Presumably, an XML browser would not have needed such preprocessing. Also on the site is the text of a World Wide Web Journal issue devoted to XML . The issue contains 18 articles, and includes introductions to XML and XML processing, histories of XML and its evolution from other Web data formats, and discussions of tools, style, and the application of XML in various domains. The Bosak article discussed below is included in the issue. St. Laurent's key point is that XML is a standard for structured information exchange.
Web pages are just one example of such an exchange.
SGML has a horrible reputation, and calling the new thing something else gives it a fresh start. St. Laurent's first essay is a good place to turn for an overview of the concepts and motivations for XML, without getting into the details of the syntax. I found a more comprehensive list of XML software at Tauber's site. A good place to start if you have XML programming to do. The Arachnoid Tourist scours the Net to find and review Web sites of interest to our readers.