Death of the Desktop has been Greatly Exaggerated

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With so much focus on Google Office and similar online applications, will we eventually be using Web-based applications for everything we do? Don’t be so sure.

For years pundits have been heralding the inevitable death of the desktop, as Web-based applications such as Google Office and others replace critical desktop applications. On the other side, proponents of desktop applications point out the limitations of the browser and the integration and speed (not to mention disconnected access) of the desktop.

There are good arguments on both sides, but I feel this debate misses the whole point. Online applications, Web services, and other Internet-based tools provide a powerful adjunct to enhance the power, features, and user experience of desktop applications. Yes, you can migrate to an online-only model for many common business functions such as word processing, spreadsheets, and e-mail, but the greater power ultimately will come from desktop applications that are highly Web-enabled. These tightly integrated apps run natively in your operating system of choice, but connect to open APIs for online services. You get the best of both worlds: basic functionality when disconnected coupled with powerful mashup features when online.

Apparently many companies agree, including some big names that have traditionally focused on one side or the other:

• Java WebStart: Sun’s mechanism for launching and installing Java desktop apps over the Web
• Mac OS X Widgets / Vista Gadgets: Mini-apps using Web technologies running within the operating system
• Google Gears: A set of three tools to build Web applications that work offline
• Adobe AIR: A cross-platform runtime to create Flash-based desktop apps
• Dojo Offline: A JavaScript library that now offers offline tools as well
• Joyent Slingshot: A framework to run Ruby on Rails apps offline

Not convinced yet? Consider desktop search, now built into the latest operating systems from Microsoft and Apple. Google also provides a competing solution, which shows a move toward federated search—one search interface for the files on your local hard drive, resources on your company’s network, and information on the Web. I see this as recognition from all three big players that the desktop environment is not going away any time soon. It is becoming Web-enabled.