Browsers will kill operating systems, says Google

Fri May 29 2009, 08:51 AM

Web browsers will replace operating systems as the fundamental software used for computing, says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Google envisages new, more powerful web browsers that will do everything that operating systems such as Microsoft Windows currently do. This development will usher in the era of cloud computing, it says, where data such as photos, documents and videos are no longer stored on individuals’ machines but in data centres that are accessible via the web.

Google is also supporting cloud computing for tactical reasons. As operating systems move closer to becoming obsolete, Google’s great rival Microsoft will see revenues from its hugely popular Windows operating system begin to dry up. Google is hoping to capitalise on Microsoft’s loss by establishing new cloud-based tools, which it will monetise with advertising.