Comments on: Whose Platform is it, Anyway?

By: bcspratt

bcspratt — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It is possible that Cloud computing and virtualization will eventually replace operating systems, but I do not see that happening until a vast majority of the US and perhaps Europe / China / India have cheap (or free) wall to wall wifi coverage. Otherwise, your laptop will be an expensive paperweight while your commuting in your flying car.

By: buggin

buggin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Um…..what does this magical browser run on? It requires an operating system. And your sound, video, peripherals…are they all magic too? The biggest vulnerabilities are Internet Explorer + Windows, Web-based exploits have the potential to be a problem on all platforms, and yet you and all your fellow pundits keep claiming that \”the cloud\” will make all that irrelevant. I think you have no idea what you\’re talking about.

By: ddelv

ddelv — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

As a provider of individualized services to users, I can tell you they already don\’t know (if) they are using an operating system. Most ordinary users don\’t know Word from Windows, nor do they care — they just want to do what they want to do. In fact, (and this is especially true of Mac users) they don\’t know that they are running applications. Like their automobiles, the computer is a machine that does what it does, somehow, mysteriously and hopefully successfully. When it doesn\’t it goes to the shop for repair — even if the problem is actually on the other side of the keyboard!

By: stosss

stosss — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

@bcspratt, Agree

@buggin, Agree, especially the last sentence.

@ddelv, Agree

By: atexit

atexit — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Won\'t customers be more locked in, when they depend on companies supplying the product, not only for the product in it self, but also data storage, communication, applications and pretty much everything? It might start out voluntary, but after a while transition costs of moving to another service will probably outweigh the benefits of that move..

You can already see it happening with gmail, google apps and chrome OS.

By: cweberusa

cweberusa — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

@atexit: Correct, except Google happens to be open right now. You can take your data and run. Competition will to some extent ensure this remains the case. The solutions is open data formats for exchange, and clear, concise info of when and how you can take your data to move elsewhere. And maybe we as a society (not \”the government\”) decide that there needs to be some regulation to keep providers on the straight and narrow.

By: bendib

bendib — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think cloud in itself needs a revision. I do not want to pay for mobile broadband for my netbook. Not only that, but do we really want 10,000 flash apps on our browser, sucking our cycles? Ug. Desktops will not become obsolete so long as we have such crappy ideas and even crappier methods of doing something like cloud. I doubt we will see 3D flash games like DOOM 3, and I doubt anyone would want to wait to upload a video to edit just so they can wait another hour to download it. And what about those slow flash apps? My PC is a PC, not a cell phone. I do NOT want to pay $50 a month to keep it running. Did I mention the slow flash apps?

By: stefi

stefi — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cloud computing should stick to the applications (mail and other apps). One can decide to use internet from time to time, so he/she does not have to pay for WiFi just in order to use Word. Also, I may need a custom application. On what OS it should be developed, how can I install it if I don\’t have OS? Of course, there will be a solution but anyway, I will have to pay again for WiFi network. It doesn\’t seem to me like a freedom.

By: theejoey

theejoey — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This seems to be an issue that to\'s & fro\'s a bit. One day cloud computers make a huge headway, then the next day hardware vendors demonstrate their dominance with hardware quality & price.

I think cloud computing is making a huge impact, including giving hardware vendors something to work with, think about, & even emulate in some small way. Just look at the iPad: it wouldn\'t work as a serious system without another larger system to link to. I dont think so anyway.

It looks like a win-win situation. Just nobody do a Microsoft & steer development in a forceful way to include them to the exclusion of others.

By: jimmishrode

jimmishrode — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. In order to boot up your laptop, computer, netbook or whatever; it needs an operating system to make it work. These devices do not just operate from a magic cloud they need a system. I could see a minimal system with limited storage based on a browser interface. The OS is used to boot up the device so you can access the apps and storage existing on a cloud. There is a great potential market for opening up a subscription service for the apps and the storage on the cloud.

By: n8miah

n8miah — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Great, that’s what I want….just as bad as I want to go the hospital and get charged $400 for gauze. What I’m trying to say is, if everything were to go to a thin client/ cloud computing for all services…then you would have to pay for every little thing you wanted to do. Reminds me of those movies with quarter/credit slots for everything you need to do…hahaha no TP for you, that will be 25cents for a square. Thanks, but no thanks! Back to normal conversation though. People are typically lazy, and don’t care where there services come from in most cases, but there are enough people with the common sense to know that this type of world would be an giant leap in the wrong direction. Don’t even let me get started on privacy, or security.