Turn it on, get coffee, start Outlook, catch up on the gossip at the cooler, read first e-mail. This 15 minute sequence is what Monday morning, or any weekday, usually starts with for the vast majority of computer users. Many are still on Windows XP, running on machines with less RAM than the USB sticks the company uses as promotional gifts. If it takes too long or if they need anything beyond basic software such as the Office package they can call an IT person somewhere, who may or may not improve the situation.
The perception of computing in this case that of something you depend on but can't rely on. It's not there to assist you in being a lean, mean productivity machine. Rather, it is often perceived as the limiting factor in work performance, other than the quality of workplace coffee.
2010 is soooo over, and so is this type of computing experience. There are a number of highly interesting trends that will conspire to offer daily computer users ubiquitous computing: anytime, anywhere, but most importantly, very simple.
Apps have permanently transformed the mobile landscape, and mobile users expect fast & simple the same way they expect internet connectivity absolutely everywhere.
On the desktop, virtualization is making rapid inroads as the new must-have for enterprise environments, due to the lower cost of operating an supporting virtualized desktops. An interesting side effect for the end user is that software is on one side offered as a service in a browser window, and on the other side repackaged into conveniently distributable units that can be installed on these virtual desktops with a few mouse clicks. The effect for the end user is that desktop software becomes a lot like mobile apps: click, it's there, click, it's gone, and it has seamlessly saved your progress, menu layout and other settings for when you use it again.
The platform you use becomes a lot less important this way: virtual machines can be stacked a virtual mile high and still run some specialized software on top. Linux-based server clusters host VMware-based virtual servers which host Microsoft server software and virtual desktops which run application especially packaged for this purpose and which can be accessed from anywhere you can tie in to the company network.
With a bit of optimism one can imagine the desktop to become a larger, more capable iPad: simple to use, fast, stable, and you get what you need in a few clicks, whether that is new software, new e-mail, or news on the weather. The back end is managed by the large foreheads at IT, and the user has a package of rights enabling him to use his computer as he sees fit, within the boundaries of company policy, licence agreements and so forth. The company intranet provides tutorials on using the 'Apps' that people can install and use themselves with a few clicks. The main reason to call IT support is hardware failure, change requests etc. Now wouldn't that be the day?
My message is that before computing can really become an ubiquitous utility, it must be simple. Really simple, and really oriented to be used. I think OSX Lion will be a nice preview of things to come.
Read what Technorati are saying about virtualisation & consumer computing on http://www.anandtech.com/show/4042/virtualization-ask-the-experts-6.
Very interesting vision on computer experience from the client side. I think you will prove to be mostly right.
ReplyDeleteStill I would like to install this in my pc: http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/solid-state-drives/pci-express/z-drive-r2/slc-enterprise-series/ocz-z-drive-r2-e88-pci-express-ssd.html
Check. The. Bandwidth. 8x Raid 0 on PCI-express..