The future ...... ?

[Mpprh]

Hi

having another idle moment waiting for the traffic lights to change, I started to think of the future of PC's and internet.

Follow the logic :

One day, online communication will be as fast as accessing your hard disk. The communication will be free, paid for by ads.

So, why buy software and store it at home.

Dell will sell PC's without a hard disk. They will not actually sell them (they will give them away and take commissions from software companies).

The OS will be contained in a memory chip allowing access to everything else.

Everything else will be available online (probably supplied by MS or google ?). MSWORD is free, but with ads ?

Is gmail just the start ?

Or am I a million miles from reality ?

Peter

[Dick Smith]

Nearer than you think, Peter! Google is planning to 'offer' a service which stores all of your files for you

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4782108.stm

BT has quadrupled Broadband speeds

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4773880.stm

and the BBC and ITV are making TV available on the internet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4780274.stm

So yes, the position you suggest could come about quite soon. (The idea of giving PCs away has already happened - some years ago - but I don't know what became of it).

[Gardian]

Six or seven yrs ago, I worked for a W Mids engineering company and had a boss for whom I had the utmost respect.

In one of his speculative moments, he advocated giving away our product in exchange for a tied-in ongoing maintenance contract. The establishment was horrified.

He left to do his own thing. Within 2 yrs, he was a millionaire. True story.  

[Owens88]

Mpprh wrote the following post at 07/03/2006 20:52:

Hi

having another idle moment waiting for the traffic lights to change, I started to think of the future of PC's and internet.

Peter

You are already  in the future. Presumably you have an internet access chip embedded in your skin. (A guy at Warwick uni has something similar I think).

Yes to new models. Thin local client and most applications running from the web, the transformation is the fat connection (fatter in france than uk whatever the stats say, this comment keeps us in forum n'est-ce pas ?).

This is actually current reality. Organisations which have not yet started hosting their own 'enterprise level' stuff might be best off avoiding it and the copnsequent recruitment/training costs.

Meanwhile households can still get a lot of stuff free (look at OpenOffice.org !)

Applications providers and service providers have differing price levels based on security and peskiness of advertising. ISP's are already there. AND forums (fora ?).

But

Everything else will be available online (probably supplied by MS or google ?).

Timothy Taylor's Landlord? Golden Archers? Garlic Bread? Black Sheep bitter? Guiness ? Fish & Chips ?A crepe with real vanilla ice cream ?....