A Nice Day for Web Apps

August 10, 2011

As some of you may or may not know, I was privileged to be able to participate in the Cr-48 Chromebook pilot program. So far, I have thouroughly enjoyed my little Chromebook. It is perfect for what I use it for. I really like the easy-to-use, Linux-based operating system, the size, the weight, and the feel of the keyboard.

However, one of the things that I wished that the Chromebook could do from day one was stream content from Netflix. Well, that long awaited day has finally arrived. Just as Netflix and Nintendo did with streaming on the Wii, Netflix and Google took their time in rolling out this capability, but it was definitely worth the wait. I found the streaming quality to be excellent, and the sound quality is good as well.

Amazon also rolled out their HTML5 based Kindle Cloud Reader app today, in what I assume is a response to Apple’s requirements for selling content through native iOS apps that come from their app store. This web app feels like a native app, and it is very responsive. I am very excited about the continued growth of HTML5 and CSS3 right now.