Techcrunch reports on DesktopTwo – a web based service which provides desktop-like usability on a web browser. Facilities include instant messaging, MP3 player, address book, web page editing, blog publishing, e-mail and search. All using the well understood and used metaphors of the desktop and computer-based applications. Their business model will probably derive from the selling of online storage space, although you get 1GB for free when signing up.

It’s undeniably cool, and one of the better examples of this genre of web service. But it’s the wrong solution to the problem of accessing information away from your desktop in multiple places.

As someone commented “So, while using an OS that has a ‘desktop’, I fire up a browser to launch.. a desktop?” Moreover, if you are using a device that doesn’t have the power or capability to run fully-fledged applications, you can bet that a web-based desktop running on the same device won’t be worth using. In this example, DesktopTwo requires: Java, Acrobat Reader, Flash version 9, Cookies and Pop-up support. I guess you need a web browser too.

Another writes “after you use them for about 5 minutes you realize that you would never use them for day-to-day activities.”

All of this is getting me more antsy about Everything Online. There is an alternative solution. Perhaps it’s about time I splurged out some text and graphics on it.