The Status of Web Browsers as Separate Products 149.
Consumers determine their software requirements by identifying the functionalities they desire.
While consumers routinely evaluate software products on the basis of the functionalities the products deliver, they generally lack sufficient information to make judgements based on the designs and implementations of those products. Accordingly, consumers generally choose which software products to license, install, and use on the basis of the products' functionalities, not their designs and implementations. Specifically, a Web browser provides the ability for the end user to select, retrieve, and perceive resources on the Web. There is also a consensus in the software industry that these functionalities are distinct from the set of functionalities provided by an operating system. Many consumers desire to separate their choice of a Web browser from their choice of an operating system.