Parallel preloading when viewing from browser (was: Optimizing for 386)

[Martin Olsson]

 >
> Then they log on to/borrow mine/ask me nicely to check something. Just
> some plan, standard form ETC. I open the page in the webbrowser (no
> problem, quick. The firefox start-up delay is at least tolerable, if not
> optimal), and click the link. Do i want to open it in
> /home/kyrre/.redhat-openoffice(etc)? Yes.
> 
> 

One thing I always wished for x-mas but never got it this:

First the bad case (how it today afaik):
1. I click the .doc and select "open with BLAH_PROG"
2. There is some waiting while it's downloaded into doh.tmp
3. The browser executes "BLAH_PROG doh.tmp"
4. There is some waiting for the app.
5. My doc is done.

Here is how I always wanted it to be instead:
1. I click the .doc and select "open with BLAH_PROG"
2. The browser tells program BLAH_PROG to launch and wait for a doc
3. I want for the .doc to download and parallely BLAH_PROG launches
5. My doc is done.

See how this would save a lof of time, especially when viewing docs from 
servers with highload (low bandwidth) and on a client with little RAM 
(long launch time)? This is something not even Windows has yet.

PS. This is of course very similar to the idea of parallelizing the boot 
process (such a discussion for seen on this list not too long ago) and 
I'm sure there are TONS if other places where such parallellization 
would speed up things conderiably! DS.



regards,
martin