Why Integrate the Web?

Windows has always used the desktop as its metaphor of choice. Although the metaphor was never perfectly realized, Microsoft continued to improve upon it with each new Windows release, and the desktop became a true work area with the radical interface innovations introduced with Windows 95. So why are we now moving away from the desktop and towards the “Webtop”?

Well, there are a number of reasons. For one, the desktop metaphor just wasn't intuitive enough for many new users. In particular, Microsoft's research consistently showed that new and inexperienced users just didn't get double-clicking. This is particularly true when the interface implements clicks and double-clicks inconsistently. For example, to launch a desktop ...

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