Musings on technology, part 2.

Now I know that I rambled a terrible amount in the last post, but I didn't quite complete my thoughtson impending technological changes that I anticipating being a trend in the communication and computing market. This though comes partially as a handshake to my previous speculation that computing will become more a central, networked process and also from a comment that I heard speaking about gaming technology, which referred to an interface as "baroque." This is a comment about the type of interface and user that will be coming along in the near future. We already have seen a beginning of a new type of interface, and a competition going on about such an interface, in the myspace(google)/facebook question. As opposed to a hardware specific operating system (and programs written to work on that operating system) we see an example of a networked customizable system and API (application programming interface) with prgrams written to tie into a central system accessible from any number of possible remote workstations. Of course, these "social networking" sites, or other use specific sites, are more focused on a large number of users able to do the same task and link easily to other users. No one yet has created a user-centered system with security and versatility of purpose, although Google is certainly headed that way. One can essentially duplicate all of the mail, calendar, communication and scheduling functions of microsoft Outlook email client if one is versed with the capabilities of their platform. Similarly the hardware/operating system aspect of this combination hasn't really ever been put together. Mobile computers are still focused on being all-in one devices, and networking capabilities aren't quite yet up to the task of having integrated remote components to the functionality. The i-phone is moving that direction, but still has only on-board applications and only navigates online systems just as a web browser on a standard PC. I suppose that actually brings the question to the forefront. A web browser is still just an application to run on a hardware OS, yet in a way the internet has developed AS an standard operating system. HTML is a code system that is universally recognizable by readers (browsers,) and and interface with other more sophistocated code systems and plug-in applications (java, flash, etc.) In addition full platforms are being developed and customised (myspace, facebook, youtube, etc...) that work within the framework of the general code. I'm not suggesting that HTML/XML is the shell for a full OS, I'm simply reinforcing that the internet is already developing among these lines. This whole concept is several years off yet, limited mainly by the security/reliability/speed of wireless networking. I have no clue what this construct will actually look like when it evolves. I'm simply speaking about the trends that I am seeing and prediction of how systems should take shape. I would love to argue the point with anyone who has ideas on the matter.

tags: operating system  online storage  future  computer  

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