h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I reckon that there'll always be room for competition in the operating system of any computer. People desire different abilities and properties from their machines, and an omnipotent, all-singing and all-dancing OS that can perform any task asked of it in any style, independent of machine specs or design criteria is, for now at least, a little way off. Still, you didn't put a time-scale on your "Future of Computing", did you? ;o)

I'd like to see the Message Centre idea realised very soon. Having to trek to make a quick message-check, or to send that all-important last-minute email to a work colleague is a real bind, and a portable, powerful centre of communications is an excellent and reachable goal.
Do you think video-conferencing and visual means of communication will be all the rage in the future, or do you prefer the old keyboard to white-screen form of e-mails? I can't say as I'm sure about voice-chat or other, more personal means of communication becoming widely available and acceptable. There's something comforting about being able to take back a statement via the delete key, or express something in ASCII that's not possible with aural communication. I think the email will live on for many years.

The user CAN specify what they want their machine to be able to do when they purchase it from outlets such as PC World, etc. it's just a matter of whether such companies will ever give up on the "Big Sale, Big Comission" philosophy that dogs the industry today. There's so much that goes unsaid when a purchase is made, and they're all too often rushed into, that should really be investigated first. Not everyone needs the PIII-600 with 256Mb of RAM and 98 million speed CD-ROM drive that all these companies plug, and I'm rather afraid that it's the commercial giants who will dictate where technology moves in the next ten years. People power will only kick in when people stop being ignorant about their PC's and saying:
"Oh, the kids can make it do all sorts of things, but I haven't a clue how to load Word, let alone play Unreal Tournament.",
and instead slam an angry fist on the table to declare exactly what they want and how much they want it to cost.

I could go on about lazy programming putting the stress on machine specs, or how Internet commerce really IS the way forward, but I'll let you have a comeback, first. I think I've had my say for now. ;o)

Ciao,

MARK

No, I still stand firmly by my opinion that the OS of a computer is completely superfluous. In fact, I expect Linux to be the OS of the future for the following reasons:

1) It is free.
2) It can easily be modified for specific applications.
3) The Internet is its distribution network.

One disadvantage of Linux is that its fans are invariably staunch anti-Microsoft, which means they will eschew any ideas from the Redmond software house, including the good ones.

Linux is processor independent, can be adapted to unique systems, and can be cut down according to the application. This makes it usable in real-time computing applications, microcontroller and embedded applications as well as the more traditional server and client PC uses.

Another disadvantage I can forsee is that majority of Linux supporters seem to have invented new spelling etiquette. I can't say I like the widespread use of TLAs and the general shunning of punctuation.

So, basically Linux IS the all-singing, all-dancing OS that can perform any task independent of specs etc... It just isn't mature enough to warrant the immediate changeover by the millions of companies who use other systems.

The WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled mobile phone is going to evolve into the Message Centre I was talking about. I am doing a presentation on this technology, and it aims to put Internet functionality onto a mobile phone. If you want to see a preview, go to the website http://gelon.net/ which allows you to browse existing WAP websites on a 'mobile phone simulator'.

Depending on how well colour screens miniaturise, we could see the WAP phone mutate into a permanently connected device that can cope with video conferencing or just plain and simple video links between users. I cannot see a problem with having a watch/mobile phone combination with a colour video screen and small camera that focusses on you as you watch the screen. Could be rather cool, in fact. CASIO is already working on a WAP watch, as far as I know. It might happen in our lifetime, which would be brilliant.

The only factor preventing the rapid development of these devices is cost. I, for one, know that I am not interested in a WAP watch with video linkup if a) no one I know has one, and b) it costs more than a video camera, mobile phone and PC seperately. In fact, if it costs just a little more than a normal watch, then I'm not interested.

-- Nurgling

I both agree and disagree with what you say. I concur that it's time the winds of change blew through the hallowed halls of Microsoft's operating system emporium, but I don't think that the present state of Linux is such that it will become a viable option for the majority of PC users. The problem is that, whilst Linux is groovy and cool in many ways, to customise and optimise it to your own liking takes a degree in programming and a certain measure of patience. It's not something the new PC-buyer will want to face as an initiation into the home-owning computer market. Purely through mass-media and domination of the PC market, the word on everyone's lips when asking for a PC is "Microsoft", and it'll be a while before this imbalance is redressed.

Educating people in the methods and techniques in setting up their own PCs is a step in the right directory (ho ho), but it's not widespread enough and thorough enough for Joe and Jean Public to receive an international award for. The options are out there, though, it's just a case of directing people to them.

I don't know a great deal about WAP technology, but it sounds like it's going to make quite a splash when it becomes available. How would the internet services be charged, though? Portable communications centres are, as you say, going to cost an arm and a leg (as well as many other major external and internal appendages) for a while, but once the novelty wears off, they'll soon be priced similarly to normal cameras and mobile phones, I reckon. Depends on how patient you are, I guess....
I don't doubt the ability of the technology to shrink such devices into the size of ordinary mobile phones, however. Swift advances in the materials and concepts used for communications technology already pose the possibility of miniaturising the components of a PC to hand-held size on a mass-produce scale, so the time of this form of comms centre is at hand.

But what happens once kids start to get their hands on this technology. Have you heard about schools hear getting their knickers very much knotted about the presence of mobile phones in classes? Every time I go out, I see fourteen year olds and some even younger parading around with mobiles and exposing their little heads to these high-intensity magnetic fields. It's not wise, and it attracts thieves. Security measures or not, the repercussions of anyone, let alone kids, encountering trouble when in possession of such technology is a niggling thought.