A Free XML-Based Operating System

Dotnaught writes "For the past five years, Xcerion has been working on an XML-based Internet operating system (XIOS) that runs inside a Web browser and promises radically reduced development time. To provide developers with an incentive to write for the platform, Xcerion's back-end system is designed to route revenue, either from subscription fees or from ads served to users of free programs, to application authors. Think of it as Google AdSense, except for programmers rather than publishers. Is it absurd to think this poses a threat to Google and Microsoft?"

Comments

Bad XML

[CarpetShark]

It also shows very poor use of XML, sadly. For instance, wouldn't it make more sense to have stuff*< /filespec></cmd>? It's not only shorter, but more future-proof, and more clear.

Still not short enough for me though. XML is OK for interchange, but it sucks as a human-readable markup language, even when used with forethought.

Furthermore, I'm not sure it makes ANY sense to have commands in XML. That's what programming languages are for -- it's the one thing they excel at. What's wrong with cmd(argname="val") or cmd(arg1, { a, b, c="10" })? It's complex to parse, sure, but that's why you make a parser once -- the point is, it IS parseable, without a human correcting the syntax before the computer can understand it.

Re:Bad XML

[bogomipz]

Still not short enough for me though. [...] Furthermore, I'm not sure it makes ANY sense to have commands in XML.

I bet you'll find this article at least a little bit interesting; http://www.defmacro.org/ramblings/lisp.html

Actually, the very first thought I had after the first sentence of the summary was that Lisp would be a much better match than XML for something like this. The moment you try to treat code as data, you can be sure Lisp is what you want, although I believe Rebol (http://www.rebol.com/) tries to do something similar.

Re:Validation for the website

[beelsebob]

Not only can they not write valid html, but they can't write html that render correctly in Safari, one of the most compliant browsers out there.

AffinityGO

[KeyThing]

A UK company, Oceanworks Ltd., already has a web based OS in place.... and even a freebie version... perhaps google should look at that company and buy them out.

Here's a link to their freebie one.

http://affinitygofree.com/

Re:Au Contraire -- Sort of

[Karl Cocknozzle]

And I doubt this is a threat to Google because they will do the same thing it if it works out.

Google is already doing something in this vein... They have Google Apps, which can tie into your enterprise systems and offers your mobile workforce word processing and spreadsheets, email, IM, a start page with RSS--it isn't an operating system, not remotely, but the idea is that it represents an integrated, comprehensive application environment for our students to embrace from home, campus, or the Australian outback.

XIOS isn't really an OS, I certainly agree. But they're hardly unique. They're presenting an integrated suite of applications with an extensible API, sort of like what Google is doing. And really, it doesn't need to be an OS to make it useful and usable.

Re:Not an 'Operating System'

[blane.bramble]

* Is LinuxBIOS an OS?

No, it is a set of routines to configure a machine before handing full hardware control to a real OS (note BIOS is Basic Input/Output System). Also note that in DOS the BIOS formed part of the OS.

* Is OpenFirmware an OS? Mac OS X needs it to run.

Sounds like it is part of the OS then, not an OS in it's own right. An OS can comprise of hardware and software components.

* Is the BIOS in a Lenovo-compatible[1] PC an OS? (Some have alleged that the added complexity compared to 1981 IBM PC BIOS makes it a Built-In Operating System.)

This is the same as your first question.

* Is the microcode in your PC's CPU an OS? BIOS needs it to run.

No. This is firmware for the processor. Of course your OS needs your processor to work in order to run.