Coming Soon: The AJAX-based OS

So, what’s one more operating system between friends? Linspire is preparing a new Linux-based operating system that uses AJAX as the interface for all of its applications and documents.

The value of ajaxOS is that it is AJAX-aware, so any compatible file will be recognized by AJAX   applications.

Double-clicking on any known file type will launch an AJAX application to edit the document. All of this is available now, except this also means any browser that can support AJAX can also support these applications.

What makes it unique is that Linspire is also offering online storage, called a locker, where files can be saved, so a person can work on their files or play back MP3 files from any device with a browser.

This eliminates the need to take both applications and data on the road.

ajaxOS is being developed by Ajax 13, a subsidiary of Linspire, in San Diego, Calif. Ajax 13 executives think there’s plenty of opportunity out there for ajaxOS.

“Education is a great example, as kids would have access to their own projects and course work as well as a consistent application set in the classroom and at home,” Ajax 13 president Jan Schwarz told Internetnews.com.

“Mobile business people will find a lot of benefit with this, as they no longer have to worry about keeping their local office documents and presentations in sync or the hassle of transferring everything to other devices when they’re on the go,” he added.

Because files are stored remotely, they are safe from crashes and viruses, Ajax 13 argues. Since the applications are Web-based and remote hosted, there’s no added expense and they are always kept up to date.

Ajax 13 has no plans to recreate any existing AJAX application if it exists. For example, Google’s Gmail is AJAX based, so that is the e-mail client of choice for ajaxOS.

While ajaxOS runs on a modified version of the Linux-based Linspire operating system, APIs are available so an AJAX developer can interface with the core technology when writing new applications.

Linspire already has some AJAX-based applications, including AjaxWrite, a word processor, and AjaxSketch, a graphics editor.

Linspire expects to release the ajaxOS in the next few weeks.