The Browser of the Future: Sans-Chrome?

A few days ago, Google unveiled Wave, new tool for communication and collaboration on the web. I didn’t have time to watch the entire unveiling but the reports have been pretty positive up until now. This post isn’t about that though.

What attracted my attention was was the interface. If you enlarge the screenshot you’ll see that Google Wave looks (and probably performs) very much like a stand-alone application.

click to enlarge

And here is where the problem comes in: putting a robust web application inside a browser that (amongst other things) still has those archaic back and forward buttons feels really awkward. Isn’t something like that more suitable as a stand-alone application? Luckily Google’s Chrome is fully aware of this: it’s ability to have application shortcuts is a clear indication of the move towards a chrome less browser. Firefox hasn’t been standing still either: Mozilla Prism offers the same sort of functionality. My favorite amongst these is however Fluid. This Apple only browser allows you to remove the browser chrome completely giving you a window that is almost Adobe Air like (but better, you don’t have to install individual programs).
Notice the option to remove all chrome

Sadly, Opera’s new (mostly awesome) 10.00 Beta does not have this availability. If I am to guess, I would say that it has to do with their philosophy of running all the browser windows inside the main browser, something I have complained about before.

I guess what it comes down to is that browsers aren’t really the same pieces of software they used to be, we all know this to be true. The trick is to subsequently act upon this knowledge, designing them in way that is more suitable for the way they are actually being used.