Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Desktop.com

Author:Philip Suh
Posted:9/21/1999; 5:44:06 PM
Topic:Desktop.com
Msg #:11325 (In response to 11322)
Prev/Next:11324 / 11326

Only works on Windows and only with IE5? C'mon...

The truth is, the best platform for employing rich client interfaces is IE5 on Windows.

It's the most stable, most flexible platform out there, regardless of your opinions of Microsoft or its browser. It supports XML, has a great plugin/download system, and is fast and customizable.

Broadband Mechanics and simple.com are others who have implemented cool UI front ends to web apps using IE5.

-/-

The browser wars are so over. I'm looking for a stable, fast, extensible, cross-platform, customizable web application client software. This client would:

  1. understand common Internet protocols, like http, ftp, and would support new ones via plugins. I imagine that it would ship with a 'browser' plugin so that it could be used as a web browser.
  2. have a http server, and understand xml-rpc to enable web applications.

  3. have a set of rich, gorgeous UI widgets that developers can develop _leveraging their existing knowledge of html, flash, & javascript_ to develop solid ui's for their web apps.

  4. have great text editing tools.

  5. have a well documented api of file system interaction for storing local information/files.

  6. have a security model.

  7. be available on Mac, Win, and flavors of Unix, especially Linux.

Killer app is an overused hype word, but I'd certainly kill to get my hands on this app.

Basically, I'm sick of developing for the browsers. They suck. I'm tired of being slave to the browsers. Give me a consistent cross-platform platform I can build on, and I'm (using that magic marketspeak phrase that the VC's will understand)your customer for life.

"zeldman.astin" This is what I look like when I talk about how bad the browsers are. I really get worked up, I might look a little crazy.

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