyone else pretty much said it all, this requires a separate OS and a browser with flash in order to run.
if you wanted a real web OS you could maybe install Linux to a gmailFS and boot from a live cd...actually that sounds like a fun idea. - mamee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I want AJAXOS!!!!
- mikejohnston, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This was tried in 1999, it was called Desktop.com and functioned very well actually (AJAX before anyone called it AJAX). The problem is that no one cared. I imagine they still don't.
- vudicarus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The title is misleading. The site clearly does not state that it is an OS. People: chill the ***** out.
- Ollin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hmm well its mp3 player needs some more tinkering because it buffers real real slow but aside that........this seems like a cool idea :) Specially since I want to listen to my music remotely :D
- 16777216, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I am on Linux so I can only look at screen shots but I must say the interface does look nice.
- r0tt3n, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's hard to imagine anyone other than Google being able to successfully build all the functionality you have in your desktop into web apps that no longer necessitate more than a few megabytes of local hard drive space.
That said, I'm excited to see what the little guys can come up with - invariably, if it's unique enough, it'll get bought out (or ripped off) by the bigger fish.
This all feeds into a greater theory that eventually we won't actually "own" anything per se; music, movies, pictures, our data - it'll all be stored on a central server somewhere, easily accessible as though it were local, when in reality it's no where near, all just a service we "access". - jcizzle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Although I agree with your overall hypothesis, proven by Google's attempts at creating all applications needed for the basic user, I do not completely agree with your storage argument. Even though Google is throwing "mud at the wall" so to speak and seeing what sticks, you have to be blind to not realize their trend to virtualize all computing. Actually, their goal is to get ~8 terminals per household to automate every task and truly put the world at your fingertips. However, with the increasing reduction in size and required power to maintain flash memory, I think there will always be the possiblity of having card readers or similar gadgets at terminals to allow for personal storage. Whether dups are being made unbeknownst to us is the question (big brother much, especially in lieu of all the crazy carp in london and heightened security on all flights). That being said - I can see where they're going with this: Google has massive amounts of revenue to buy large distributed storage capabilities offered for free to undercut competitors in almost all arenas. Problem: lets not forget the def'n of an OS: controlling hardware on local machine, scheduling tasks, etc, which I just don't see when connectivity is still subscription based where not everyone has equal access. Basically, You get what you pay for as far as privacy and security, and to this day they have not been compromised. Not that I trust anyone with all my data.
- san1ty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Firstly, its not an operating system by any stretch of the imagination - at best it is a WIMP user interface inside a web browser. Given that most people have WIMP interfaces outside the web browser already, it raises the obvious question:
What's the point? - Doriath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just one correction you should make:
Change
"With Flash, as long as the player is installed,"
to
"With Flash, as long as the player will install," - i440, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6"Actually, it's 'f[...] new updated software that doesn't work with Linux.'"
It will work eventually...no need to get upset. Adobe is working on it. - K4P741NxKRUNCH, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Perhaps if it was downloadable onto a jumpdrive this web application might seem more useful.
Carrying around an OS on a jumpdrive would be sick! Oh wait....I have Knoppix on mine..
What is the point of this?
Proof of concept? - GreenAlien, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Firstly, this is a 0.7 BETA. If Linux still doesnt meet the requirements by 1.0, THEN bitch about it.
Secondly, desktoptwo doesn't claim it's an OS. Why do you think they got the domain name DESKTOPtwo.
Thirdly, Just because you dont find it potentially useful, many people will, for the same reason people find Google Mail convenient - eg can access it from anywhere. Google are integrating extra app support into their mail client, so how is that different to this. It's all converging to the same kind of thing.
Also, the limitations/inconvenience of server-side storage can in theory be got around in the future. Eg by installing a utility to map/mount drive to that storage in your OS.
Looking at DesktopTwo, I'm more impressed by the presentation than I was with YouOS. What Desktoptwo needs though is an open architecture for developers to make their own apps for it.
For me, having several web apps integrated into a single environment, with a single login, and potential for those apps to work together, all accessible from anywhere, is very appealing. If it doesnt appeal to you, move along and stop complaining. - moshisushi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1CosmoPod calls it Online Desktop. Even if it's not as catchy as Web OS, at least it's sort of accurate.
- scottybowl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think people are missing the point of a system like this. This sort of system is useful for people who are always using different machines and need to have a way of accessing files and e-mails quickly and easily.
Yes, I could use file storage systems, yes I could use web mail, but using a system like this is a lot quicker than having to login to multiple sites to achieve the same thing.
This sort of system is not intended to replace an operating system, but it is intended to replace the applications that people need to install. If systems such as Writely are included in these sorts of websites, who needs to buy and install MS Office for example? Simply login to your online desktop environment and start writing.
The target audience is individuals who use multiple computers but have a limited (or no) budget). - bluemist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1" Lets open a browser, and then hey lets open a "browser" again (but this time in the "OS"). YAAAY "
I might feel a bit safer with that.. at least when the browser in the Web OS screws up, (hopefully) there'd be no damage done on my actual local browser. - Niomi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The logical extension of a "web OS" sounds a lot like a terminal to me.
What we need is not applications running on the web 'platform', but a set of standards for keeping a user's data, so that different applications can integrate easily. Exchanging the user data between PCs would be so much more efficient than always running the program in a central location, and sending it to a PC for display. - gooddoggytreat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's a Flash Window Manager! :)
- Doriath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1heh, Guess their Operating System isn't Operating System independent.
- bishop1847, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't really see why so many people are touting AJAX and bashing Flash, especially Flash Player 9.
Sure, Flash is used for a bunch of ***** websites, and can get really annoying. I guess AJAX has just been put to better use. But if you want server pushing and such, then Flash is just as potent, if not more, than AJAX.
First of all, ActionScript, especially 3, is an ECMA language and acts and feels a lot like Java. AS3 is quick also, and a lot more powerful than most people know. A lot of AJAX developers need to deal with the fact that different browsers treat JS differently. With Flash, as long as the player is installed, you don't need to worry about this.
Flex Data Services can work with technologies such as Hibernate to transfer objects to and from the server to the client. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't AJAX only have XMLHttpRequest, meaning that the transfer of objects is impossible? - Doriath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why don't we stick with the current name, "Applications"?
"You use OS not to access the hardware that's inside your box, but to chat, write documents, listen to music, store pictures etc."
Wrong. You use Applications to do those things. And those Applications use the Operating System to talk with your hardware. -
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