Just when you were getting comfortable, look out. Consider a browser that works offline as well as on. As someone who is never offline, even I need to get my mind around this, but there is enough work ocurring here, I am open minded enough to think it must be for a reason.
The Apollo team from Adobe is here at ETech, presenting the Alpha version of their new runtime environment – which is aimed at empowering web developers to create desktop applications. Apollo is a lightweight virtual machine that runs on the desktop and acts as an interpreter of HTML, JavaScript and Flash – much like the browser does today.
The difference is that applications that run on Apollo can work in an offline mode, while you are not connected to the internet. The browser can’t yet do this, however Firefox 3 is slated to have offline functionality and IE surely won’t be far behind.
Source: Adobe Apollo – On A Collision Course With Web Browsers
It may for example (my conjecture) increase speed and performance, even while online. Examples provided here are:
For example, accessing a Google map to find directions to your friend’s house while you are in the car; or reading The New York Times on a plane
I get the latter, although the former is eliminated by Google Maps on my Blackberry. In any event, interesting new developments.
PS:
Why do I always feel Adobe are chasing last years idea 🙂
Bankwatch 
Colin,
You might check out Joyent’s new offline framework they are calling ‘Slingshot’. It’s for Rails only but looks pretty nice.
URL: http://joyeur.com/2007/03/22/joyent-slingshot
I agree with your skepticism re offline browsing. While at CNET, I can recall rushing my team to build an IE Channel. Remember those offline channels? Failed miserably–and back then (’98, I think) persistent connectivity/mobile as far less than today.
Brad … already there. The startup I am advising on it hosted there 🙂
I am not sure of the security behind this, but if a user were to access internet banking or secure services through such a platform then wouldn’t phishing be less of an issue? I know there would a lot more to it then this but its a start.
Anthony … conceptually that is interesting. The opportunity might exist in theory, for a browser plug in, issued by the Bank, that could operate as a secure token registered to that customer. Not sure if that increases the security beyond that provided by the current suite of services or not, but its interesting. Thanks.