Webtop

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Introduction

Definition

A webtop is a kind of rich internet application that runs in a web browser and that integrates various web-based applications, typically some virtual office applications, some social software in particular the most popular ones such as Flickr or YouTube, RSS feeds (often preconfigured).

An associated and somewhat overly optimistic slogan is wherever you go, whatever you do, you can bring your desktop too.([1])

See also virtual office and social software. In some cases, distributed, but aggregated webtops are an alternative to running portalware like Drupal.

Ajax Home Page or WebOS or in-between Webtop ?

It is difficult to make a clear distinction between a more simple Ajax homepage or aggregator (like Netvibes) and a web OS that could act as some sort of " office 2.0". E.g. McManus (2006) states that “the key difference from Ajax homepages is that a WebOS is a full-on development platform. The likes of XIN and YouOS are application development platforms that also offer things like file storage. Services like Netvibes and Live.com are more of an interface for web content and mini apps like gadgets (some, like Netvibes and Pageflakes, also offer APIs).” ([2], retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST).). Anne Zelenka agrees that “Ajax start pages like yourminis, Netvibes, and Pageflakes overlap in intent and function with the Web OS offerings, the difference being that a Web OS includes a full development environment and often email clients and other desktop software replacements.” ([3], retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST))

Also Daniel K. Schneider thinks that there will be an imitation effect and existing simpler ajax homepages will integrate features like file editing and storage and come up with stable APIs to integrate any sort of web application. This is why I create a single page for both. Finally it's difficult to forsee how the web will evolve (e.g. semantic web did not take off as planned.).

“A web desktop or webtop is a network application system for integrating web applications into a web based work space. It is a virtual desktop on the web, running in a web browser as software. Web desktops often are characterized by an environment similar to that of Windows, Mac, or Linux, but are now considered to have much more functionality being dependent on the internet. Typical benefits include the ability to save work and settings over the internet rather than to the local desktop.” (Wikipedia, retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST)).

YouOs, for example, is defined as “new type of platform for web applications. We're trying to build a single place from which you can access your data, and run a multitude of applications, written by anyone in the YouOS network. Ultimately, we want the data and apps on YouOS to be accessible not only through any browser, but from any number of devices. Your stuff, anywhere, anytime, anyhow. It's still early, but that's our vision.” (A Clean 'Slate', retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST)).

History

According to M. Bangham ([4]), the term "Webtop" was coined as early as 1996 to characterize the migration of desktop applications to the browser. According to Wikipedia ([5]), Webtop was first introduced by the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) in 1993 for a web-based interface to their UNIX operating system. A webtop is also called web 2.0 start page (520 hits), Ajax homepage (59'800 hits), Web operating system or WebOS (3'270'000 hits) web desktop (276,000 hits) or a webtop (3,350,000 hits). (Google hits, 16:49, 26 April 2007 (MEST)).

The Futre

... is hard to know. Here is Nova Spivacks' timeline of the past, present and future of the Web:

Nova Spivack & Radar Networks Towards a WebOS

“Web 2.0 was really about upgrading the "front-end" and user-experience of the Web. Much of the innovation taking place today is about starting to upgrade the "backend" of the Web and I think that will be the focus of Web 3.0 (the front-end will probably not be that different from Web 2.0, but the underlying technologies will advance significantly enabling new capabilities and features).” ([6], retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST))

Architecture

Some technical features of a typical webtop:

  1. It is started with a URL (no manual download, installation, or update process)
  2. Usually good integration between the user's native browser and the Webtop application, including browser-oriented navigation tools (forward, backward), but one also could imagine applications that run in a sandbox (like Java Webstart).
  3. Seamless communication with a central server using HTTP
  4. Rich GUI (e.g., native look and feel, including smooth dynamic updates without requiring frequent page refreshes). Usually this is implemented with Ajax (but it also could mean Java, SVG, whatever)

Technology

A crucial question is how to build these applications. Most of the webtop/webos seem to offer web-based IDEs and/or APIs for javascript programmers.

Discussion (some only ...)

The advantage of a webtop is access to a personalized desktop from any place and from several Web-supporting devices, no need to install and to maintain any applications, application sharing among users (i.e. groupware and social software support).

Disadvantages is that you don't know if you can trust the plateform and/or its components to stay around and so backup is also an issue. Then there may be security problems. Speed may an issue (both for client-server communication and GUI reactiveness). Therefore some authors, e.g. Ezzy (2006) rather suggest to webify desktop applications. A good example would by iTunes or various computer games or initiatives by Microsoft to integrate their office tools with their Sharepoint server technology.

In education

Webtops may have a huge potential in education since they are one of technical solutions to implement personal learning environments or learning e-portfolios. In addition, for some variants of project-oriented learning scenarios, webtops can replace more traditional portalware like C3MS.

Schools (or other organizations) may in the future offer a webtop to each student so that he can organize his activities on cyberspace. Some teachers then can integrated these into classroom activities. A similar solution would be the use of a social software like [[ELGG].

Software Links

Below we include lists of webap/webos. Some of these webapps are open source and free, some closed and free, some in between and some may hope to provide these services on a probably small subscription basis. Since (useful) webtops are fairly new (most are in Beta stage on 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST)) it is difficult to choose and even difficult to know which ones are popular and for which reasons. E.g. most Wikipedia articles on the subject are fairly meager so far.

eyeOS probably will be the one most adopted by the educational technology community, since it is open source, free and popular. Also, the next release (1.0) promises an interesting Microkernel and API. Finally eyeOS has communities in several countries and one can either use an existing server or install ones own. But nobody can tell really...

See also the list in Web desktop (Wikipedia). Daniel K. Schneider would like find educators who are using such an environment in class, e.g. encourage students to build their personal learning environment ....

Regarding the list below: The lists are not exhaustive. Also, the distinction between a more ajax home page and a webos is not really clear. Not sure that it even makes sense - 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST).

List of web 2.0/ajax pages

Netvibes
Pageflakes
Protopage
Purfect
Start
Webwag
My components of older portals
  • like MyYahoo, MyMSN, etc. However they are not done in the same spirit and use (so far) older technology.
iGoogle
  • Homepage
  • Of particular interest to educators in the "Add stuff" is the "tools" section, i.e. Google applications

Web OS

eyeOS
Desktoptwo
Oos
  • Oos (Wikipedia)
Laszlo
Xcericon
XIN
  • XIN Homepage
  • Xin (Wikipedia)
  • doesn't seem to exist yet (13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST)).
YouOS
  • YouOS homepage
  • YouOS (Wikipedia)
  • Seems to quite popular with geeks (or may it's just their web page)
  • Client side javascript is available under a modified BSD license.
Virtual-OS
  • Virtual OS (Wikipedia). “Virtual-OS is an open source web operating system or distributed web desktop developed by Advanced Webhosting Network that creates a shared virtual desktop environment on a remote server to promote collaboration, simplify content management and potentially reduce the effort associated with network installation”.

Your own server

eyeOS - the server

To sort out

  • Flock, the social web browser
  • Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. The PLE for PhD students ?
  • More: Google Homepage, Clic!Dev, Computadora, eskobo, Favoor, HomePortals, Nowsy, ORCA Desktop, Windows Live, , YourMinis, Zimbio, Zoho Virtual Office, Firestoker, goowy, Joyent, Nsite.

Development tools

See the web widgets article. Also dig around in "web os" sites.

Links and References

  • Bangham, Michael (2006). Webtops: The Best of Desktop and Browser-Based Apps in One, DevX.com article, HTML.
  • Gail E. Kaiser, Stephen E. Dossick and Wenyu Jiang. WWW-Based Collaboration Environments with Distributed Tool Services. HTML.
  • O'Reilly, Tim, What Is Web 2.0 - Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software, HTML
  • McManus, Richard (2006)., WebOS market review, ZDNet article, April 24 2006. HTML
  • Ezzy, Ibrahim (2006), Webified Desktop Apps vs Browser-based Apps, Read/Write Web, sept 07 2006. HTML, retrieved 13:03, 27 April 2007 (MEST).
  • Farber, Dan (2007), From semantic Web (3.0) to the WebOS (4.0), ZDNet Article, feb 14, 2007, HTML.
  • YouOS: YouHave To Be Kidding Me, 12.Apr.2007. HTML
  • Making the desktop fit in a browser, CNet 10/04/2007. [7]. Slideshow of some systems
  • Claburn, Thormas (2007), Xcerion's Internet Cloud Forms Over Google and Microsoft, Information Week, March 2, 2007. HTML.
  • VanDrimmelen, Jeff, (2007). Will Web 3.0 and 4.0 Change Education?, EduCause Connect, HTML
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