WebGL Promises Browser-Based 3D Graphics Sans Plug-Ins

But can it make my Chrome powered (when it comes out) Netbook run World of Warcraft?

"WebGL is made possible by the Canvas element in HTML 5, and is based around a version of OpenGL ES 2.0 inside a Javascript binding"

If the above means that you have to use javascript to do any useful 3D programming, then here's hoping this fails. Javascript is an affront decent programming. It is a language built to look like a first class language but lacking in the typing, consistency and features of real languages like Java or C#. Please take this beast to the back 40 and put it out of its misery!

"We all know the web browser will soon become the central figure in the world of computing"

I completely disagree with that point. the only time the browser will ever reach that point is when internet connection speeds are equal or faster than processor speeds. this will only occur on crappy netbooks.

Increased physical memory and cache space is making increases in buffering technology a very logical step but I notice that the Open Source partners, who are supposed to be committed to universal learning-especially in the poorest of countries-appear to be taking the old public grant money and working for the bigs. Disturbing. Sounds suspiciously like fraud. This technology will never be of use in educating the masses, but it does provide a new shiny toy to watch while we stay blind to the sufferings of 5 billion people.

Good 3D engines for browsers seems to been always just a few years away but has never really happened. Any attempts to actually make this happen in the past have resulted in a lack of penetration over the internet. Generally it also seems that people seem to be unable to interact with 3D interfaces. I seems to me that 3D on the web will continue to be used as gimmicks on marketing websites rather than being useful for providing any real information. Like the use of "Augmented Reality" to sell cars.

What ever happened to VRML? Why have we lost Apple's support for QTVR on 64bit operating systems including future Apple OS 64 bit systems? Why has Adobe failed to include a 3D engine in Flash instead of having to fiddle around with Papervision 3D? Google's O3D plugin is showing promise, but the quality of the graphics I have seen so far arn't anywhere near what you would expect from even the lowest quality graphics on today's video game systems.

It seems we have this romance with 3D on the web much like the romance we have with the idea of robots in our homes. We all seem to think it's a neat idea, we have been perpetually promised that it's only a few years away and once we finally get this, we have no idea what to use it for.

All this said, I'm interested to see if they do in fact get around all the roadblocks of previous attempts to make 3D on the web really happen.

Tim