This approach to file access and management is so obvious and desirable to me that I literally cannot even understand the arguments to the contrary. But the browser is not the only option. Look at is how you use your computer. An approach to simplicity would be to add functionality and access to your data to that program. A third approach is to create simplicity by limiting functionality .
Palm computing is one example.
Another example is something like a Java-based approach that would allow you to grab as much functionality as you need at the time. Here's an example. As I write these words, I'm looking at a screen that has shockingly close to 100 buttons and menu items on the screen as I simply type text. If I step back from writing and look at the screen, I feel a bit like a jet fighter pilot. A couple of fonts, spell checker, word counter.