Jon Callaghan has some thoughts on how easy it was for him to switch from a PC to a Mac.
This made me think about the Windows Vista launch and the inevitable OS X vs Vista comparisons, and how come I’m deeply uninterested in any of it.
I run a PC at home and a Mac on the road. Their respective operating systems just don’t get me very excited these days. The only thing I care about is that they run Firefox. That’s because my digital day is currently spent in the following apps: WordPress, Yahoo Mail, Bloglines, 30boxes and Google. And they all run perfectly well in Firefox. So as long as I can get to Firefox, I’m pretty much surrounded by everything I need for my work. The only desktop app I use regularly is an IRC client and occasionally I’ll use Open Office to edit a Word document (I bet I could move both of those to web based apps as well).
This leads me to the following conclusion: I want a Firefox computer. A nice, sleek, solid state notebook with a big screen that you open up and it just runs Firefox. I bet this could be had for a reasonable price, it could have a nice long battery life and start up almost instantly. I’d still have a PC or Mac at home to store my photos and music, but for my everyday work life the Firefox computer is all I need.
Toni.org 
26 replies on “The Firefox computer”
the web's changed the game. OS is quite unimportant these days except for aesthetics and usability. In terms of lockin, it's just not there anymore.
ggw
Chatzilla is quite a nice firefox IRC client (http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/). I've stopped using other IRC clients all-together.
Manual trackback: http://standblog.org/blog/post/2007/02/10/Quote-o…
[…] February 10th, 2007 Toni Schneider, CEO of Automattic, like many of us, can do much of his digital work and play in his browser. my digital day is currently spent in the following apps: WordPress, Yahoo Mail, Bloglines, 30boxes a… […]
[…] February 11, 2007 @ 2:25 pm It's just not possible because you would still need an operating system and Firefox can not be run on it's own. You could however have a DOS based system that could run a dos or unix based browser like Lynx. But say we wanted a Firefox computer, and didn't mind having Windows installed on it (a stripped down version of course), would it be possible? Well let's take a look… […]
You know it
You could probably run a linux/unix based computer with minimalism in mind. Perhaps Xubuntu or something might interest you.
to store your photos and play your music, you don't need a PC or Mac. Maybe this might interest you : http://foreversafe.com
[…] Schneider, CEO of Automattic (makers of WordPress, Akismet, etc.), recently posted on his blog about his desire to have a ‘Firefox computer’: I run a PC at home and a Mac […]
That would make me crazy. I think you would really notice the lack of a good desktop environment if you did not have it.
[…] (WordPress) CEO’su Toni Schneider geçenlerde yazdığı “The Firefox Computer” yazısında kullandığı iki farklı makina (evde PC yolda Mac) arasında tek önemsediği şeyin web […]
[…] that’s one less desktop app to run, one more step towards the firefox computer, one less Web app to run, and a good reason to keep Yahoo Mail open as a permanent window in […]
Why would you want a slow and insecure computer that does not work with all webpages? Get the facts: http://www.FirefoxMyths.com
Ooooh, Andrew, you burned us. You party pooper.
I'd still need IE to be sure my code works in legacy apps ;-), but with Oracle Application Express all my development is done through a browser. Google spreadsheets records my timesheet and expenses. Most of the other apps I use are written in java. A FF/Java pc would be perfect.
You don't edit photos or listen to music?
[…] 24, 2007 at 3:49 pm · Filed under Uncategorized The Firefox computer – Why not? I want a Firefox computer. A nice, sleek, solid state notebook with a big screen that you open up […]
You can use "neo office" on the mac. It is slow but it is the same as open office for the PC.
[…] Firefox computer: The other day I was rambling again how the value of “MY” computer has gone down dramatically. I just need “A” computer. As long as it has a decent Internet connection I have access to all my important data. Most of what I do is somewhere online today (or moving there). Pretty much what Toni describes as The Firefox Computer. […]
[…] while ago, I asked for a Firefox computer, a simple solid state laptop that’s optimized to run just Firefox. Yesterday I got an EeePC […]
Firefox would be okay if you're only doing web stuff. But what about software ? While there are software converters and programs that let your view documents made with other systems, the interchangeabiliy isn't perfece.
If you use more than text, www, email and Adobe I don't know why you would want two different operating systems.
Software on it's own system can be unstable enough.
What would be the ideal specs on things like screen size? Is a battery needed? I am guessing that a notebook form factor is desired, it does make it easier to move around.
How much local storage? 8 gig. would give a decent Linux install with growth and be reasonably cheap.
Very good article. Thanks for the good information!.
[…] editor Steve O’Hear has been a big advocate of the so-called ultra-portable Netbook computer from Day One. Now we see others are just as […]
[…] Automattic) post from February 2007, when he claimed that he only needed a browser to do his work: The Firefox computer. I want a Firefox computer. A nice, sleek, solid state notebook with a big screen that you open up […]
I'm browsing with google about "firefox" and i found this article, i agree with you about it