The web browser has arguably become the most important application software on most personal computers. Now, as the web becomes in-creasingly interactive and Web 2.0 applications proliferate, the browser is becoming more and more like a traditional operating system in that it enables web-based applications such as social networking sites, blogs and e-mail.

But the evolving role of the browser also poses challenges for browser developers if they are to avoid such pitfalls of com-plexity as slow performance, hefty hardware requirements and confusing interfaces.