The Web OS. Future Or Fantasy?

Will the Web OS become a reality? If so, will it be similar to what we currently recognize as an operating system? Will it be more complex? More simple? How will it be accessed in the event of a storm-induced power utility and/or broadband utility outage? Again, is the notion of a Web OS even realistic?

These are the latest contemplations of Martin LaMonica, a CNET News journalist and columnist. (Though the question mark-laden rhetoric published above is of my own contrivance.) And they are very valid questions to ask. And, yes, the notion of a Web OS is definitely realistic.

We know Microsoft Windows will not be around as we know it forever, despite the likelihood that the software giant will remain a force to be reckoned with for decades. Apple will also undergo great transitions in the future. What will become of Mac OS X? Will there be a Mac OS XI? At present, that particular title doesn’t befit such the “coolest” company in computerdom. It doesn’t sound like too catchy a name for a software platform, either.

Anyhow, the questions have been put forth, but as of yet, there’s no individual and no thing (bad wordplay, eh?) to provide any definitive answers.

How would such a shift, presuming the shift does eventually take place, happen? Would software vendors create hybrid systems to allow anyone the option to interact with their personal PCs in remote locations, as one can – though with limited effect – with products like Virtual PC and Remote Desktop today?

My personal view of the matter is this. We will see an industry-wide push for remote storage solutions, which are not only safer for critical information but cheaper in the long haul. This push will force software vendors to adapt and create Web-based solutions synonymous with their packages coded for local operation. (Most of the world is currently using local stuff).

With enough big-name firms (Adobe, Oracle, Microsoft, etc.) jumping aboard with hybrid solutions, operating systems designers will see no use sticking with the traditional PC-based software model, and spend several years beta testing Web-based operating systems alongside releases of written in the “old style”. Hybrid solutions will stick around throughout this period and beyond. When broadband utilities become strong enough, open enough, fast enough, and as accessible as basic electricity, we’ll view strictly Web-based operating systems lovingly, and hark back on the days when we had those cheapo, corruptible 120GB+ hard disks.

The specifics and roadblocks destined to arise in discussions, debates, and developments en route to Web-based operating systems and Web-based software are bound to be numerous (I assume years of tough transition are ahead). But we’ll forge ahead, because, well, we’ll have no choice. The benefits of Web-based software far outweigh the downsides, and in the end, progress is progress.

(I only foresee graphic design work, simulations, and other tasks requiring an intense amount of number crunching remaining localized.)

Predictions are of course predictions, and there’s really no reason to speculate too much about the issue right now. As we migrate more task management to Web-based apps and notice we’re utilizing Web-based programs 80-90% of the time, we’ll find a need for serious thought about remotely-held online operating systems. We’re years away from the moment when we see “Windows on the Net” or “Mac OS Net” or any such product.

Let us know what prophesies about the world of software and the platforms they reside within are showing up inside your crystal ball (your head).