Web operating system

Web operating system

(1) An operating system that runs in a server on the Web.

(2) The environment created in a user's machine from an online application stored on the Web and run through a Web browser. For example, when an online suite of office applications is run, it may present a unique interface to the user, and this operating environment is sometimes referred to as a Web operating system.

The Irrelevant OS
One implication of the Web operating system is that because the Web application is run via the user's Web browser, the OS in the user's machine is less relevant. Since all browsers perform the same (most of the time) no matter which platform they run in, and since the online application is what the user sees, the operating system becomes less visible. Of course, in order to have this perception, all applications must come from the Internet.