4 ms·
I was recently reading David Chappell's "Understanding ActiveX and OLE" (published in 1996) and found this part amusing: "Once the Windows shell itself lets yo
by ptx 12y ago
I was recently reading David Chappell's "Understanding ActiveX and OLE" (published in 1996) and found this part amusing:
"Once the Windows shell itself lets you browse the Web, the need for a separate web browser application becomes less apparent. But while web browsers as such might one day fade into the mists of history, that day hasn't yet arrived. And even if browsers per se vanish, [COM] components such as the Web Browser object and the HTML viewer will survive."
- frik 12y ago> Windows shell itself lets you browse the Web Microsoft implemented it, called "The Microsoft Network" (MSNv1): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSN_Dial-up#The_Microsoft_Network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSN_Dial-up#The_Microsoft_Netwo... . It used the Win95 Explorer as interface. Internet Explorer 1 (rebranded Mosaic) shipped with Win95b / Win95 Plus add-on CD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser) See MSN1 in action, the introduction film with Jennifer Aniston: https://youtu.be/kGYcNcFhctc?t=17m16s https://youtu.be/kGYcNcFhctc?t=17m16s (watch it for 2-3 min to get the idea; or direct link to MSN1: https://youtu.be/kGYcNcFhctc?t=19m16s https://youtu.be/kGYcNcFhctc?t=19m16s) Read Bill Gates (former internal) 1994 memo: "Windows: The Next Killer Application on the Internet": http://www.microsoft.com/about/companyinformation/timeline/timeline/docs/di_killerapp_InternetMemo.rtf http://www.microsoft.com/about/companyinformation/timeline/t... . "The memo starts with a background on the Internet in general, and then proposes a strategy on how to turn Windows into the next "killer app" for the Internet." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish
- bdcravens 12y ago> Internet Explorer 1 (rebranded Mosaic) Keep in mind that this wasn't the original NCSA Mosaic "Spyglass, Inc. licensed the technology and trademarks from NCSA for producing their own web browser but never used any of the NCSA Mosaic source code. Microsoft licensed Spyglass Mosaic in 1995 for US$2 million, modified it, and renamed it Internet Explorer." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser)
- woah 12y agoActually very prescient, except that the MS tech he mentions is not being used. He basically describes the exact role that the browser plays on mobile devices today.
- 7952 12y agoBrowsers are definitely starting to offer what operating systems do. It is interesting to poke around in the chrome://gpu pages and you see just how aware chrome is of the underlying hardware. It disables features based on hardware, and drivers rather than rely on the underlying system. Browsers offer a reliable way to use hardware without any configuration. It is easy to forget how difficult something like video playback could be (relying on player software) before sites like Youtube came along.
- le_lenny_face 12y ago>It is easy to forget how difficult something like video playback could be (relying on player software) before sites like Youtube came along. I actually prefer the old way. My OOTB setup of either mpv (on GNU/Linux) or mpc-hc (on Windows) can play any videos better (better caching, better rendering, better hardware acceleration) than any in-browser, Flash or HTML5 offering on either Firefox or Chrome.
- WorldWideWayne 12y agoI just want a tree view and a data grid that work as well as native ones do.
- john-waterwood 12y agoWow, just wow!