Mozilla Labs has begun an endeavor with the ultimate goal of creating an environment for PC users in which Web applications function on the desktop the same way and with the same ease of use as desktop applications.

The first application to come from the project is Prism, formerly known as "Webrunner," software that will allow users to run Web apps directly from the desktop -- no browser needed. With the increasing popularity of Web-based applications, personal computing has entered a period of transition, says Mozilla.