On Feb 28, 10:45 am, Vincent <vincent.fritt...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:27:15 -0800, unionpenny wrote:
> > Desktop computers in the home and office is a fad. Only a small
> > fraction (like me) really want to, you know, _compute_ with the thing
> > ... write programs. The embedded market with application specific
> > devices is creeping into the desktop and Microsoft doesn't have much to
> > offer there.
>
> I concur with the rest of your post but I partially disagree with the
> above. While it is true that Microsoft have missed the boat with embedded
> software, the desktop isn't going to disappear any time soon in favor of
> application specific devices. The biggest impediment is screen size and a
> dysfunctional keyboard.
Desktop computers will be here for a while. There will need to be
some new infrastructure to support whatever change comes. Using my
mother as an example, she would have 2 areas in the house in which
computer type of activity takes place ... the TV and her study desk.
The study area is where the usual word processing, taxes, printing,
research, email takes place. For this a good monitor and keyboard is
required. Perhaps you were thinking the wall-warts need their own? I
think just placing the wart near the monitor (or in some standardized
slot) should be enough to bring it online. There are already research
projects that have the warts recharging their batteries by placing
them on a special mat. Talking to the wart is easier than that, we
already have radio. I am not a great visionary ... perhaps the warts
will slip into the monitor like a cassette tape.
My mother does not need a game machine, quad cores with gigs of ram
(well except if the puter runs Vista), exchange, power point,
compilers, cooling towers, and lots of other real computer stuff.
> As for thin client or cloud computing I don't
> feel the public is ready for that quite yet. Between all of the security
> problems there is the psychological need to have control of one's data
> and applications and that means locally.
I share your discomfort with cloud computing. My paranoia will only
accept the concept if the cloud stays entirely inside my house.
> To add to your other well
> thought out points, in my experience the number one reason people are
> hesitant to try Linux is a complete mis-perception of Linux.
"Well thought out points"!!! you flatter me (*blush*)
This mis-perception is not without reason. In 1985 I swore I would
never again give my home phone number to a boss that wants to put Unix
into an environment of secretaries. Things have improved a great deal
since then.
> This usually
> stems from well meaning friends and relatives who are also mis-informed
> about Linux suddenly becoming experts. I've actually experienced people
> explaining to me how Linux is a text based system with no graphics!
Yes, everyone is an expert! That is why I think "fad" is an
appropriate term.
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