7. What are the applications of a browser?

Web applications are popular due to the ubiquity of web browsers, and the convenience of using a web browser as a client, sometimes called a thin client. The ability to update and maintain web applications without distributing and installing software on potentially thousands of client computers is a key reason for their popularity. Common web applications include webmail, online retail sales, online auctions, wikis, desktop-like widgets, video playback, pre-fetching data applications like Google Maps and even applications for video capturing and gaming. HTML 5 delivers a full-fledged application platform; "a level playing field where video, sound, images, animations, and full interactivity with your computer are all standardized" A significant advantage of building web applications to support standard browser features is that they should perform as specified regardless of the operating system or OS version installed on a given client. Rather than creating clients for MS Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other operating systems, the application can be written once and deployed almost anywhere. Most people associate "browser apps" with Ajax, but technologies like Flex and "WPF/E", as well as XAML Browser Applications (XBAPs) all run in the browser and bring the richness of the desktop. Rich Internet Applications (RIA) are a somewhat ‘thick-client’ using technologies like Adobe Flash, Java applets, Adobe Flex / AIR, Java/JavaFX and Microsoft Silverlight. An emerging strategy for application software companies is to provide web access to software previously distributed as local applications. Depending on the type of application, it may require the development of an entirely different browser-based interface, or merely adapting an existing application to use different presentation technology. These programs allow the user to pay a monthly or yearly fee for use of a software application without having to install it on a local hard drive. A company which follows this strategy is known as an application service provider (ASP), and ASPs are currently receiving much attention in the software industry.