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If Apple, Microsoft, or Linux aren’t already shaking in their boots, somebody needs to tell them that they should. For don’t they know that a once fledgling little startup is slowly taking over the online world, one computer after another. And no, I’m not talking about another fast-spreading and destructive worm or virus. I’m talking about what is the most widely-used Web browser today, built around a community of loyal and fastidious volunteer workers, who are fans and devotees themselves. I’m talking about Mozilla’s Firefox.

I’ll spare you the details but to throw in just a few specifics, Firefox is currently the world’s most popular Web browser, outnumbering Safari and IE in users by more than 6% of the Internet’s population of users. And while Firefox version 3 currently finishes with flying colors when compared with other “leading” browsers, Mozilla doesn’t want to waste time in innovating and promises even a lot more better features to come in the package with Firefox 4. Could these upcoming features include an in-browser desktop? Well, what if the answer was yes?

Currently in Mozilla’s beta labs, two services are set to take on your desktop applications in one way or another. The first of these is Mozilla Weave, which aims to establish a better connection between your Web browser and the spaces that you tread on in the Internet. Weave will let users access saved passwords and account information, bookmarks, home pages, and other sync-able stuff through an online service, enabling them to take their so-called “browsing experience” everywhere that they go. And as the number of devices that are capable of connecting to the Internet rapidly increases (desktop, laptop, mobile phone, smartphone) a feature like this would be very useful indeed. It’s like staying on one computer station all along, even though you could be switching devices for browsing faster than a car blasting Nitro in Tokyo.

And then, Mozilla also has this other wonderful product called Prism, which technically lets users run Web apps directly from their desktop. This is something that could possibly spell the end of Google Gears. Imagine, just having your favorite (or most frequently used) Web apps as icons on your desktop that you just have to click on to gain access whenever you want. Instead of going to a web site and entering your account info every single time, this will definitely serve a better purpose, especially in saving time. And what’s more, making sites/apps work even when you’re not online is a big part of this initiative, so expect to see more homebrew uses of current Web 2.0 applications, via offline and local network stations.

These are just two of Mozilla’s current “crazy ideas” for the Firefox browser, but even so one can say that there’s a pretty kick-butt future lying ahead of FF users like most of us. And don’t act like you’re surprised. What’s surprising, though, is how Mozilla prefers to take its time in releasing these new features officially. I understand that they’re probably doing a few last minute tweaks before the big event, but what we have here right now can very easily crush the competition. In fact, I’m so certain FF will best any other Web browser out there that I’ll let you quote me for saying that. But alas, Prism and Weave are deemed best to be included in the next version of Firefox, and that pretty much means: “No, you’re not getting any new features in the current release.” And to that I say, OK, but make it quick, will you?

Via [Webware]