My predictions for the future of computing
1. Your browser will be your operating system.
Check out TechCrunch’s CrunchPad and Google’s Chrome OS announcement.
2. Everything will be online.
Imagine all of the online services that are displacing their offline counterparts – Hulu for TV, Pandora and LastFM for radio, EC2 and App Engine for server farms, Google Docs for Microsoft Office — the list goes on.
Now, once thought to be the last bastion of steep hardware requirements, even hardware-intensive video games are going online in a way that is arguably better than the offline experience.
Gaikai Technology Demo (JULY 1, 2009) from David Perry on Vimeo.
Also see a competitor: Onlive
3. We will accelerate the feedback cycle that will lead to ubiquitous computing.
Since our primary mode of interaction will be through the web, and nearly all the data we care about will be online, moving between interfaces will be virtually frictionless. And, since our data can always be with us, our environment can adapt to our preferences automatically, further easing everyday online interactions and continuing the cycle.
(I haven’t read this book yet, but it seems relevant.)
Jules 9:28 pm on July 9, 2009 Permalink
Interesting predictions that you are making. I read some articles on Google jumping into the OS system. Some of the points the article below made are:
1. Apple will most likely be the one affected because of it’s two main drawbacks: fewer apps and costlier hardware. Google’s OS is supposed to offer a platform that runs on more afordable hardware
2. Windows 7 pricing will likely get more competitive.
3. Netbooks are probably the best place to start.
4. Large companies are unlikely first companies and will most likely treat it as an experiment until the OS proves it has enterprise-class management.
5. Would Googles dominance be any better than Microsoft’s? The idea of a single company controlling the desktop, the application and the data is not without concern.
Here is the link to the article in case you want to read:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/168141/google_chrome_os_will_reshape_desktop_landscape.html
Are you thinking of getting the Google OS? Another thing that will be interesting to see is how they keep up with two OS. The Chrome one and Android.
Kevin Chiu 3:29 pm on July 11, 2009 Permalink
Well, I don’t think the Google OS will be an OS in the traditional sense. I imagine it will be something like the Crunchpad’s software – a single stack dedicated to interacting with the web.
That said, when it comes out, I will definitely give Google OS a try.