>Anyone who has attempted to implement trivial things, like thematic scrollbars or cross-browser capable code, or dealt with dom thrashing via JavaScript, knows the amount of effort going in (or knowledge required) to do trivial things is ridiculous
That's true, but that's maybe for the better?
In the sense that it leaves a place for desktop and native apps to thrive too.
I would worry if the browsers was a great execution environment, that could even run Photoshop or Valve or Pro Tools, and every company went that route.
It would mean total loss of data freedom (they would push you to have them in the "cloud"), and a rent-model for software purchases, with software being able to completely change under your feet (like Gmail did for example).
That's true, but that's maybe for the better?
In the sense that it leaves a place for desktop and native apps to thrive too.
I would worry if the browsers was a great execution environment, that could even run Photoshop or Valve or Pro Tools, and every company went that route.
It would mean total loss of data freedom (they would push you to have them in the "cloud"), and a rent-model for software purchases, with software being able to completely change under your feet (like Gmail did for example).