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Web OS Aims to Mimic Windows

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

September 11, 2007, 11:12 AM

A web applications company is hoping to legitimize the web operating system concept with the release of ajaxWindows, an application that behaves much like its Microsoft counterpart.

The OS acts as a centralized location for the various web services created by Ajax13. When running in full screen mode, any evidence of the underlying operating system is erased, and the Web OS itself becomes the desktop.

Ajax13's concept is apparently creating a lot of buzz: a message Tuesday morning on its Web site read "We are currently experiencing massive amounts of user registrations and traffic. Please check back with us in an hour."

Storage for the OS is done through GMail, Music files are stored on MP3Tunes, and any information can be synced with the user's own desktop through an included application.

The OS also supports widgets which allow the user to add small applications such as RSS feeds and games to the desktop. However, at this time, only ajaxWindows' own widgets are supported and not those of other platforms.

Links to other Web 2.0 offerings round out the OS, however, at present only the Ajax13-native applications will run within ajaxWindows. Other applications open a new browser window.

The idea of a web-based OS is nothing new: in fact, as early as 1999 companies were hawking the idea of bringing the user's desktop online. However, with the advent of dynamic web languages like AJAX, making them more responsive and more like an actual application has become much easier.

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By croser

edited Sep 13, 2007 - 11:37 AM

nice one,
even though i think that for example the online operating system at http://www.oos.cc does mimic windows much much better...

Score: 0

By Eeyan

edited Sep 12, 2007 - 10:42 PM

Once (and IF) it goes web based then the money screwers will arrive..... pay for this, pay for that, bombarded with adverts etc ......... MS licencing etc.......... And of course Big Brother will be watching........ That microchip in your neck will soon be here too. No need to have a card just scan your neck, or click bluetooth button so you won't need to do anything.

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 5:06 AM

The application seems to have the general purpose of 'remotely' having a virtual windows to work in. So....connecting to local files, etc. as well as playing games seems almost a moot point. I could be wrong.
Uses for this, for example would be corportate machines (where you shouldn't be 'doing your own thing with windows'), cyber cafes, computer equipped hotel rooms, guest machines (like a friends PC, etc.), library PCs, campus PCs, etc. etc. Doesn't seem to be worthwhile to deal with this in your own home.

Score: 0

By QQ

edited Sep 12, 2007 - 5:04 AM

how exactly is it "web" if i have install some addon to even run it? shrug.

edit: 7mb addon at that!

edit2: that addon seems to include.. mozilla! haha.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 9:24 AM

Was able to finally get in this morning, but the demo is bringing me back to the index page as does any attempt to "log in" form the index page.

Disabled all pop-up blockers. No idea if it's security on my end or the site.

Anyone else?

Score: 0

By QQ

posted Sep 13, 2007 - 2:41 AM

was same for me, so i just uninstalled. i don't want mozilla in my machine for one single webpage :)

Score: 0

By romanski@pdx.edu

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 7:17 PM

Rumor is that MICROSOFT will be one of the ELITE companies mentioned in the new film, "End Game"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgGOFXuYPw

Score: 0

By DanPhilpott

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 3:01 PM

I note that simple.com is still around. I can't be sure of the date they first launched but I think they may have been the earliest example of a functional web-based windowing 'OS' system. I know it's the first one I saw operating.

Score: 0

By kbsoftware

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 3:00 PM

I don't know if I would call it an OS :)
Behaves much like Windows, so this company has no ambition lol

I don't know, if Web OS's do become popular it will become expensive to maintain, bandwidth etc. so eventually they will have to charge for use. Then you will always need a computer with an OS to use the Web OS, so I can't see myself paying for two OS to use applications. Makes no sense to me.

And I didn't bother to fully read PC_Tool's comments I only skimmed through it, hoping to frustrate him some more, sorry I just had to say that :D

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 3:39 PM

lol.

...jerk. :p

Score: 0

By lonechicken

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 1:01 PM

And this will run Crysis, WoW, Civ4, how? Yeah...

They'll also have to figure out some deal with Google or openOffice to bring in any businesses that are brave enough to try.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 2:29 PM

For this to be at all viable, they do need to find a way within the interface to access locally installed apps, and locally stored information.

Having to switch desktops to go from local to remote and vice-versa isn't going to work.

Being able to create shortcuts on your "web" desktop to local information and apps would definitely help.

Haven't used it yet, can't since it's down. Highly doubt they have it set that way.

Would also be nice for it to allow multiple profiles, based on whatever PC you are accessing the webOS from to determing what links it has to locally stored content.

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 12:39 PM

"ajaxWindows"

And do they think that they won't get sued?

Score: 0

By DanPhilpott

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 2:50 PM

"ajaxWindows" will get sued right after Microsoft finishes suing "xWindows". Because Microsoft product names couldn't possibly be derivative.

Score: 0

By _jaz_

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 10:31 AM

I don't know xWindows, I Only know the X Window System. (http://www.x.org/wiki/)

Score: 0

By Altman

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 12:28 PM

There is nice open source project that is trying to do a web based OS too called eyeOS.
http://eyeos.org/

Score: 0

By dwight_stegall

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 12:27 PM

I like Microsoft and that they have been a bully in the software industry. Can you imagine what it would be like if there were 5,000 different operating systems out there. The way it is now is most everything is standardized. I like standardized better than all fouled up

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 12:06 PM

I can see Google doing something like this with it's Google Apps, email, and *some* online storage.

For anything like this to succeed, however, you would definitely need to be able to access applications and files stored locally as well, as part of the interface. (Start up WoW from the web-desktop, open documents stored locally through Google Docs, etc)

I've always thought Google should cut out the OS middle-man and replace the desktop. This would eventually make it much easier for them to simply "update" the underlying OS with their own modified Linux without the user really even noticing.

The guys below are right though. Nothing has come anywhere close to succeeding as of yet.

Score: 0

By billweh

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 1:34 PM

There are a of couple problems I have with this whole "online only" thing.

One, I don't trust the company(s) that are going to force me to host all of my documents with them. What's to stop Google from scanning/indexing my content and matching it against everything else they have to see if they should get into the market before I do?

Secondly - what happens when the network connection goes out? Even if I can store my document locally, I have no application to access it locally.

Thirdly - as we get more an more people on the net, it's going to bog it down more and more - possibly to the point where broadband will seem more like 1200 baud again. And look how long it took for broadband to get "up to speed".

We're not going to see a real big boost anytime soon I don't believe. Not without running fiber to every home and that's not going to be cheap.

Heck - my cable company (rhymes with "mime horner") has all sorts of problems with their cable modem access - and with them trying to push voice over it now, it /sarcasm/ just keeps getting better /sarcasm/.

I think the biggest reason people won't switch is that they like the security of having their documents under their watch. Not just corporate docs, but personal ones as well.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 2:25 PM

I *really* wish people would take the time to actually read my posts before replying. It would save *so* much time...

One, I don't trust the company(s) that are going to force me to host all of my documents...

May I kindly refer you to the *SECOND SENTENCE* of my post?

Secondly - what happens when the network connection goes out? Even if I can store my document locally...

May I once again refer you to the *SECOND FREAKING SENTENCE* of my post...and refer you to OpenOffice? (Substitue for WoW, perhaps?)

Thirdly - as we get more an more people on the net, it's going to bog it down more and more - possibly to the point where broadband will seem more like 1200 baud again.

Did you hop in your time-travelling Delorean to come up with this one, or did you pull it out of your ass?

We're not going to see a real big boost anytime soon I don't believe. Not without running fiber to every home and that's not going to be cheap.

Already being done. Google Verizon FiOS.


I think the biggest reason people won't switch is that they like the security of having their documents under their watch.

One last time...let me refer you to the *SECOND DAMNED SENTENCE* of my post.

Really... is it *that* hard to read more than one sentence?

I realize this may be a bit harsh upon reading it. But seriously... When I had specifically mentioned the solution to the very concerns you raised in your response to that very post, well...

Score: 0

By ogman

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 2:52 PM

Hmmmmmm...

Sounded more like bill was more or less agreeing with you, and perhaps expanding on your point.

What, not enough real fights to keep you busy?

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 3:33 PM

If it wasn't related to my post, why post it as a reply?

It didn't come across that way to me. Perhaps I have been a little too busy today and over-reacted. If that's the case, my bad.

What, not enough real fights to keep you busy?

*laughs*

As if anything online is a "real" fight. The nerve...

Score: 0

By ogman

edited Sep 11, 2007 - 7:42 PM

"As if anything online is a "real" fight."

Perhaps you should take up "the sweet science" then. A little exercise often improves the mood.

Then again, I prefer a Guinness for my mood alterations,

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Sep 12, 2007 - 9:19 AM

Oh man...

Guinness. Not many folks, at least around here, are up to drinking a real beer. I am impressed. ;)

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 11:49 AM

I believe Sun did this 10 years ago.

Score: 0

By meb

posted Sep 11, 2007 - 11:45 AM

*yawn*

Been done by many ... even with Ajax.
All fail to match the response of a local disk.

Score: 0

By Joshuancsu

edited Sep 12, 2007 - 9:21 AM

I think that ajaxWindows + Google (meaning they can use Google Gears) might actually have something worth using. The ability to bridge the gap in online content and offline content, as mentioned my multiple posters, may be resolved with that.

Score: 0

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