A Browser By Any Other Name?

David Card | August 22, 2005, 11:17 AM

I'm going to claim partial victory. I said Google would do a browser before it would do a portal. Tell me, how much more does this look like a browser than this looks like a portal?

I guess the plan is to demote browser to "rendering engine," and combine all its other functions into "desktop search," er, that is, "Google Desktop." Gee, it wasn't that long ago when Microsoft set the agenda for personal technology nomenclature. What's next, "operating system" becomes "device drivers" and "graphics libraries?" (File system functions are already under assault...)

I reiterate the mantra that built Microsoft: who controls the UI controls the user; who controls the API controls the programmer. Great businesses are made of this.