John Battelle's Searchblog

This is what I wrote to Jason Kottke about this posting...

----------

In reference to: http://www.kottke.org/04/08/the-google-browser

I wrote "Google 2.0" on 6-Sept-2001 which was about a Google browser. I
also talk about how Google make be the next "layer" to be built over the
Windows operating system. Think about it. Hardware, then OS core (think
DOS), then new OS layer (think Windows), and THEN new user-driven / search
layer (think Google). Google rides on top of Windows and is the new layer.
Boom!

Maybe Anil is right about Mozilla as the platform. Maybe not. What matters
is the idea of a new layer on top of Windows, or any other OS, or current
operating evnironment. Maybe it is browser based (i.e., Mozilla) but maybe
it is something else. In any event, here's the article...

http://webword.com/moving/googleclient.html

Here are some excerpts:

"What if instead Google built a super simple web browser. Pow! There is a
killer idea. Maybe."

"What if Google built something that was very much like a browser but was
mainly used for searching for information. What if they built a tool that
was focused on searching for answers to your questions first, and looking
at web pages second. Wrap your head around that."

"The Google client might even be a sweet layer of technology on top of
Microsoft's operating system. Yes, you are getting the vibes. I'm saying
that a Google client might almost function like an operating system over
Microsoft Windows. The Google client might shanghai the entire Microsoft
desktop. Over the top! Wouldn't that be sweet? It would ride on top and
hide the ugly parts of the operating system yet it would let through the
appropriate technology, just for you. Just what you need."

Best regards,

- John

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
John S. Rhodes
email: john@oristus.com
phone: 607-768-5664
Fax: 806-993-5407

Oristus
Industrial Strength Usability
http://oristus.com

All this wild speculation about browsers and platforms is fine, but I really think they should refocus on the basics: levitation and time travel.

Kendall, you are wise. We should also refocus on mind control, UFOs, and Big Foot. I miss the big hairy guy. Um, maybe not. I think he lives next door...

Check out my extension for Firefox:

http://lookahead.mozdev.org/installation.html