Is the next operating system the web?
Just don't kill the personal computer
I write this newsletter in Notion, I communicate with clients via email, and I chat with my team on Slack. All of these tools are built upon the web and are the foundation of the modern productivity stack. Do I need to do this on my MacBook, running macOS or can I log into any machine, anywhere on the planet, and pull up my operating system? Josh Miller, the CEO of the Browser Company claims that the next operating system is “the internet computer”. This simply means that most, if not all, of what we interact with at a computational level will be on the internet at some point. Because of this, they are building Arc, a new take on web browsers, to be the way you interact with this new OS.
Josh published this piece on YouTube on August 22nd. I didn’t want to publish my thoughts on this until I had time to think it over and try Arc, fully. At face value, of course, Josh and the Browser Company are right. The internet has been “the thing” that has revolutionized the technological world. In recent years, we do less and less on our actual computers and use them more as just a portal to get to the web. But as a person that grew up before and during the internet boom, this feels so wrong. I have talked about this before, but using a computer used to be an experience. The computer was more than what you are trying to accomplish, it was about how you got there. By removing the actual computer hardware and operating systems, the process becomes even more sterile and boring.
I appreciate and love using the proverbial cloud. My Google Drive has 14 terabytes of used space - for video projects. I am also a digital operations consultant, helping people and companies work more efficiently in this cloud. I have made countless connections on the web and work remotely because of the web. But there is something about having your files, maybe not the originals, but a version of them, local to you. Being able to access your information anywhere, in real-time.
When visiting my family a month ago, I noticed that my nephew cannot even tell analog time. I cannot imagine him not knowing what a folder or a file extension is. I fear that by going all in on this future, we are throwing another tangible skill out the window.
By giving into this future, we are allowing more electron apps to be made. This gives bespoke app developers little to no incentive to build native software. This also feeds the never-ending subscription model. It’s just another $5, monthly…
Now, on the other side of this coin, the Browser Company’s core product – Arc, is wonderful. It is built upon Chromium, but with little to none of the crappy parts. It is fast, extensible out of the box, and thoughtful. They have taken a new, almost whimsical approach to its development. My favorite features are split view, little arc, and profiles + customized spaces. The browser can look and feel like how you want and do it with wonderful performance. They are truly building one of the best access points to the web.
This is why I am conflicted. I can see the writing on the wall and the company spouting the gospel is also writing the book. They are not connected to any hardware companies and all of the new, modern web tools are in their corner. But the 90s child, that used MS-DOS, the original iterations of Windows, and the first mainstream mouse, would hate a day that I didn’t load bespoke software on my Mac to interact with my digital artifacts. That experience is what drew me to computers and the lack of that makes me want to use a pen and paper, metaphorically – I use an iPad + Apple Pencil.
This is one of the key reasons I stick with Apple software for my personal things. The software is local-first. Storing to the device, then syncing to the cloud. Sure, it’s not as multiplayer as Figma, Google docs, or Notion – but it feels more personal. By abstracting everything on your computer through the lens of the web, you lose that. This is the reason why I never loved Chrome OS, the original mainstream champion of this movement.
I know I am not alone in my feelings, but I’m definitely in the minority. Most people don’t want to think about hardware, they don’t share in my nostalgia, and they don’t know what they might be losing. They see the benefits, and rightfully so. I do think the Browser Company’s product market fit is spot on and perfectly timed, I just hope it doesn’t destroy the personal computer in its wake.
Upcoming editions (not in this order or naming convention)
Atomic notes
Zettelkasten
Digital gardening
Networked thought
Notion vs Obsidian
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