The X (executable) Internet and an extended Net that connects to the real world will eclipse the Web, says Forrester Research.

“Executable applications will give users tools to experience the Net in more entertaining and engaging ways,” said Carl D. Howe, research director and principal analyst at Forrester. “For example, imagine a corporate buyer navigating a virtual marketplace with a Doom-like user interface — buyers could simply shoot the deals they want. That’s a far cry from today’s Web.”

Forrester also sees an extended Internet emerging through Internet devices and applications that sense, analyze, and control the real world. With cheap chips and a worldwide Internet backbone, nearly every device that runs on electricity will have an Internet connection.