Browser as an OS for the Web might be the future of front-end development platform. Google Chrome is getting closer to this, and Firefox OS is also moving toward this direction. Using Javascript, HTML5 and CSS to build native-like apps for the Web, it will bring our WWW more interactive, more user-friendly, more productive and of course more capable.
Recently I started to look at Chrome Web Store, they are many many free apps, extensions and themes in the store. Developing these stuff on top of Chrome browser is kind of fun and straightforward if following Google online tutorial, user manual and API descriptions.
App has hosted app and packaged app. Packaged app is more interesting and need explore further, while hosted app is basically a reference (soft link) to your own hosted web app instead of Chrome web store.
Extensions (plugins) are Javascript/HTML/CSS built package installable on Chrome browser, so that the extension can interact with Chrome browser and provides many cool functions via well-documented APIs (https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/api_index.html)
Themes are skins which empowers preference (color tone, wallpaper etc) on the browser platform.
With these fun experiment, modern browser is changing from platform to OS and HTML5 gives web developers more flexibility and ability to build beautiful web apps. I consider these modern browsers are operating system for the Web on top of native operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux etc).
Mozilla Add-ons has extension, theme too. they also provide collection (a group of extensions) concept.
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