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by 0xbadcafebee 1048 days ago
> Microsoft was worried that the browser would become the operating system

Thank god that never happened! Can you imagine how huge the browser would get? How limited apps would be? How much control the browser maker would have?
2 comments
hnfong 1048 days ago
If not for mobile taking off, it almost happened.

Even today, with all the electron based apps and “full stack” Javascript developers, it’s hard to say Microsoft’s worries didn’t come to pass albeit with a twist …

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JohnFen 1048 days ago
> If not for mobile taking off, it almost happened.

It did happen, to a great degree. Much to our collective detriment, in my opinion.

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ddmf 1048 days ago
Teams app on windows completes the full circle in my opinion.
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code_duck 1047 days ago
It’s not really that the browser would be an OS, precisely, it’s that the browser would become the primary application API, replacing WIN32 for the most part. This could very well have happened, and to some extent, it did play out - except it doesn’t make sense for things like games, server software, local admin tools and so on… and then also, for some reason people like native mobile apps.
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